Last Friday saw Headingley Carnegie Stadium play host to the inaugural North Leeds vs. South Leeds Schoolboys as a curtain raiser to the Rhino’s first team game against Castleford tigers.
Report by: Danny Edmondson – Leeds Rhinos High School Development Officer
The game saw both sides compete for the PIMS LTD trophy in what turned out to be an exhilarating affair as two very evenly matched sides the power of sheer will and determination in defence.
The day provided an exclusive and potentially once in a lifetime opportunity for the lads to get a taster to life as a Rhino.
16:45 Danny Edmondson put the finishing touches to the dressing rooms and walks to the entrance of the South Stand Car Park to find a large crowd with the constant murmur of both nerves and excitement.
17:00 Most of the players have arrived and formed two very tight knit groups as the coaches get their briefing and are given the lads tickets….so far there has only been one shout of “I’ve forgotten my boots” that ended in a brand new pair bought for the occasion (well played young sir!)
17:10 All the players have arrived and start to enter the Stadium, the North are the first to their dressing rooms closely followed by the South. The excitement begins to build as the players think about both the rising and current stars of Super League whose footsteps they are following getting ready in these changing rooms. The now small army of parent’s family and friends make their way into the stadium to take their place in the stands ready for the battle.
17:30 The players enter the field for their warm up. The excitement and chatter from the dressing room has changed to a simmering focus that will only build and build until it boils over at kick off.
17:50 Back in the changing rooms for the final preparations before what is going to be the biggest game of their lives so far. The changing rooms are eerily quiet as the coaches give their final instructions. No motivational speeches are needed here; both teams are clearly ready to give it everything they have got.
18:00 With approximately 300 people already in the stands from the go, the first half starts with a huge kick off from the South the pressure was first on the North pack to get them out of danger and set up an early platform. Strong running and a huge kick meant the South picked up possession on their own 10m line. Good line speed from the North forced an early error for the South putting them under pressure from very early on. The North didn’t need asking twice. Some hard running from Sam Storey and Jack Cooper got them to within a couple of metres of the South try line, quick thinking from Dylan Simpson created a two on one with the winger and an offload out of nowhere allowed Connor Pate to squeeze over in the corner. The job was now down to Cail Cookland to kick the conversion from a yard in from the touchline whilst being watched by Sir Kevin himself along with Zak Hardaker, Paul McShane, Ryan Hall and Ryan Bailey. Unfortunately the Conversion attempt hit the post giving the north an early lead of 4-0.
18:21 as the crowd quickly builds in the south stand the game is dominated by gang tackles and tireless effort in defence. With few errors the completion rate for both teams was particularly high and neither team were able to establish and real field position. A clear opportunity for the South was thwarted by some last ditch scrambling defence from the North and they transitioned perfectly into attack, following a break from Louis McConnell (who’s metres carried statistic JP would be proud of), allowed a neat cross field kick from Adam Gibbons to be picked up by Matthew Robinson and scored in the opposite corner. Another unsuccessful conversion on the massively wide Headingley pitch left the score 8-0 to the North.
18:40 the second half had started much like the first. The personal battles between centres Cooper for the North and Batchelor for the South, McConnell and Frost, and Scott and Morton continued with as much vigour as ever. The first score of the second half went to the North, a smart kick from Harrison Scott was made brilliant by the chase, causing the south to fumble the ball and Sam Storey to pounce and score the North’s 3rd try of the game. Again however it was unconverted and the most savvy of the crowd could sense this game still had a lot to offer in the final 20 minutes.
18:44 the start of the Logan Stephenson show. After demonstrating brief glimpses of his elusiveness and keen eye for a gap in the first half, South stand-off Logan Stephenson came into his own in the late stages of the game. On the back of phenomenal efforts from prop Charlie Frost, Stephenson was able to orchestrate a gap from nowhere and jink over from 10m out and score next to the sticks. Converting his own try brought the South right back into the game at 12-6 and suddenly the North looked nervous and the South grew in confidence.
18:47 Chance missed! Once again Frost alongside Morton gave the South a dream position to be in. Stephenson hit a fantastic line off Jack Wilson only for his genius flick off load to be spilled a matter of metres from the posts.
18:51 All level. An error from the North gifts the South possession just inside their own half. As they creep closer to the try line Stephenson picks up the ball 20m out and another trademark jinking run seems he wriggle over, converting to level the scores with 8 minutes remaining.
18:59 The South give away a penalty for a high tackle allowing a tap penalty from ten metres out. The ball is given to Callum Scott who charges his way over to win the game in what turns out to be the last play of the game. The North win the PIMS trophy 16-12.
19:05 Both sets of players return to the changing rooms having been applauded by approximately 3000-4000 supporters now camped in the South Stand. Safe to say every player on that field did themselves, their supporters, their schools and their side of the city proud.
The PIMS Man of the Match award was awarded to Logan Stephenson from South Leeds for an amazing show, leading by example and directing the South around the field.
Many thanks must go to Colin Smith of PIMS for sponsoring the event, and the Garry Chappelow Memorial fund for providing the kit via RavenSport.
The success of this event has already lead to big plans for next year already kicking around in the pipeline!