On a cold and windy day on Holywell, Loughborough Students Rugby League 2nd team suffered a resounding 62-4 defeat at the hands of Leeds Met Carnegie 2nds.
In a game that saw two cards, one yellow and one red, Carnegie were the stronger side throughout.
The Met were constantly dangerous with ball in hand and had a stream of supporting players at their disposal. As a result there was little the stretched Loughborough defence could do to contain them as the visitors eventually ran in 12 tries to record victory.
The game was over-shadowed however, by the injury to Loughborough number six Tom Smith in the 57th minute. His neck/shoulder injury, possibly a shoulder dislocation, was seen to by Paramedics who did not want to risk moving him and were still waiting for an ambulance after the final whistle had been blown.
Leeds took the lead as early as the third minute with a well-worked miss move. A drop from the resulting restart put Loughborough under further pressure. After a few tight phases, the ball went wide and with plenty of time and space, Leeds could score their second try and take an early 10-0 lead.
This was the theme for the majority of the first half which was almost exclusively played inside the Loughborough half. Leeds Met continued to create chances but it was a superb tap tackle and further scrambling defence from the home team that prevented the score from increasing.
Loughborough’s defence could only hold on for so long as Leeds scored three more tries before the half hour mark to take a resounding 26-0 lead.
Loughborough scored their only points of the game after 30 minutes, when a cross-field kick was neatly taken by the Loughborough wing before he managed to squeeze over in the corner.
Loughborough failed to build on this momentum however, and after a poor pass just five metres from the Leeds line led to a turnover, were once again on the back foot. Another missed tackle on half way gifted Leeds their sixth try of the game on the stroke of half time.
Leeds went into the break with a comfortable 32-4 lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Loughborough in the second half as a second fumbled restart led to a seventh try for Leeds. Signs of frustration grew and a succession of penalties saw the referee reach for his pocket and sin bin Loughborough’s George Elliot for repeated infringements. With Elliot absent, Leeds scored their eighth and ninth tries of the game to lead 46-4.
After a long delay due to the injury to Smith, play resumed on the neighbouring Holywell pitch. A scrappy passage of the game ensued before Leeds had a man sent off for punching on the floor. The referee had no hesitation in reaching for his red card but with just 10 minutes to go the game had already well and truly left Loughborough.
Loughborough's poor performance was typified when, after a bustling run from replacement Sam Taylor, Ben Walter's was put clean through with only the try-line in sight but was unable to take the ball cleanly.
Leeds dominance was further illustrated as with just 12 men and the Loughborough leg's tiring, they ran in a further three tries in the last five minutes.
Two of which were successfully converted to give Leeds Met a 62-4victory and a place in the BUCS Trophy final.
