Young Rhinos shine for white rose in second Academy Origin

Last weekend, six players from Leeds Rhinos' Academy earned county honours when they represented Yorkshire in the second Academy Origin test of the year.

Coming into the game 1-0 down in the series, the white rose rallied at Hull KR's Sewell Group Craven Park thanks to a conversion from Rhinos centre Jack Smith to earn a 32-all draw and take the series to its final game. 

Yorkshire, resoundingly beaten 40-22 at Castleford in the first of this year’s matches, had raced into a point-a-minute 20-0 lead in the first quarter with tries from Rhinos trio Smith, Joe Phillips and Neil Tchamambe, plus another from Wakefield Trinity’s Ethan Wood and two Louix Gorman conversions.

St Helens' Owen Dagnall grabbed his first of the game to finally open Lancashire’s account on 26 minutes, and further efforts from Wigan Warriors’ Taylor Kerr and fellow backrower Nolan Tupaea of Warrington narrowed the deficit to 20-18 at half time in favour of Yorkshire.

Smith extended Yorkshire’s lead with his second try soon after the break, but tries from Wigan Warriors three-quarters Noah Hodkinson and Nathan Lowe, and Dagnall’s 76th minute effort looked to have settled matters – before homeboy Gorman’s kept Yorkshire's interest in the series alive with a dramatic intervention at the death.

Speaking after the game, Smith said that it was challenging to keep his cool when he was handed the kicking tee for the final conversion. "It's always nice to see the ball go over," he said. "Goal kicking has been something I've been called up to do in the last few games for Leeds. It's something I did at amateur level but to get the call to do the last two in Saturday's game, I wasn't expecting it. 

"I thought it was good for quite a lot of us Leeds lads to get a runout but more importantly, it was good to get the draw off the back of a disappointing first game. The team became one so fast to say how many different clubs were represented, but to have your own mates from your own club around you, it makes that process a bit easier. Hopefully if I get selected again for the third game, I can put my best foot forward and try to get that win over Lancashire."

Forwards Phillips and Leo Aliyu got their first opportunity to play representative Rugby for Yorkshire off the back of positive starts to the 2023 Academy season. For Aliyu, who nearly quit rugby before rediscovering his love for the sport more recently, he described the call-up as an 'honourable' moment. "Before I came to Leeds, I didn't know too much about Rugby. I nearly gave up a few years ago but I ended up at Siddal and then here, so I'm glad I didn't," said the young prop.

"I was buzzing to get the call for Yorkshire because I wasn't expecting it. It was good recognition and an honourable moment that I'm proud of. To see the early stages of the England pathway and how they play too, it was good for me to experience as a young player."

"It was good taking my rugby to the next level with Yorkshire and playing with some of the best players in England," added Phillips, who was among the try scorers for the white rose. "I haven't scored in a while so I was happy to get over for one, especially in a representative game. I didn't expect to be starting at all so that was a shock. Playing in games like that is good for me to challenge myself, but it also shows that my hard work is starting to pay off."

 The final match of this year's Origin series will be played at St Helens' Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday 18 August 2023.