15 Jun 2023

Match Report: Leeds Rhinos U16s 40 Huddersfield Giants U16s 20

By Guy Harvey

For the first time in for over a month the Rhinos Scholarship side were back in action and back at Headingley Stadium, facing local foes Huddersfield Giants. The home side were still unbeaten and looking to keep that record, but faced a stern test from the travelling Giants with a healthy crowd in attendance at HQ.

The game started as one would of envisioned with both side’s ferocious in defence as well as showing their strength and flair in attack and after being held up over the try line early on it would be the Rhinos that would score first in the eight minute with full back Joe Diskin crossing for the try after a pair of offloads firstly from Jacob Stead giving Harry Smith the opportunity to make extra metres and just short of the try line would offload to Diskin to dive over for the four points which was converted by Smith to give the Rhinos a 6-0 lead. Their would be no points scored again until midway through the half owing to solid defence and a number of errors from both teams. However, it would be the Giants next on the scoreboard tying the game up at 6-6 after a bombarding run from Huddersfield’s Archie Sykes forced the missed tackle from Leeds twenty metres out, he had then raced in to score next to the posts.

Leeds took back the lead minutes later however through ever-present captain Presley Cassell taking advantage of a knock on ten metres out from Huddersfield try line taking the scrum and after the first tackle inches from the try line the pass from Harley Thomas at hooker found Cassell twisting through would be tacklers and with a short juggle diving over for the try again converted to make the score 12-6. The Rhinos stretched their lead to twelve points with Noah Whittingham scoring the try after a break from Cassell on halfway racing through to also beat the full back but eventually having to find support from Harvey Butterworth who passed on to Whittingham to score. The Giants weren’t down and out though with time still left before the interval and after a huge looming kick off forced a knock on, they had possession metres from the Leeds try line and were not letting the error go unpunished. After a smart move from the scrum faking to go one way coming the other the ball found centre Zach Brown using smart footwork to evade the defence and dive over to score with the conversion missed leaving the score at 18-10 for half time.

The second half started just as the first had with Leeds scoring minutes into the half with winger Callum Webster flying over in the corner to score following great link up play between George Brown and Kai Irvine through the middle with Irvine then throwing a great cutout pass to Webster with the acrobatic finish. Leeds the went back-to-back with tries after a couple of tackles into the set from kick off, the ball was passed to Jayemm Oladipupo racing through the defensive line untouched and the seventy metres of Headingley turf in front of him, showing fantastic pace for a forward and one hell of way to score your first try for the Rhinos!

Leeds held a twenty-point lead with the score at 30-10 but as in the first half the Huddersfield Giants would not lay down and accept defeat, but with a little luck following an interception in the middle from hooker Monty Lumb he had enough pace to run the sixty metres ahead of him and score the try, all be it deserved given the Giants hooker certainly being a stand out player for the away side so far. With the try converted and the Huddersfield side fourteen points a drift they were on the front foot this time and were taking advantage of the opportunity this time in the shape of full back Logan Blacker who produced a superb individual try showing great evasive skills to avoid numerous tackles and after a dummy pass would score on the right flank making the score 30-20 and making the final quarter of match very nervy for the home side.

However, the Rhinos weren’t finished themselves and certainly did not want to lose their unbeaten record and with the final ten minutes approaching full back Joe Diskin braked through the defensive line following a great dummy and step to race on and with just the full back to beat found Harley Thomas in support to dive in under the sticks and Thomas also converting his own try. With minutes left on the clock the Rhinos found time for one more score with debuting Dax Millington scoring his first for the club after Lore Jones-Buchanan had made a break from his own half being tackled thirty metres out from the try line the ball was spread to the right to Jacob Stead who drew in the defence well to give Millington the pass and plenty of room to dive in the corner untouched and give the young Rhinos a hard earned 40-20 win.

The Rhinos Scholarship are back on field at Stanningley ARLFC on Thursday 29^th June with a 19:00 kick off, the Rhinos academy are in action before then away to Bradford Bulls at Odsal Stadium on Thursday 15^th June also with a 19:00 kick off.

Leeds Rhinos Scholarship