Well, to be fair, Leeds actually started it and started it with some silly high shots. The problem was that New Zealands pack consisted of some VERY hard players, the likes of Sorenson, Tamati, Graeme West, et al.

Leeds were playing in their change strip, which was white, and not one player came off the field without blood on his shirt. Seven players were stretchered from the field that day, and Keith Rayne, Leeds ex GB prop suffered a broken nose and broken fingers, yet still refused to leave the field.

It was only when he recieved six broken ribs through knees in the tackle that he was forced from the field. Things got so bad that the Leeds directors made Peter Fox attempt to take his players from the field of play, and yet everyone refused. Leeds lost the game 14-11, if I remember correctly, and finished with 11 men.


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Many thanks to "GHOUT" UK for submitting this game

FURTHER FROM GHOUT RE THIS GAME 15/12/2003

I've just seen the Leeds - New Zealand game on your website....
What a rough game that was QUIGS...!!!
Anyways.... I dug out the match details for you....
(Quigs - Thank you Ghout)

29th October 1985. Leeds 10 New Zealand 16 (HT 2-12) Att:4,829.

Leeds: Paul Gill, Norman Francis, David Creasser, Mark Wilson (sorry AG), Tony Currie:
Cliff Lyons, Mark Conway: Keith Rayne, David Ward, Brendan Hill, Roy Powell, Terry Webb, David Heron.
Subs: Trevor Clark, Gary Moorby.

Scorers: Try: Lyons. Goals: Creasser (3)

New Zealand: Darrel Williams, Mark Bournville, Dean Bell, Mark Elia, Shane Horo:
Olsen Filipaina, Clayton Friend: Ricky Cowan, Howie Tamati, Adrian Shelford, Graeme West, Owen Wright, Sam Stewart.
Subs: Shane Cooper, Ron O'Regan.

Scorers: Tries: Friend, Horo, Stewart. Goals: Filipaina (2)

Mark Bourneville was sent off, and returned thinking that he had been sin-binned. The referee got confused and sent off Graeme West, who then refused to leave the field to another all in melee. Bournville was then taken off the field by the NZ management....

(From "ghout" at 1:08 am on Dec. 16, 2003)