Leeds will be primed and ready to tackle play-offs

IN days gone by, the mid-term report would have left Leeds Carnegie with little, if any, hope of eventual graduation.

A record of five defeats from their opening 11 games did not bode well for their chances of an immediate return to the golden glow of the Premiership.

This morning, with 14 games gone, they sit seventh in the Championship, still, to the uninitiated eye, miles away from their intended target.

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However, given last year’s introduction of a play-off format to crown the division’s victors, replacing the traditional first-past-the-post system, the landscape is still crucially unmapped.

Leeds do not need to be first come the end of their final game at London Welsh on February 25 but simply in the top eight.

Then they could strike in the play-offs and, on recent form, few opponents would fancy tackling the potent West Yorkshire club.

The key is maintaining their rate of improvement as their former England winger Michael Stephenson stressed following Sunday’s dramatic 14-13 success over one of the title favourites Cornish Pirates.

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“We’re definitely going to get to the play-offs,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“The top eight is almost set now as there seems to be a bit of a gap opening up between the rest.

“But everyone in that eight can beat each other so it’ll make for a real exciting time come the play-offs.

“Then it’s how we perform from there. We’re getting everything in place and doing all the right things now to peak for that part of the season.

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“It’s just important that we do that from here so come play-off time we are there firing.”

Undoubtedly, Carnegie have overcome early season travails – they won just once in the opening five Championship fixtures, ironically against current leaders Bristol – to establish themselves as the force everyone expected.

They have developed the knack of eking out narrow victories, something which will be vital when it comes to knockout football and illustrated once again when Stephenson scored a 78th-minute try to deny the Pirates at Headingley at the weekend.

“We knew that it was going to be tough at the start but we’re a completely different team now,” added the ex-Newcastle star.

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“All the supporters and everyone who watched against Cornish and over the whole season will be able to see that transformation. As long as that keeps going and we keep progressing the way we have we’ll be a real threat in the play-offs.

“Sticking with the principles from pre-season has been the reason. We’ve stuck by everything we’ve been trying to do and not changed too much even when it hasn’t been going our way.

“We’ve a variety of ways we can play the game; we’re being clever now about when we go wide and when we play short, and that’s been a real benefit.”

The only defeat in their last nine Championship matches was a 33-19 loss at Bristol a little over a week ago and that could have ended so differently.

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“It was massively disappointing but we took things out of it because we were pushing them all the way at the end for a seven-pointer which would have levelled,” said the 31-year-old.

“On another day we probably would have scored that try, it would have been a draw and we’d be over the moon.

“There’s a real fine line but we got the right side against Cornish.

“It’s not for us to judge (whether Leeds will get promotion). We’ve beaten all the top teams that have come here – Rotherham, Bristol, Cornish – but I do think we need that consistency away from home too.”

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There are some notable fixtures ahead to test development in that area, not least a trip to Nottingham on February 5 followed swiftly by the visit to second-placed Welsh.

However, the Boxing Day journey to Doncaster, who they lead by just a solitary point, provides a more imminent examination of their ability and focus.

With that in mind, many of Diccon Edwards’s squad, including probably Stephenson, will be rested for Saturday’s British & Irish Cup contest at Pontypridd.

But Stephenson – who has scored three tries in the last seven league games – said: “There’s more stepping forward in the second team now and they’re pushing for places.

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“All that pressure is good for the entire squad. We’ve a few guys coming back from injuries and hopefully we’ll have Lachlan MacKay back come the new year, too, to help push us forward.”

Stephenson, who played with Leeds in the Premiership last season after joining from Bath, concluded: “Promotion means everything. Contract wise it’s your motivation for the whole season. It is the pinnacle.”