Leeds Rhinos Women 16 St Helens Women 30

By Matt Wright

It was a grudge match that lived up to all expectations, just two weeks prior to their League meeting Leeds had dramatically dumped Saints out of the Challenge Cup. The visitors managed to get their revenge however with a clinical second half display at Emerald Headingley.

The game would open with an exchange of errors before settling into the competitive battle the large crowd had shown up for, Saints hitting the front first, talismanic Number 9 Jodie Cunningham spotting a gap on the Rhinos left edge inside five minutes to open the scoring. Gaskin unable to convert.

The visitors lead would be short lived, Shannon Lacey taking a short ball at the line and powering over under the sticks, Courtney Hill on hand to convert and push Leeds 6-4 up on the 10th minute.

St Helens had begin to settle into their rhythm and in the 14th minute everything clicked into place as the visitors grabbed their second of the game. Robinson doing superbly to deny Saints, before the ball went left to Emily Rudge, Rudge sending the ball wide to Naomi Williams on the wing to score. Gaskin converting from the sideline to make it 10-6.

Leeds would have the last laugh of the half in the form of on-field captain Courtney Hill, Hill carrying on her prolific run of form with another try. The Australian double pumping at the line before ghosting through the gap to score. Hill converting once more to give the Rhinos the lead into the half.

St Helens came out firing in the second half, scoring within two minutes of the resumption of play. Crowl kicking through on the 4th tackle, the kick deflecting off Beevers and into the path of an on-rushing Faye Gaskin, Gaskin converting her 2nd of the day to make it 16-12.

The Rhinos were creating chances but the Saints defence were well up to the task. Crowl would bag her first of a double early in the second half, the Rhinos Denying her just two tackles earlier but the England international proving too much of a handful the second time around, Gaskin converting, 22-12.

A penalty directly in front of the sticks would give Saints an extra two point cushion going into the last 15 minutes, the Gaskin kicking the penalty and forcing Leeds to go searching for two converted tries to tie the game.

The game would return to it's former arm wrestle for territory in the middle of the park before Saints found the definitive blow, Crowl had been the stand out performer in the game and stamped her mark firmly on the scoreboard. The Loose forward smashing over from close range making it 30-12 in Saints favour.

The Rhinos had the last say though; Hill crossing for her second of the game for a consolation effort as the Rhinos lost out 30-16.