Leeds Tykes began their European campaign on Saturday night and have given themselves a great chance of progressing with the second leg to come this Friday at Headingley.

The Tykes were without ten first team players through injury for the trip to France but the starting line up included no fewer than seven internationals, including a first start for Iain Balshaw, signalling the seriousness with which Leeds are taking the tournament this season.

Worse was to come though when inspirational captain Stuart Hooper, who has overseen an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks, limped out of the game after 23 minutes with an ankle injury. That coincided with the Tykes first points of the game when Gordon Ross kicked a penalty to equalise Maxime Suarez’s earlier effort.

The home side retook the lead five minutes later with a touch of fortune. Leeds had been penalised for interference at the ruck and Suarez attempted a kick from 40 metres out, the ball bounced off the post and just crept over the cross bar.
Leeds dominated possession in the first half but were unable to break the Grenoble defensive line. The Tykes best opportunity fell to Andre Snyman who cut inside from a pass from Bell and ripped through the home defence. He raced 40 metres up field before three would be tacklers emerged, Snyman dragged the defenders with him over the line but was adjudged to have knocked on in the act of scoring.

The highlight of the second half was Tim Stimpson’s first points for the club, as he cooly slotted over a trademark long distance penalty from inside his own half.

The two-time Heineken Cup winner could not add another long range effort five minutes later but the signs were encouraging for Leeds going into the final stages. 18-year-old Jordan Crane, who had come on for Hooper, produced a calm and assured display on his debut, another product of the Tykes increasingly significant Academy system, and Leeds applied pressure to the home side through aggressive defence in the last ten minutes.
Gordon Ross had an opportunity to give the Tykes the lead after 71 minutes but his penalty drifted wide however that enabled the Scotsman to set his sights and when another opportunity arrived seven minutes later he looked to have given the visitors a winning advantage.

However, Grenoble, coached by Dean Richards, were not about to give up lightly and camped in the Leeds quarter for the closing minutes and were duly rewarded with a penalty for offside, which Suarez converted which brought the final whistle.