Jersey RFC V Leeds Carnegie December 2012

A brief history of Leeds Carnegie.

Leeds’ roots can be traced back to Headingley Football Club in 1878 who were admitted to the Rugby Football Union in 1898. Three years prior to this, twelve of the county's largest clubs had left the Yorkshire County RFU to become founder members of the Northern Union, which later became known as Rugby League.

Their earliest fixture was in 1881-82. Matches were played at one of the best known rugby football centres in the North of England, Cardigan Fields. The principal ground was used by the Leeds St John's Club which later became the football section of the Leeds Cricket Football and Athletic Club at the new ground in Headingley.

Headingley Football Club still had to search for its stability and a permanent ground of their own. CF Tetley agreed to become President in 1893 and he remained in post until his death in 1934. It was men like him that brought the club stability to secure progress and he gave generous and enthusiastic support throughout his life.

The clubs status was acknowledged in 1903 when Headingley had the honour of staging an important England trial game. This was to be followed by others in 1910 and 1912. By 1904-5 however, only 14 clubs remained with the Yorkshire RFU and it seemed the writing was on the wall for Rugby Union in the county. The saviour was RF Oakes who was elected a member in 1901 beginning a 50-year association with the Club. He played only briefly, captaining the Club in 1903-4, but his major contribution was behind the scenes.

Oakes became the elected Secretary of Yorkshire, and with his help the Union was built up to over 100 clubs and 57 schools by 1952. He became President of the County 1922-4, President of the Rugby Football Union 1933-4 and of Headingley FC from 1935 to 1952.

In the thirties Headingley became one of the most successful sides in the country. Its fixtures included some of the strongest sides in the country and the standard of their own players rose accordingly. Headingley had eight internationals, and they represented all four home nations.

 In 1965 perhaps their most famous player -Ian McGeechan - was promoted from the colts to make his first team debut. He went on to win 32 caps for Scotland, tour South Africa with the British Lions (playing in all four tests) and during his career captained Headingley, Yorkshire, North Eastern Counties, Scotland, Barbarians and the Lions. On the coaching side ‘Geech’ was involved in five Lions tours, four as head coach, and last summer was installed as executive chairman at Leeds.

Headingley continued to gain local success, winning the Yorkshire Cup six times in the 80’s. As the game progressed and became more national, Headingley found it harder to attract and hold those top quality players, essential in maintaining its high position in the English game.

Probably the finest player to emerge in this period was Peter Winterbottom. He went on to play for Harlequins who he captained, and in New Zealand and South Africa. By the time he retired in 1993 he had earned 58 England caps, had toured both New Zealand and Australia with the British Lions, and had been inducted onto the Twickenham ‘Wall of Fame’.

Leeds RUFC was founded in 1991 after the merger of Roundhay RFC and Headingley, playing their first match in 1992. The amalgamation, in part due to the league reorganisation, was an unpopular one with the Headingley faithful, the club with the longer and more prestigious history, but later events proved it a justified decision.

In their first season in National Three, Leeds finished 6th, but another League restructure put the club down into National Four. In 1997-98, promotion was made from the newly-formed Jewson One to Premiership Two, finishing runners-up to Worcester. The club would again amalgamate, this time with the Leeds Rhinos Rugby League club, to form Leeds Rugby Limited, the first alliance of its type. They would also take on a new name, Leeds Tykes. Since 1996 the Tykes/Carnegie have played at Leeds Rhinos' Headingley stadium, climbing through the divisions before promotion to the Premiership in 2001. In the promotion season Richard Le Bas scored 337 points and Graham Mackay, a former Leeds Rhino, scored 19 tries, both club season records still intact.

The Tykes survived their first top flight season despite finishing rock bottom of the league, when the National League One champions (Rotherham Titans) were denied entry into the Premiership. The next season Leeds finished fifth in the table and qualified for the Heineken Cup. In their four seasons in the Zurich Premiership, they finished an average ninth.

In 2005, despite the threat of relegation, they somehow made it to their first ever Powergen Cup final. They faced Bath who were top of the table and had never been beaten in a cup final. The West country giants had won all ten of the showpieces they contested between 1984 and 1996. Leeds upset the odds however, to win their first piece of silverware. Phil Davies relinquished control of some coaching duties to concentrate on his role as Director of Rugby in 2005 despite avoiding the drop. The following season was a disastrous campaign as they had an early sequence of defeats from which they never recovered. They had to play catch-up all season and coupled with injuries, Leeds were relegated. At the end of April 2006, Phil Davies resigned as Director of Rugby to be replaced by academy coach Stuart Lancaster, (Now England’s head coach) until 2008 when he took a job at the RFU, and former England stalwart Neil Back took charge.

