Hull FC put in a resolute defensive performance to defeat Leeds Rhinos 18-12 at Emerald Headingley Stadium this evening.
Hull did most of their attacking in the first half and went into the interval with an 18-8 lead thanks to an Adam Swift brace and Josh Griffin’s 100th career try, after Liam Sutcliffe had given the Rhinos the lead.
An error-strewn second half put Hull’s backs up against the wall, but on several occasions, Brett Hodgson’s side came up with the answers in defence. Despite Tom Briscoe breaching Hull’s try line in the 77th minute, it was too little, too late for Leeds.
Team News
Hodgson was afforded the luxury of making no enforced changes for this game, six days after the tie with Catalans Dragons at the KCOM Stadium.
The one change Hodgson did make saw him use Bureta Faraimo as an interchange in the place of Cameron Scott.
The Rhinos welcomed back Richie Myler, who deputised at fullback with Jack Walker still sidelined through injury.
New Zealand international Zane Tetevano returned from suspension and started at loose forward.
The Match
After soaking up some early Hull pressure, Leeds drew first blood with their first examination of the FC try line when Sutcliffe jinked through the challenge of Marc Sneyd and Griffin. Rhyse Martin added the extras.
Throughout the first 20 minutes of the match, Hull had seen more of the ball on the Rhinos’ try line and the pressure eventually told when Jake Connor fired a pass into the arms of Swift, who strolled in untouched in the right corner. Sneyd tagged on the extras to bring the scores level.
Leeds edged back in front with a penalty to the left of the sticks after Marcus Griffiths penalised Hull for being offside.
Swift raced away for his second of the match after Sneyd’s perfectly timed pass found Griffin, who had the guile to sidestep the challenge of Konrad Hurrell and find his winger in support. Sneyd made it 12-8 with the conversion.
Hull’s penetration of Leeds’ defensive right edge continued on the approach to half-time. Connor delayed the pass and found Griffin, who pierced his way through a hole in the defensive line. Sneyd nailed the conversion.
HALF-TIME: Rhinos 8-18 Hull
After an attritional start to the second half, the game exploded into life when Leeds thought they had scored through Tom Briscoe. But a video referee decision ruled that Hull had held the outside back up.
Following a aggressive confrontation, play resumed again and Leeds thought they were over the whitewash once more, but this time the video referee judged a knock on in the build up to silence the Headingley crowd.
The Rhinos set up a grandstand finish to the game when some good interchanging play between Luke Gale and Brad Dwyer saw Briscoe cross in the corner. But Martin was off target with the conversion so it stayed 18-12 to the visitors.
Time was against the hosts, however, and despite their best efforts with three minutes on the clock, they couldn’t find a way to break down the Hull defence.
FULL-TIME: Rhinos 12-18 Hull
Squads & Scorers
Hull: Connor, Fonua, Tuimavave, Griffin, Swift, Reynolds, Sneyd, Satae, Houghton, Sao, Savelio, Ma’u, Cator
Hull Interchanges: Faraimo, Fash, Johnstone, Lane
Hull Tries: Swift (2), Griffin
Hull Goals: Sneyd (3/3)
Rhinos: Myler, Handley, T. Briscoe, Hurrell, L. Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Gale, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Mellor, Martin, Tetevano
Rhinos Interchanges: Donaldson, Dwyer, Gannon, Vuniyayawa
Rhinos Tries: Sutcliffe, Briscoe
Rhinos Goals: Martin (2/3)
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