Rhinos edge derby thriller

Jones-Buchanan: decisive try

England forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan scored the crucial try to help Leeds cement fifth place in Super League ahead of the play-offs with a thrilling 31-24 derby win over Huddersfield.

He split the Giants defence with a neat one-two on 76 minutes and touched down, with Kevin Sinfield converting to give Leeds a 10-point cushion that Huddersfield were unable to fully wipe out.

The Giants, who had led 18-12 at the break, traded second-half penalties with Leeds but were undone by a Ryan Hall brace.

Carl Ablett set up Hall's first on 42 minutes and the winger then capitalised on 66 minutes when Ablett was held up on the line.

Jermaine McGillvary reduced the deficit with a solo score but Sinfield added gloss to the result with a last-gasp drop-kick.

Leeds will now face Hull in a loser-goes-home play-off next Sunday, with fourth-placed Huddersfield travelling to Warrington two days before.

A pulsating first half saw the Giants go two converted tries down only to roar into an 18-12 interval lead with three scores of their own.

Leeds, hoping to avenge a 38-6 defeat to Huddersfield at Headingley earlier in the season, made a blistering start to the match.

They piled on the pressure from the start and it was no surprise when they made the breakthrough with two tries in as many minutes.

Team effort

First Zac Hardaker powered over on 17 minutes and soon after Leeds produced a lovely team effort.

A flowing move ended with Ryan Bailey playing a one-two with Jones-Buchanan and then offloading for Brent Webb to dive over. Sinfield added the extras.

The Giants hit back, though, with their own two-in-two-minutes blitz to tie the scores at 12-12.

Leroy Cudjoe, later taken off injured, put in Michael Lawrence for a try on 24 minutes, and Cudjoe was also involved on 26 minutes when he, Scott Grix and Lee Gilmour contrived to send Luke Robinson clear. Danny Brough twice converted.

Substitute Larne Patrick then put the hosts in front on the half-time hooter. Kevin Brown broke from deep and produced a defence-splitting pass to leave Patrick in the clear for a simple score.

But the Giants never seemed to recover from their bad start to the second half and Leeds ran out worthy winners in the end, thanks mainly to the finishing of Hall and Jones-Buchanan.