A period of turbulence ensued as Leeds became something of a yoyo club between the top two tiers of English rugby. They were either promoted or relegated in four consecutive seasons starting in 2006. Since 2007 the Leeds Tykes have been known as Leeds Carnegie after having signed a deal with Leeds Metropolitan University, which took a majority stake in the club. In May 2009, Leeds Carnegie announced that it had restructured for the Premiership, Leeds Met University returned its stake and Leeds Rugby retook full control.

They managed to stay in the Premiership in the 2009-10 season, only to drop down to the Championship the following year. Leeds Head Coach Diccon Edwards, a former player and Academy Manager at the club was appointed to his current role after the departure of Neil Back in the summer of 2011. By their standards last season was an underachievement, losing eight of their 22 matches and finishing some way off the top, albeit only seven points from the play offs.

Massive changes in playing staff followed this disappointment, with 27 players exiting. This season has seen them in decent form, especially at home, currently in the final play-off spot but amongst a glut of clubs with ambitions on upsetting high flying Newcastle come the end of the season. With one of the youngest squads in the championship, fourth place is a good return at this the halfway point of the season. But it is their away record that gives Jersey hope, with six defeats from eight in all competitions. A poor performance last Saturday in a damaging reverse away to Pontypridd in the cup leave Leeds with a bit to prove on the road, and with Jersey sitting above Leeds in the pool five cup table, confidence will be much gleaned from this fact. Leeds’ style has seen them score plenty of tries, from 19 different players, with former Jersey player ‘Doc’ Doherty and Jacob Rowan with six apiece (only one behind in the try scorers table).

This is the third meeting between the sides already this season, with Leeds taking the honours at Headingley in Jerseys second league match (32-19) despite a solid first half from the reds, before succumbing to a somewhat surprise defeat in the British and Irish cup, (this time in York, 27-33).

Into the second half of the season and with Jersey’s home matches beginning to run out, the good performances need to be coupled with a points return, and after another encouraging home performance against Irish big guns Leinster ‘A’, a winning momentum now needs to be achieved to prevent Jersey being cut adrift.

Leeds' ones to look out for.
 

David ‘Doc’ Doherty.

Winger.

The popular Yorkshireman began his career with Leeds in 2004 becoming the youngest ever Premiership player, before moving on to Sale and Wasps after the Tykes relegation. He played for Jersey in 2010/11, making 19 appearances and scoring 19 tries. His last touch of the ball in a red shirt was the final try against Loughborough in the National Two play-off, before he moved to Cornish Pirates, where he was top scorer with 14 tries in 24 matches. Doherty has represented the Barbarians, England in sevens, as well as national under 16, 18 and 20 age groups. A former under 18 rugby league international, he is Leeds’ joint top try scorer. He may well lose a few local supporters should he damage Jersey’s survival hopes.

Jacob Rowan (Captain).

Open side Flanker.

Another born and bred Yorkshireman, Rowan is Leeds’ youngest ever captain at only 22. He sits alongside Doherty with six tries this season, making him joint top scorer at the club. Last seasons players player of the year, his commitment and leadership led to him having the honour of leading the side on a permanent basis this season having stood in for Andy Titterall last year. Former captain of the England under 20’s where he played in the Six Nations tournament, he has also represented the under 18’s touring Argentina. With power and mobility belying his years, and an eye for the try line, his future is an exciting one.

 

Joseph Ford.

Full Back/Fly Half.

Ford is the son of former England defensive coach Mike Ford and his brother George is a member of the Leicester Tigers squad. A product of the Leeds academy, Ford also spent time playing amateur rugby league for St Albans having been schooled in the Bradford Bulls academy. Ford spent the 2010-11 season at Premiership side Northampton Saints where he made five appearances including the Heineken Cup and a man of the match performance in the Anglo-Welsh cup match against Leicester Tigers. Coach Diccon Edwards made Ford his first signing on taking over the reins from Neil Back. In his first season back at Leeds he scored 109 points in 27 games. He also managed nine drop goals over the campaign, which is a Leeds club record. This season he has already surpassed that points total, with 131 at just the half way stage, second only to Newcastle’s prolific Jimmy Gopperth. Ford has represented Yorkshire and England up to under 18 level, helping the England U18 side secure third place in the AER Championship in 2008. With fine tactical awareness and an excellent all round kicking game, at only 22 he is another with a very bright future.


