Round 21
Leeds Rhinos 46 d. Huddersfield Giants 8

2008 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Leeds return to form disposing of Huddersfield
Sat July 12, 2008
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Faltering Leeds Rhinos showed glimpses of their championship-winning form as they got back to winning ways with a 46-8 rout against Huddersfield Giants.

The engage Super League champions re-discovered their scoring touch after suffering three defeats in their previous four matches, with full-back Brent Webb marking his 50th appearance with his 37th try.

But the Rhinos were hardly tested by a poor Giants side and they will need to find further improvement if they are to stay ahead of Catalans Dragons in Perpignan next week.

Great Britain forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan produced a one-man show in the first half to put Leeds in firm control by half-time, scoring one try and creating two others, and the champions ran away with the game in a one-sided second half.

The return of centre Clinton Toopi from a dislocated shoulder meant the Rhinos were able to field their strongest team for five months but the heavy rain made for difficult handling conditions and it proved something of a leveller.

Huddersfield, boosted by the return of winger Martin Aspinwall and scrum-half Luke Robinson, were looking for their first win at Leeds for almost 50 years and their first at any away ground since August.

They gave themselves hope of pulling off a shock by taking a fourth-minute lead when French referee Thierry Alibert pulled the Rhinos up for offside and Chris Thorman kicked the penalty.

But Leeds always looked the more dangerous side and scored the game's first try after a neat offload by Jones-Buchanan got full-back Webb into space and winger Scott Donald followed up to get the touchdown, his 19th the season.

Jones-Buchanan was also the architect of the Rhinos' second try scored by stand-off Danny McGuire and skipper Kevin Sinfield, fit after his knee-injury scare, kicked his second conversion to make it 12-2.

Toopi had a try disallowed after 24 minutes but it only delayed the inevitable and there was no stopping Jones-Buchanan when he was put into a gap by Rob Burrow.

Webb also had a score ruled out for obstruction and the home side had to settle for a 16-point lead at the break.

Leeds continued to dominate in the second half and snuffed out any threat of fightback by their lowly visitors by scoring three more tries within 12 minutes of the re-start.

McGuire pounced for his second after young full-back Leroy Cudjoe fumbled Sinfield's high kick and then second rower Gareth Ellis squeezed a pass out of the tackle for winger Ryan Hall to touch down.

Sinfield lost his 100% record with the boot but he was back on target with a fifth goal after Webb scored his landmark try, latching onto a perfectly-judged grubber kick by McGuire.

Huddersfield were simply outclassed and it was no surprise when the champions extended their lead in the 58th minute when veteran centre Keith Senior proved unstoppable on a 10-metre charge for the line.

The Giants pulled a try back through Aspinwall on the hour but Leeds had the final say when Toopi sent Hall over for his second try and Sinfield kicked his seventh goal from eight attempts.

Report Source: www.superleague.co.uk

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