Rhinos avoid a Cat-astrophe

Leeds moved into the play-off places in the Super League table with a thrilling 34-30 victory over Yorkshire rivals Wakefield at Murrayfield.

Ryan Hall grabbed a hat-trick of tries but the Rhinos left it late to clinch victory, needing a late score from Danny Buderus to see off the Wildcats.

The hooker just about got the ball down with two minutes remaining to put the defending champions in front for the first time in a thrilling contest that wrapped up the opening day of the Magic Weekend in Edinburgh.

The Wildcats had looked on course to complete the double over their neighbours for the first time in the Super League era when they led 28-16.

Blanch brace

Damien Blanch scored two of Wakefield's five tries in the first half, but their only points after the interval came courtesy of a Ben Jefffries penalty.

It was Jeffries who had opened the scoring in an astonishing opening 40 minutes when he slipped past Ryan Bailey to get to the line.

The stand-off added the conversion before providing an assist for Blanch, who reeled in a high kick to the right corner. Rob Burrow was beaten to the high ball and immediately left the field with a knee injury - he did not return.

Leeds responded with two tries in the space of four minutes. Hall - who made his Leeds debut at the 2007 Magic Weekend in Cardiff - dived over out on the left for the first before setting up full-back Brent Webb for an easy run-in.

But while the Rhinos, well beaten away at St Helens in their last outing, could score points at one end, they couldn't stop conceding them at the other.

Paul Johnson twisted out of a tackle to get the 100th try of his career before Blanch dived over in the right corner to complete his brace, Jeffries adding both conversion attempts.

Solo score

A fine solo score from hooker Tevita Leo-Latu, who somehow burst free down the middle before fending off Webb, extended Wakefield's lead even further.

Hall's second meant Leeds trailed by 12 at the break and they crucially grabbed the first try after the re-start through substitute Chris Clarkson.

Jeffries' penalty put John Kear's team two scores clear, though by now they were finding it much tougher to breach their opponents' defensive line.

The deficit was cut down to two points with 17 minutes still to play in the Scottish capital when Hall completed his treble and Sinfield added the extras.

In the end they needed almost all of them to find a way to score a match-winner, Keith Senior and Webb eventually combining to send Buderus away to the line. Although Blanch did his best to keep the Australian from grounding the ball, referee Thierry Alibert was perfectly placed to award the score, leaving poor Wakefield with no time to find a reply at the death.