Jamal Chisholm.

Winger/Outside Back.

Chisholm was signed on a short term deal from the Leeds Rhinos Academy this winter and the speedster made his debut off the bench on the opening day of the season against Nottingham. Before he switched codes to Carnegie, local lad Chisholm, was in stunning form for the Rhinos U20 team, scoring a remarkable 27 tries in just 18 games having signed for the Rhinos in 2009. In his first season with the Rhinos he made two appearances for the Foundation and scored three tries and was called up to play for the U18s, where he scored a further four tries in ten appearances. In 2009 and 2010 he was crowned Rugby League’s fastest man at and only injury prevented him defending his title in 2011. Already showing a likeness for the Union game, his four tries have included one in both Jersey games to date. With a more than impressive 11.1 seconds over 100 yards (in boots), he is definitely a danger should Jersey offer him room to stretch his legs.

 

Preview to Leinster RFC (v Jersey)

 

Much like the structure in Welsh rugby there is a two tier structure in Irish rugby, with the Irish club sides feeding players into the provincial powerhouses. Unlike Wales, however, this has been in operation for some time with the first interprovincial matches played by provinces Leinster, Ulster and Munster in 1875, (Connacht joining in 1885). At this time, the matches were actually played with 20 players a side. Before the days of professional rugby union the provincial sides were purely representative sides and games were far less frequent than now. The emphasis has changed over the years with initially the smaller clubs being the focus whereas today it is the ‘big four’ that take the spotlight representing Ireland in what’s now known as the RaboDirect Pro 12.

The Leinster Club Branch was formed in 1879. The function of the Branch was to organise rugby in the province. Every year five representatives would be selected to join the IRFU Committee. They would be known was the "Leinster Five" and would pick the Leinster representative teams. The early 1920s led to the creation of the Provincial Towns Cup and the Metropolitan Cup, which are still in the Leinster calendar. Priority may have changed over the years, but the original concept of the Leinster Club Rugby acting as a feeder for the Leinster Interprovincial side, still stands true.

Leinster drew ten all with the first major touring side to visit their shores. A team from the New Zealand Army – in 1946 – whilst it was not an official touring side, produced a game of such quality it is still remembered to this day. The first official overseas touring side that came to play Leinster was from Australia in 1957, since then Leinster has played against every major international touring side. When rugby union was declared 'open' in 1995, the four provinces became the four professional teams run by the Irish Rugby Football Union.

The newly formed Celtic League gave Leinster early success in the professional era as they were crowned the inaugural champions, beating rivals Munster in the 2001-02 final. The following season they became only the third team in the history of the Heineken Cup to win all their group games, reaching the semi-finals (for the first time since 1995-96), before losing to French side Perpignan at home.

A ‘blip’ in league form followed before Leinster began to creep back up the table. The 2004-05 season they finished in third place, just three points from the top spot. Leinster again won all of their pool games in that year's Heineken Cup, and was again among the favorites for the title. However, they went out at the quarter final stage to Leicester Tigers. The next two seasons of the Celtic League (2005-06 and 2006-07) were to end in heartbreak for Leinster fans as the both the titles were lost on the final day of the season. In the Heineken Cup, Leinster progressed to the semi-final but was eliminated by Irish rivals Munster in 2005-06 and in the following year they reached the quarter final where they were beaten by London Wasps.

Leinster’s popularity was becoming more evident as bigger home crowds led them to move from the Donnybrook Stadium to the redeveloped RDS Arena where in 2007-08, despite failing to qualify from their Heineken Cup pool, Leinster ended the season as Celtic League champions.

In the 2008-09 season, Leinster topped their Heineken Cup pool. Victory over Harlequins in the quarter finals followed, despite becoming embroiled in on of the most controversial incidents in rugby’s recent history, the ‘Bloodgate’ Scandal. Leinster overcame rivals Munster 25-6 in a semi final in Dublin's Croke Park that broke the world record attendance for a club match with a crowd of over 82,200. Finally winning the Heineken Cup Final in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, beating Leicester Tigers 19-16 to claim their first European crown.

In 2009-10 was an anti climax as Leinster was eliminated from the Heineken Cup at the semi final and they lost the first ever Play-Off Final 17-12 on their home ground to the Ospreys. The following season they regained their title as champions of Europe in the 2011 Heineken Cup Final, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Despite trailing at half time, Leinster scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to win 33-22 against Northampton and claim their second European crown with the biggest comeback in Heineken Cup final history. They missed out on a Cup double, losing to Irish rivals Munster in the Magners League final.

