'We're looking forward now': Leeds Tykes one point away from survival after losing first five games
Director of rugby Pete Seabourne has hailed the resilience of his Leeds Tykes players as they look to cement their National One status at home to promotion-chasing Blackheath today.
A Yorkshire club that had fallen on hard times was on the way back up after their promotion from National Two North last season, but found life back in the third tier tough, losing their first five games without picking up a point. But they never lost faith and won 11 of their next 19 games to climb to sixth-bottom, averaging three points per game in the process.
Last week’s last-gasp win over fellow strugglers Birmingham Solihull means they cannot now be directly relegated. The only thing they could still be sucked back into is a relegation play-off for finishing fourth-bottom, but they have an eight-point cushion over Birmingham with just 10 points left to play for.
“That was a massive win, it was a must-win game for us because we could have got dragged back towards the bottom three,” said Seabourne.
“We probably just need another point and even then those below us would need a maximum 10 points to overhaul us.
“I think we’re done - which is just as well because we’ve got two very tough games coming up in Blackheath and Plymouth, both of them chasing that play-off spot.
“And full credit to the players, they showed a lot of resilience to get that one over the line.
“We’d been on the wrong end of a few of those before Christmas so it’s great character from the lads now that we’ve started to pick them up.
“It’s been a good transition year for us and we’re looking forward now.”