Crusaders 6-34 Leeds Rhinos
The Rhinos were made to work hard for their win
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Prop Ryan O'Hara has been appointed as the captain of Crusaders Rugby League for the 2010 Super League season. |  |
Saturday, 30, Jan 2010 09:51
By Tom Powell.
Leeds Rhinos were pushed all the way but eventually came out 34-6 winners against the Crusaders in the opening match of the 2010 Super League season.
At a snow covered Racehorse Ground the Welsh side matched the champions blow for blow for 65 minutes before the Rhinos wrapped up the win.
The Crusaders held their own in the first 40 minutes going in level at 6-6 after Gareth Raynor's try and cancelled out Scott Donald's.
And the hosts frustrated the champions for 25 minutes of the second half before Danny Maguire scored to open the floodgates and help his side to a 34-6 win.
The holders had new signing Greg Eastwood on the bench whilst Keith Senior and Ryan Bailey had recovered from knocks to play but Gareth Ellis missed out through injury.
The Welsh side handed debuts to eight players with Raynor, Jamie Thackray, Nick Youngquest, Vince Mellars, Michael Witt, Rocky Trimarchi, Tommy Lee and Frank Winterstein all involved in Brian Noble's squad.
The Crusaders began brightly and kicked themselves into a 3third minute as Witt dispatched a penalty from midway inside the Rhinos half.
The hosts' bright start continued with strong defence and clever territorial kicking preventing the four-time champions from settling.
There were 16 minutes on the clock before the Rhinos threatened the Crusaders' line. Kylie Leuluai broke a tackle and offloaded to Danny Maguire but the stand-off knocked on under pressure from Youngquest.
All the effort they had put in during the opening quarter was wiped out following a horrific error from Youngquest.
Ben Delaney's kick through lacked any pace and under no pressure the ball dribbled through the Youngquest's legs and Donald was able to touch down unopposed having followed up.
Sinfield rubbed salt into the wound by adding the conversion from wide on the right to give his side a 6-2 lead.
Leeds would have been expected to press on from their but the Crusaders had other ideas and after surviving two sets of six on their own try line marched to the other end and drew level.
Witt's high-kick was gathered in by Vince Mellars who offloaded to Raynor and the former Hull man held off the challenge of Kallum Watkins and went over in the corner.
Into the second half and the Rhinos were finding it difficult to breakdown the determined Crusaders defence. Senior found Ali Lauitiiti five metres out but the big second row was held up over the line by two Crusaders defenders.
The Welsh crowd was getting louder as the Crusaders grew in confidence but it was all wiped out in one full-length Rhinos move.
Watkins fielded a kick five metres from his own line before offloading to Delaney who drew his man and fed Maguire who ran the length of the pitch unopposed to edge his side ahead.
Sinfield added the extras to make it 12-6 with just 15 minutes remaining.
It didn't take long for the Rhinos to move up a gear and stretch their lead through Lauitiiti.
Sinfield's kick was fielded by Maguire and knocked down by Longquest for the New Zealander to scoop up and touchdown under the posts. Sinfield added the extra two.
The flood gates were beginning to open as Sinfield timed his run to perfection and latched onto Danny Buderus' grubber to really make the game safe 12 minutes from time.
Loose forward Sinfield kept up his 100 per cent record with the boot by adding the simple conversion but was off target minutes later following Delaney's try.
It was harsh on the Crusaders but the Rhinos were showing why they were champions and rounded their evening off with their sixth off the evening when Leuitiiti bundled over from close range to wrap up a 34-6 win.