Last season Leinster became only the second side to retain the European Cup. Having emerged unbeaten in their group they comfortably dispatched the Cardiff Blues in the quarter finals, followed by a narrow semi final victory over Clermont Auvergne. They defeated Ulster in the first all-Irish final 42-14. A dominant display recording the most points scored and the most tries scored in a Heineken Cup final. Once again, the double eluded them, falling at the final hurdle, conceding a final minute try to slump to a one point defeat in the Magners final. Currently ranked number one in Europe having won the Heineken Cup three times in four years the Irish giants are perhaps the toughest side from the Celtic league Jersey could have faced.

The current Leinster first team reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Irish rugby, and with the relative failings of the other Home Nations, many are a sure bet to make next summer’s Lions tour to Australia. They include; Gordon D’Arcy, Cian Healy, current Irish captain Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brian (brother of recently retired Jersey stalwart, Steve). Jonathan Sexton, closing in on a thousand points looks favourite to take the Lions number 10 shirt. But perhaps the most famous player still wearing a Leinster shirt is former Lions Captain and star player Brian O’Driscoll.

 

O’Driscoll started his Leinster career in a team playing running rugby that whilst won rave reviews, couldn’t quite see them over the line in terms of trophy success. He became a mainstay of the revolution that saw the province rise to the top of European rugby where they now sit. ‘B.O.D.’ won his first international cap in the summer of 1999 against Australia, before playing all three matches with the Lions in 2001 against the same opposition. He was installed as captain for the following tour to New Zealand, only to pick up a severe shoulder injury that ended his tour in the first test. He again toured in 2009 where the Lions were unfortunate to lose out to the Springboks. The former Irish captain, who made his 100th appearance for Ireland against Wales in the 2010 RBS Six Nations, has led Ireland to four Triple Crowns in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009 (voted player of the tournament in ’06, ’07 and ’09) as well as a Six Nations Championship and a first Irish Grand Slam for over 60 years.

Brian is Ireland's record try scorer and in 2011 he broke Ian Smith’s 78 year old
Championship record crossing the whitewash for his 25th Six Nations try. He finished his Irish career with a superb 44 tries in 120 international appearances (not including six for the Lions) and has 56 club tries in 161 matches to date. He was recently named as Rugby World magazine’s World Player of the decade.

Leinster ‘A’ is the team that represents Leinster in the British and Irish Cup and in the All Ireland Inter-provincial Championship. The team is composed of senior Leinster squad players requiring match practice/fitness, Academy players and A.I.L. players called up from their clubs. So as to who will face Jersey is anyone’s guess but many players will be chomping at the bit to impress and force their way into the first team.

 

The British and Irish Cup is still in its infancy, as this is just the fourth season the tournament has been staged. In its inaugural season, Leinster ‘A’ finished second in their group by only by one point, to the eventual winners Cornish Pirates. The first seasons competition was much maligned, with six teams in each group but playing each other only once, it was a bit of a lottery as to whether you played your toughest opponents home or away. With only the group winners going through, unlike the expanded tournament we have this season, a missed bonus point left Leinster empty handed despite actually beating the Pirates in their pool match.

 

The second season saw them exact revenge on the Pirates, pushing them into third at the group stage despite a humbling defeat at the Mennaye field, but even finishing second again, they still progressed to the quarter finals where they met a Bedford side clearly on top of their game, conceding 50 points in an embarrassing exit.

Last season in another strange twist to the league stages, the teams played four matches against sides from a different group, but with three wins and a draw Leinster still qualified comfortably. Drawn against Pontypridd in the knockout stage they set about dismantling the Welsh side in an emphatic 32-0 win, before losing in the semi final to great rivals Ulster but only after extra time in a thrilling encounter.

This season is more akin to the Heineken cup where each side in the four team group plays each other home and away. All of Leinster Heineken cup substitutes were all reported to have been involved in this season’s opener, dispatching Leeds Carnegie by a thoroughly convincing 46-18 scoring an impressive seven tries to two. In their second match they went down in a surprising defeat at Pontypridd 25-23. Ponty gaining some semblance of revenge from last seasons quarter final beating. Currently joint top of the pool with Ponty and Jersey on six points, (after the opening day draw with Ponty and a stunning away win in Leeds), a win for the home side will put Jersey in a position surely no one believed possible a few short weeks ago.