Leeds Carnegie 19 Saracens 12: Sky's the limit as Leeds at last climb off bottom

A LATE run for the Heineken Cup anyone? Maybe not, but on this form few would bet against Leeds Carnegie.

That they are off the foot of the Premiership table at last and have taken a massive step towards survival should be enough, for now, to console themselves with.

Leeds's battling qualities and dominant second-half set-piece, allied with a growing sense of belonging, earned the Headingley club their third win in a row and following the weekend defeats for Sale and Worcester, sees them climb to 10th.

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Sixth place and qualification for Europe's premier club competition may be too much of a stretch with only six games remaining and Bath 11 points ahead, but the reaction at the full-time whistle – from players and fans alike – underlined the huge psychological blow Leeds have dealt to the rest of the teams in the relegation fight, and indeed to the whole of the top division.

No-one at the club will suggest that the mission to avoid relegation has been accomplished but there are few teams in as strong a form as the Yorkshire club, who atone for any shortcomings in the quality department with an abundance of heart and determination.

They trailed at the break to the cautious point-building of Saracens, only to roar back defiantly in the second half to claim their second straight home win. Lee Blackett was the match-winning try-scorer, following in the footsteps of Scott Mathie and Hendre Fourie whose sole scores in the wins at Sale and over Wasps respectively had given Andy Key and Neil Back's relegation favourites the belief that they could indeed upset the odds.

Having laid the foundations of recent good results on their ability to build early advantages, Leeds found themselves on the receiving end of a similar tactic from Saracens.

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Derick Hougaard was the architect, landing a seventh-minute penalty and a 30-metre drop goal four minutes later to give the former Premiership pace-setters an advantage.

Hougaard was equally adept as the last line of defence, hauling down Scott Mathie moments later as Leeds' own South African darted through cover and headed for the posts.

A break from Saracens full-back Alex Goode took Saracens from their own half to Leeds' five-metre line in a flowing attack involving Chris Wyles, Kameli Ratuvou and Brad Barritt.

They turned over the five-metre scrum and forced another when Ratuvou was fortunate to get away with what appeared a form-arm smash on Ceiron Thomas, which, coupled with what Andy Key described as a recurrance of a 'dead bum cheek' ended the particapation of a player who has been the side's catalyst over the last month.

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Leeds, clearly rattled, forced the penalty to alleviate the pressure but they gave Hougaard the opportunity to make it 9-0 with a soft infringement at a lineout, but the South African fly-half missed.

Saracens stepped off the gas and allowed Leeds momentary respite, which Henry Fa'afili exploited with a scything run deep into the opposition 22.

With little support he could not fashion a try, however three phases later Joe Ford – on for Thomas – was presented with a penalty that he drove against the upright.

The 19-year-old then missed from a central position from 40 metres as Leeds's familiar point-building tactic floundered. He landed four of seven dead-ball opportunites, plus the clinching drop goal at the end.

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Still they remained defiant at the back, Fa'afili driving Barritt into the ground after Schalk Brits had set up a promising position for Saracens.

However, after Leigh Hinton knocked on when trying to escape his own half, Saracens moved the ball from right to left to set up Hougaard for his second drop goal.

Leeds responded with their first points on the stroke of the interval as Ford at last found his range with a penalty that cut the deficit to six points at the break. It gave them the required lift, and straight from the kick-off Scott Barrow got a lucky rebound from a kick forward and helped set-up an easy penalty for Ford.

Just as Leeds had built the momentum – a superb turnover at a scrum epitomising their renewed belief – they had the momentum ripped from them by referee Dean Richards who punished Fourie for not releasing when the visiting player should have been penalised for being off his feet in the tackle.

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Key and Back erupted in outrage in the directors' box, their mood not lightened when Hougaard kicked the straightforward three points.

Leeds could have been level with two penalties in quick succession – the second for a high tackle on Andy Titterrell – but Ford could only convert one.

Leeds were given a lift as the hour-mark approached when confirmation of Sale's defeat to Northampton was announced, leaving the hosts knowing that bonus point would take them off the foot of the table.

And the players responded within 60 seconds. Seru Rabeni's break set up good position on the left flank from which the quick-thinking Mathie sent Lee Blackett across with a smart inside pass.

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Ford's conversion gave Leeds a four-point cushion. Leeds were energised, even with the joint sin-binning of Titterrell and Brits for a scuffle and Ford's failure to extend the lead with a penalty.

Former Leeds scrum-half Justin Marshall came off the bench and forcefully took lineout duties in Brits' absence, but on both occassions threw the ball straight to his former club.

From the second, Rabeni surged froward and set up a drop goal attempt for Ford that the youngster fired home to give Leeds a little breathing space.

Marco Wentzel almost scored with a dash down the left before the final whistle was blown to the delight of Leeds.

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Leeds: Hinton, Fa'afili, Rabeni, Barrow, Blackett, Thomas (Ford 23), Mathie; MacDonald, Titterrell, Gomez (Swainston 55), Lund, Wentzel, Myall (Clark 52), Fourie, Oakley (To'oala 55). Unused replacements: Ma'asi, Hardy, Bedford, Hepworth.

Saracens: Goode, Penney (Tagicakibau 55), Ratuvuo, Barritt, Wyles, Hougaard, De Kock; Aguero (Gill 51), Brits, Skuse, Smith, Ryder (Botha 51), Van Heerden, Burger, Melck (Joubert 51). Unused replacements: Reynecke, Mercey, Marshall, Powell.

Referee: D Richards.

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