Visible signs of a fall in temperature as vapour clouds rose off the pre-match players of Leeds Tykes and Cambridge. It was really was ‘warming up’ in a literal sense. This was to be a tough challenge for the Tykes, with Cambridge sitting near the top of the league table and the hosts being perilously close to the bottom.
However, the visitors’ superiority only really began to show itself in the second forty as honours had been fairly even at the break - a try for Cambridge and a three point penalty conversion from Tighe Maxwell Whiteley.
Not long after the break things began to look bad for Tykes as Cambridge pushed over no fewer than two tries. However, as a player who shall remain nameless remarked to ickledot in the clubhouse after, Tykes seem to perform at their best when things are looking grim. The recovery began with a penetrating run from Kieran Davies (above). Fending off several defenders, his pass to Charlie Venables further split the defence. Charlie did the rest and touched down between the posts.
Hopes rose. For a time the hosts rode their luck with some desperate defending but at last a number of penalties brought them close to the Cambridge line. A lineout was won, the maul formed and it was Ben Sugars who finally touched down, to the joy and relief of all. The scores were level and that’s how it remained.
Well done to both sides. Undoubtedly each will have regrets - opportunities lost and all that - but thanks anyway for producing an encounter to warm our frozen bones. It was almost dark by the latter stages of the game so the photos are a bit grainy. Hope you like them!