The Blues required a bonus point win to help them reach the quarter-final stages of European rugby’s most prestigious tournament. However, Leeds drew out a 24-3 lead at the break in a forty minute spell in which the Welsh never threatened to breach the whitewash.
Andre Snyman gained the first try of the afternoon for the home side, after a turnover ball and some superb work from scrum half Justin Marshall. Tom Palmer gained the second on the thirty minute mark as Leeds’ forwards pushed the lock over from a catch and drive.
Tom Biggs notched the third before the first half was out, with Gordon Ross kicking the conversion from the touchline to take his side into a 24-3 lead at the interval; a drop goal from Marshall and penalty from Nick Macleod the other scores of the half.
Leeds attained the bonus point shortly after the resumption of the game, again with Marshall making the effort as he sent a ball out wide to Snyman who completed his brace after beating Mike Phillips to the line.
The home side were awarded a penalty try soon after as, following an attempt at the line by Stuart Hooper, the Blues collapsed a scrum on their own five metre line. Ross converted easily.
Marshall was rewarded for his afternoon’s efforts as he crossed for an unconverted try after finding masses of space in the Blues defence and although the visitors stepped up a gear in the closing stages the home side concluded the match with another try, courtesy of David Doherty after a chip ahead by Ross.
The victory briefly put Leeds into the latter stages of the Heineken Cup, but Leinster’s defeat of Bath ousted them from the competition.
Blues Head Coach Dai Young commented after the defeat, “To say I’m disappointed is a huge understatement. We were totally hammered in the contact area.
“We are a team that has to play with tempo and to get any tempo in your game, you need to get some go forward and produce quick ball. But Leeds dominated the tackle area. If they didn’t turn the ball over, which they did numerous times, they at least slowed the ball down.”
