Celtic Crusaders are the sixth Welsh side that Leeds has faced, but there has historically been a long time between drinks and the meetings have only been fleeting. The most clashes, six, have been with Ebbw Vale and the first, at Headingley in December 1907, was the Loiners’ only win in 12 games; a horror run that began with defeat to the ‘All Golds’ in late-October and extended until early January the following year.
One of Leeds’ four tries in an 18-7 success was scored by Phil Thomas, one of the biggest signings the club made when securing the centre’s services from Oldham for £250 in 1904. In the return league fixture, Leeds had to travel to the Principality on December 28th, two days after a heavy defeat at Salford; Frank Young’s goal their only points in a 9-2 defeat, the club’s only loss to a Welsh side.
The following season, Leeds played their only two matches against Barry as the Northern Union spread through the Valleys, winning 17-0 away in the third game of the season, leading try scorer, three quarter Bob Ward from Pontefract registering a hat trick. During the 1903/4 campaign, he had been forced to serve a suspension after being deemed to have violated the ‘employment clause’, the competition’s management committee ruling that he did not have a bone fide job and was, therefore, a full time professional. Barry, in their only season, finished 29th out of 31 clubs - six of whom were Welsh including Abedare, Treherbert and Mid-Rhondda – and in the return here conceded 14 tries in 56-0 defeat which was easily a club record win. Leeds’ only meeting with Merthyr Tydvil, who had been the leading Welsh side of the era finishing eighth in 1908/9, came in October 1910 at Headingley. Leeds triumphed 19-0 and Merthyr failed to see out the campaign.
In the late 1920’s there was a further attempt to play the game professionally at Pontypridd, Loiners doing the double over them in their only meetings in 1926/7; the Welshmen finishing above Bradford Northern and Castleford that year. Joe Thompson’s four goals, back near Cross Keys where he made his name, proved the difference in an 8-7 away success and he posted a try and three goals in the 27-6 return win. Fellow Welsh front rower Dan Pascoe claimed a brace of tries as did young local winger Tommy Bailey who had been spotted at Buslingthorpe Vale.
Leeds had to wait almost 60 years to face Welsh club opposition again – although they had played the national side in a trial match in 1970 - in an iconic clash in the Challenge Cup in late January 1985, when second division Bridgend Blue Dragons were the visitors. They had begun life as Cardiff, forming four years before and the Maesteg-based club were struggling in the lower reaches of the second division when called upon to play a Preliminary Round tie at Headingley. They made the journey despite horrendous snow, which disrupted their arrival, the Leeds fans keeping themselves amused by staging a mass snowball fight on the cricket pitch as they waited for the hour-delayed kick off. Bridgend, who changed on the bus, included three trialists and had in their ranks future goal kicking guru Dave Alred but were missing club captain and former Loiner Gordon Pritchard. Ex-Widnes forward Bob Blackwood scored their only try to massive acclaim from the crowd of over 3,500 in a record 68-6 defeat in what was to be their final season. By contrast, Leeds had Great Britain under 24 hooker Colin Maskill on debut on the bench, having signed from Wakefield just before the cup deadline for a world record £40,000 fee for a rake. The match is best remembered for a 15 minute hat trick by Aussie winger Eric Grothe, who emerged from one typical dive into the corner with his beard looking like Father Christmas. But for mild hypothermia, he would surely have broken the tries in a match record at the club of eight. Teenager David Creasser did set a new landmark in the competition, his two tries and eight goals being a Loiners’ best. Also on the score sheet was Les Dyl, in his first appearance for 22 months after coming back from running a bar in Spain. Leeds’ only other connection with Wales and the Challenge Cup was as losing finalists in Cardiff in 2003 and again two years later, to Bradford and Hull respectively.
The first clash between the Rhinos and Celtic Crusaders came in the 2008 Carnegie Challenge Cup Fourth Round at Headingley Carnegie. Leeds produced a solid performance to win 38-16 including seven different try scorers in that game.
Brian McClennan handed three of the Rhinos brightest young stars a debut at Headingley Carnegie with Ben Jones-Bishop, Kallum Watkins and Danny Allan all making their bow.
Lee Smith, Scott Donald, Rob Burrow, Matt Diskin, Danny McGuire, Kallum Watkins and Keith Senior all crossed for Leeds. Anthony Blackwood crossed twice for the visitors whilst Mark Dalle Cort scored their other try.
Last season, the Rhinos won both meetings between the two sides including the Crusaders first ever game in Super League. Leeds ran out 28-6 winners at Headingley Carnegie before recording their biggest away win of the Championship winning season with a 68-0 victory at Rodney Parade in Newport.
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