Leeds Carnegie 27 Exeter Chiefs 22: Jarvis redeemed as Leeds live to fight another day

Two thirds of the way through a do-or-die trio of games against teams in and around them at the foot of rugby’s top bracket, Leeds have moved to within two points of Newcastle Falcons and safety with their third and most priceless victory of the season. Leeds head to Newcastle on Saturday and after defying the reading of the last rites again yesterday, who among the Premiership elite dare suggest they won’t do so again?

Victory yesterday was achieved with the typical ignorance of the writing on the wall so typical of Back’s men.

Where they lack in quality, they make up for it in sheer bloodymindedness. Where they are short in nous, they compensate with enormous heart.

This was not a vintage performance, and by no means any better than the one they crafted in defeat at Sale nine days earlier, but at this stage of the season it’s all about the win and the process of achieving that goal; going the extra yard and sweating the extra drop.

Every man in a blue shirt can say with some pride that they did that yesterday, to keep alive Leeds’s hopes of beating the drop again.

The plaudits go to Adrian Jarvis, for putting behind him a kicking performance at Sale that could have been the wrecking of a lesser man, with a 17-point performance. And to Hendre Fourie and Alfie To’oala for their tries at crucial stages of the game that gave Leeds an edge on the scoreboard when Exeter were threatening to ram another nail into their coffin.

But there were performances aplenty – Steve Thompson, Daniel Browne, Marco Wentzel, Luther Burrell and Lee Blackett to name but a few. After the way Exeter No 8 Richard Baxter ran over three players after just five minutes, however, the signs were ominous that a 16th defeat was on the cards.

The visitors looked sharper and stronger, particularly at the scrum, early on. They had three-points gift-wrapped on 14 minutes when Gareth Steenson kicked the first of his 17 points after To’oala was penalised for coming in at the side.

Exeter, though, were equally obliging; two foolish offsides presenting Jarvis with simple penalties to convert. In recent weeks Leeds had shown their adventurous side by kicking penalties into touch in an attempt to score five points, but after suffering death by Charlie Hodgson at Sale, the opportunity to keep the scoreboard ticking over with three-pointers was taken.

And from that platform, Leeds built a healthy lead as England hooker Thompson led a maul off the back of which Mathie snook down the blindside. Leeds had the whiff of a try in their nostrils and after Kearnan Myall was stopped short, Fourie ran into the maul like a train, picked up the loose ball and dove over a pile of bodies, Jarvis converting.

There was still time for Steenson and Jarvis to trade penalties but Leeds were good value for their interval advantage. All the more encouraging was how they built on that in the second half to seal such a crucial four points.

Fourie set the tone of defiance, pinching a midfield lineout and bulldozing his way through three tackles. Leeds had to show mental toughness as well as physical brawn in their response to a break-away Exeter try on 45 minutes when Nemani Nadolo chased a speculative kick and released Rennie to score.

The first signs of mental fragility came in the guise of a missed penalty from Jarvis, and they were punished when Steenson – who had converted Rennie’s try – kicked a penalty to complete the wiping out of Leeds’s 10 point advantage inside 10 minutes.

Jarvis edged Leeds back in front with a penalty and Nadolo was lucky not to be sin-binned for a reckless challenge on Michael Stephenson. Another soft penalty awarded by referee Tim Wigglesworth handed Steenson the opportunity to level.

The Yorkshire club found another gear and a maul of 20 metres with Thompson the driving force, resulted in a try for To’oala. Jarvis’s conversion attempt was horribly off target and his luck was not turning as a penalty struck the upright. No matter, for his drop goal attempt seven minutes from the end was straight and true.

Leeds Carnegie: Stephenson, Blackett, Fa’afili, Burrell, Wackett, Jarvis, Mathie; Hardy, Thompson, Swainston (Gomez 59), Browne (Paul 63), Wentzel (Oakley 46), Myall, Fourie, To’oala. Unused replacements: Nilsen, Denman, White, Lewis-Pratt, Tadulala.

Exeter Chiefs: Arscott, Nadolo, Shoemark, Rennie (Dollman 64), Sestaret, Steenson, Poluleuligaga; Sturgess, Clark (Whitehead 40), Budgen (Tui 66), Hayes (Gannon 66), Slade (Johnson 55), Phillips, Scaysbrook, Baxter. Unused replacements: Moon, Mieres.

Referee: T Wigglesworth (RFU).