New-look Crusaders RL pushed champions Leeds Rhinos for an hour in an encouraging opening as Engage Super League arrived in Wrexham but ultimately they lost 34-6.



Brian Noble’s hastily-assembled team made light of their lack of preparation by going toe-to-toe with Leeds for most of the game, much to the delight of a full house of 10,334 at the Racecourse Ground.



The crowd was around 4,000 more than the Welsh club managed to attract to any of their games in Bridgend and most would have been sufficiently encouraged by the initial offering to return.



Crusaders took a fourth-minute lead with a penalty from Michael Witt and were level at 6-6 until two flashes of brilliance from Rhinos stand-off Danny McGuire turned the game in favour of the champions.



Leeds deserved the points after finishing strongly but five tries in the final quarter gave them a flattering margin of victory.



Crusaders had eight players making their debut and were unrecognisable from the side that lost 68-0 to the Rhinos in their last meeting in Newport five months ago.



There were just two British players in their starting line-up, in former Hull FC pair Gareth Raynor and Tommy Lee, and the 11-strong overseas contingent must have wondered what they were letting themselves in for when they ran out to a snow-covered pitch.



Leeds were confident enough to leave out England captain Jamie Peacock and full-back Brent Webb but their squad still included 13 members of their Grand Final winning line-up.



The champions gave Engage Super League debuts to Australian centre Brett Delaney and Kiwi World Cup winner Greg Eastwood while teenager Kallum Watkins deputised for Webb.



Watkins was tested out early in the difficult conditions and a handling error by his team-mate Rob Burrow gifted Crusaders excellent field position from which they opened the scoring on three minutes.



Leeds were pulled up for offside and Witt had the distinction of scoring the first points of the new season with a straight-forward penalty.



Witt was also accurate with his kicking out of hand, pushing the visitors back with two long touch-finders, and it took the champions some time to get into their stride.



There were danger signs for the Welsh club when Leeds prop Kylie Leuluai stepped through their defence but the supporting McGuire spilled his pass.



The next chance came in more fortuitous circumstances, with Delaney’s grubber kick scooting through the legs of former Leeds man Raynor and Australian flier Scott Donald winning the race to score the opening try.



Kevin Sinfield added the goal to make it 6-2 and showed touches of his England form from the Four Nations series by twice getting second-rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan into promising positions.



Just as the Rhinos appeared to be getting on top, Crusaders struck back to level the scores, centre Vince Mellars claiming Witt’s high kick and sending Raynor over at the corner to atone for his earlier blunder.



The big question in the second half was whether the superior fitness of the champions would prove too much for the Crusaders but they were good for another 20 minutes.



The conditions were also helping Crusaders, although Leeds’ diminutive scrum-half Rob Burrow managed to cause problems for the home defence with his trademark elusive runs.



The turning point came after 64 minutes when Watkins turned defence into attack and Delaney sent McGuire racing 60 metres for a spectacular try.



Within four minutes, McGuire had created a try for second-rower Ali Lauitiiti, his offload bouncing fortuitously off a defender, and Sinfield touched down Danny Buderus’ clever kick on the last tackle.



The home side had little resistance left by then and McGuire produced more magic handling to get Delaney over for a try on his debut and Lauitiiti demonstrated awesome strength to force his way over for his second a minute from the end.



Sinfield piled on the agony for the home side by taking his goal tally to five from six attempts.

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Porthi'r Deg Mil Yn Wrecsam

Gan Siân Couch

 

Ar ol misoedd o ddyfalu gan y wasg, cychwynnodd Crusaders RL eu hail gyfnod yng Nghynghrair Super League Rygbi XIII gyda chartref newydd, tim newydd ac hyfforddwr newydd wrth i ddynion Brian Noble berfformio'n galonogol o flaen tyrfa o dros ddeng mil ar y Cae Ras yn Wrecsam.

 

Er yr oedd y sgor yn un helaeth ar ran Leeds Rhinos, daliwyd hwy gan y Crusaders am dros awr ar 6-6 cyn i safon Leeds ymddangos o fewn y chwarter awr olaf.  Sgoriwyd gan Danny McGuire ar ol iddo redeg ar hyd y cae i sgorio gyda Ali Lauitiiti (dau), Kevin Sinfield a Brett Delaney yn ychwanegu at sgor Leeds wrth i'r pencampwyr gael buddugoliaeth gyfforddus.

 

Roedd yn anodd ar dim Brian Noble oherwydd diffyg paratoadau ond nid oedd yna lawer rhwng y ddau dim am ran fwyaf o'r ornest.  Byddai'r dorf wedi bod yn bles iawn gyda pherfformiad y Crusaders, gyda'r tim cartref hyd yn oed ar y blae gyda chic gosb gan Michael Witt ar ol camsefylliad gan Leeds.

 

Agwedd calonogol oedd gan Brian Noble wrth ddweud "Roeddwn yn meddwl fod agwedd da gan y chwaraewyr a byddwn ni yn gwella fel tim wrth i ni ychwanegu chwaraewyr i'r garfan.  Mi ddylai'r chwaraewyr ymfalchio am yr hyn a gyflawnwyd ganddynt ar ol 65 munud ond dangosodd Leeds fod rhaid chwarae am 80 munud.  Mae yna bethau cyffrous yn digwydd yma ac os y bydd y chwaraewyr yn gweithio'n galed byddent yn ennill mwy o gemau yn ystod y tymor.  Mae'r arwyddion yno."

 

Bydd y Crusaders yn herio Wigan Warriors wrth iddynt deithio i gyn-glwb Noble am y tro cyntaf ar Chwefror 5ed (cic gyntaf 8.00pm) cyn teithio i wynebu Salford City Reds yn y Willows ar Nos Wener 12fed Chwefror (cic gyntaf 8.00pm).  Bydd gem gartref nesaf yn erbyn Hull FC ar ddydd Sul 21ain Chwefror ar y Cae Ras (cic gyntaf 3.00pm).

 

Dewch i gefnogi tim y Crusaders wrth iddynt dorri tir newydd yn Wrecsam a dod a rygbi o'r safon uchaf i Ogledd Cymru. Mae tocynnau Hull FC ar gael drwy'r wefan (www.crusadersrfl.com) neu cysylltwch a'r swyddfa docynnau ar 01978 262129.