London Welsh 29 Leeds Carnegie 39: Leeds back on the front foot

Leeds were playing their third game in six days and they seemed to be suffering in the first half as they made heavy weather of breaking down a London Welsh side who came into the game on the back of a similar build-up.

The first half was a scrappy affair with Joe Ford and Alex Davies trading penalties before Ed Williamson crossed for the first try of the game after good work by Dan Hemingway released Pete Lucock, who put Williamson through the gap to score.

Greg Bateman and Lee Beach then turned the game in favour of the home side with two quickfire tries.

Crucially, Ford managed to cut the deficit with two penalties before half-time to keep Leeds in touch at 20-16.

The second half saw the visitors make the most of the great conditions to open up their opponents with some flowing rugby.

The first try of four second-half efforts came from the returning Stevie McColl. That was followed by a short-range plunder by prop Halani Aulika.

The game was wrapped up in the closing quarter with two tries from replacement Jordan Davies. The first followed a clever kick from Michael Stephenson whilst he created the second himself with a fine dummy pass.

The win moved Leeds up to sixth but, most importantly, left the Headingley club with a morale-building victory ahead of the play-offs.

London Welsh: Davies, Scott, Mackey, Whatling (Moates, 67), Ajuwa, Ross (Smith, 70), R Lewis (J Lewis, 67), Pittman (Moss, 51), George (Nelson, 61), Bateman (Tideswell, 51), Brown, Johnson (Russell, 59), Purdy, Hills, Beach.

Leeds Carnegie: McColl, Stephenson, Thornley, Barrow (Davies, 65), Lucock, Ford (Shaw, 54), Cliff, Lockwood (Mustafa, 65), Titterrell, Aulika (Denman, 65), Pendlebury (Beck, 69), Williamson, Rowan, Burrows.

Replacements not used: Nilsen, Rieder.

Referee: M Fox.