Late Buderus try seals Leeds win

Bradford (12) 22
Tries: Ah Van, Lynch, Elima 2
Goals: Ah Van 3
Leeds (10) 30
Tries: McShane, Jones-Buchanan, Senior, Hall, Buderus
Tries: Sinfield
Goals: Sinfield 5

Leeds twice had to come from behind at Osdal as they kept up their winning record against Bradford Bulls.

But it was not until the 79th minute that they clinched victory with a try from Aussie hooker Danny Buderus.

After trailing 10-0 early on, Leeds bounced back to lead with tries from Paul McShane and Jamie Jones-Buchanan.

Bradford went back in front, but Keith Senior and Ryan Hall crossed, reliable skipper Kevin Sinfield kicking five goals in front of a near 20,000 crowd.

Odsal has been a happy hunting ground in recent seasons for Leeds, who have now lost just once there in nine visits.

But they were made to work just as hard for this one as they were when they also beat the Bulls at the Millennium Stadium in this season’s first meeting back in February.

In coach Brian McDermott’s first game in charge, the Rhinos came back from the dead to run in three Magic Weekend tries in the final quarter before a late penalty try earned a 32-28 victory.

This time, Leeds were left reeling by two early Bradford tries from Patrick Ah Van and skipper Andy Lynch (Ah Van kicking the second of the two conversions) as the home side built a 10-0 lead inside 11 minutes.

Leeds then pegged them back with tries from McShane (the first of them improved by Sinfield) and Jones-Buchanan.

Ah Van’s late first-half penalty kicked the Bulls into a 12-10 half-time lead, added to by the first of Elima’s two tries seven minutes into the second half.

But Leeds turned it round again when Senior and Hall both scored in the space of three minutes.

For Senior, played in by a slick exchange between Rob Burrow and Brent Webb, although only his second try of the season, it was the 16th of the veteran centre’s career against Bradford.

Then prolific winger Hall, on his 100th appearance, ran in his 83rd try.

With Sinfield kicking two superb conversions from close to the left touchline, Leeds now led 22-16.

Elima then bulldozed over again, Ah Van kicking the goal to tie it up again at 22-22 with 18 minutes left.

But, within five minutes, Sinfield’s penalty had put Leeds back in front. And, with the Bulls stretched looking for a response, the artful Buderus went under the posts.

Bradford: Royston; Raynor, Platt, Walker, Ah Van; Kearney, Herbert; Lynch, L’Estrange, Kopczak, Elima, Whitehead, Donaldson.

Replacements: Diskin, Hargreaves, Olbison, Burgess.

Leeds: Webb; Watkins, Delaney, Senior, Hall; Sinfield, Burrow; Burgess, Buderus, Leuluai, Jones-Buchanan, Clarkson, Ablett.

Replacements: Cross, Kirke, Hauraki, McShane.

Attendance: 19,275.

Referee: Thierry Alibert (Toulouse).