The RFL

LOUGHBOROUGH 10-32 LEEDS MET

Simon Perry at LOUGHBOROUGH 1ST TEAM PITCH

The most eagerly anticipated game of student rugby league of the season took place on Wednesday night in the centre of a buzzing Loughborough campus. It was the first time Loughborough had played a match under the floodlights at home, and their opponents could not have been more prestigious; winners of the last 3 BUSA titles.
The game started at an uncompromising pace, with big hits and powerful running from both sets of forwards. It had a neat ebb and flow for the first few sets, with both teams exchanging possession and defending in equal amounts.
The first score, however, was not long in the making, as Leeds Met spotted spaces out wide and quickly supplied International centre Rhys Griffiths with the ball to punish Loughboroughs sluggish drift defence. A stunned Loughborough crowd was silenced as McKinley slotted over the extras. A second try was not long in coming either as Leeds Met again exploited Loughboroughs right hand side before Frank Mayfield dived over in the corner.
It looked as if Met were going to run away with the game before half time before the Loughborough pack managed to gain a foothold in the game. Several back-to-back penalties helped Loughborough gain some territorial advantage and after a neat offload from Will Thomas, Mark Quinn scored, converting his own try. The score stood at 12-4 after half an hour.
Any hopes the home team had of drawing scores level before half time evaporated soon after, as Jy-Mel Coleman collected a grubber kick from his half back partner and scored under the sticks, leaving McKinley with the easiest of conversions to take the score to 18-4 at half time.
If Loughborough had any hopes of getting back into the game, they would have to score first in the second half. They did just that, Dan Kerr spotting a rare hole in the Leeds Met defence and ghosting through before handing the ball on to Edward Branch to bring the score back to 18-10.
The hosts then came out of their shells a little, enjoying controlled possession and territory. It looked as if they had brought the difference between the sides to two points as Stephen Hall touched down. The fervent home support was left bemused as Super League referee Phil Bentham correctly chalking the try off for crossing.   
The disallowed try was a huge blow for Loughborough and within minutes the visitors made them pay for day dreaming as man of the match Matt Carbutt powered over from close range, deserved reward for his thundering runs and staunch defence throughout the game.
With the Loughborough indiscipline again costing them, McKinley kept the scoreboard ticking over with a succession of penalties until Vinny Finnegan put the final nail in Loughboroughs coffin. Coleman was again the orchestrator as he unleashed the winger from ten yards and had the simplest of scores.
Bentham blew time on a game which would no doubt have pleased Leeds coach Paul Fletcher, the final score 32-12. Loughborough may have felt hard done by as they didnt deserve to lose by more than twenty points, although Met certainly earned their win. This leaves the Super 6 league finely poised as it reaches its half way stage and certainly will make the final league game between the sides at Headingley interesting to say the least.

Loughborough XIII

1Will Thomas
2 Rhys Morgan
3Tom Howley (C)
4Martin Edwards
5Chris McNamara
6 Dan Kerr
7Mark Quinn
8 Simon Greenwood-Haigh
9 James Davies
10 Aidan Pritchard
11 Stephen Hall
12 Luke Dexter
13 Simon Perry
14 Ian Keevil
15 Dan Ljazouli
16 Edwards Branch
17 Tim Thompson-Essex

Try Scorers:
Mark Quinn, Edward Branch
Goals:
Quinn 1/2

Leeds Met XIII

1 Nick Walker
2 Vinny Finnegan
3 Rhys Griffith
4 Jason Mossop
5 Frank Mayfield
6 Ian Gordon
7 Jy-Mel Coleman
8 Matt Carbutt
9 Scott Ellan
10 Michael Sykes
11 Jason Hart
12 Kris Hodgson
13 Mark McKinley (C)
14 Liam Duffy
15 Lewis Wildridge
16 Chris Clarke
17 Danny Vento

Try Scorers:
Rhys Griffiths, Frank Mayfield, Jy -Mel Coleman, Matt Carbutt, Vinny Finnegan
Goals:
McKinley 6/7