LEEDS RHINOS 68 CARDIFF DEMONS 0
PHIL CAPLAN, AMT Headingley, Saturday

LEEDS were remorseless in the first-ever meeting between these sides, continuing their record of always making at least the semi-finals of the Women’s Challenge Cup and extending their cumulative score to 222-0 in this year’s competition.

Leeds were without Evie Cousins, who ran in four tries the week before, but gave debuts to Nicole Kennedy and impressive Lois Nadiole.

There was an obvious, understandable size and fitness discrepancy between the sides which meant Leeds dominated physically from the off, Liv Whitehead going in at the corner in the second minute and Ebony Stead following her from the restart.

A sensational offload from Lucy Murray sent in Mel Howard, a Cardiff error saw Whitehead over for her brace and Kennedy went the length of the field from the kick-off.

The Demons held out for ten minutes before Murray crashed over, the visitors twice heroically defending their line but barely gaining a play the ball in the Leeds half throughout.

In the run up to half-time Ella Donnelly powered over for the Rhinos’ seventh try, and Howard claimed her second straight after the restart.

Whitehead completed her hat-trick and Tally Bryer brought up the half-century, both wide on the right, before Ruby Enright went over on the left.

Stead went in after a Welsh knock-on and Ruby Bruce darted over from dummy-half before Cardiff had their only spell of pressure but had a potential touchdown ruled out for obstruction.

Whitehead claimed her fourth and the Rhinos’ 14th try, Bryer goaling from out wide to add to five Howard conversions.

RHINOS: 2 Ebony Stead, 1 Ruby Enright, 15 Connie Boyd, 27 Nicole Kennedy, 5 Liv Whitehead, 6 Mel Howard, 7 Ruby Walker, 26 Georgia Elliston, 14 Ruby Bruce, 10 Kaiya Glynn, 22 Lois Naidole, 12 Lucy Murray , 8 Ella Donnelly. Subs (all used): 13 Shannon Brown, 17 Grace Short, 18 Tally Bryer, 21 Frankie Blakey

Tries: Whitehead (2, 12, 47, 77), Stead (4, 58), Howard (8, 41), Kennedy (14), Murray (24), Donnelly (35), Bryer (50), Enright (52), Bruce (62)
Goals: Howard 5/10, Bryer 1/4

DEMONS: 1 Leanne Burrell, 19 Frances Layton, 2 Lucia Davies, 35 Mary-Ann Gittings, 5 Zoe Heeley, 34 Meg Whittaker, 6 Amber Ruck, 26 Sue Neumann, 9 Jasmine Gibbons, 10 Ffion Jenkins, 17 Sioned Young, 12 Charlie Mundy, 25 Katie Carr. Subs (all used): 4 Seren Gough-Walters, 7 Rhi Parker, 22 Amy Price, 23 Hannah Jones

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 20-0, 24-0, 30-0, 36-0; 42-0, 46-0, 50-0, 54-0, 58-0, 62-0, 68-0

Half-time: 36-0; Referee: Tyler Topping