Scarbrough sparkles to skin Tigers

Leeds 26 Leicester 13

The result the rest of the Premiership had been hoping for all summer was sealed when Danny Scarbrough, Yorkshire born and bred, belted in for his second try of the afternoon four minutes into added time. Leicester's change-strip white jerseys were strewn across Headingley in disarray; the white-rose brigade celebrated -- a select bunch they were of some 4,000 -- and doubtless a cheer was raised down at Lord's by those unfortunates who had forsaken this occasion for the cricket.

Before anyone gets too carried away, it should immediately be noted that Leicester lost their opening fixture last season and still won their fourth straight title by the length of a street. The season stretches from dawn to doomsday, and the Tigers have a habit of being handy with the reaper's sickle when the time comes.

But the stuttering performance of their pack of forwards -- a mere 325 Test caps could be mustered by the starting eight -- against the team who finished bottom of the pile last time out was welcome succour to neutrals and rivals alike who fancy a change at the top.

Scarbrough may be one vowel short of a seaside resort, but the wing-turned-full-back lacks for nothing in pace and anticipation, and his try double was just reward for a sparkling effort of support play. Not that his presence on the scoresheet was a surprise. Last season Scarbrough's 12 tries represented 31 per cent of Leeds's overall total, way ahead of any comparable figure elsewhere. He does not need the bleach-blond look sported yesterday to catch the eye.

Equally determined to make his presence felt was Tom Palmer, Leeds' tyro England lock, going up against the formidable partnership of Martin Johnson and Ben Kay.

Palmer was making his comeback six months after breaking a leg, and it was easy to see why Leeds had failed to win a single match without him. Leicester were worried to distraction at the line-out and Kay was sent to the sin bin after a dust-up early in the second half. Overall, the Tigers were abysmal when it came to protecting possession in the tackle, and could have no quibble with their Groundhog opening day.

Palmer was in among the opposition to good effect after 15 minutes, stealing a tap back from a Leicester line-out, and it led to the first try. Braam van Straaten grubber-kicked through the visiting threequarters, Leeds' new wing George Harder, a hard-running Samoan, collected on the bounce and, though he was caught at ankle height by the covering Stimpson, Scarbrough was at hand to collect the up-and-over inside pass. Van Straaten converted for 7-0.

Leeds ended the old campaign five points adrift, a much better effort than Rotherham's 26-point margin when they were relegated the year before, and the Tykes are determined to make a fist of this Premiership business. They could do with a crowd, but that was the only downside.

Buoyed by his side's lead, the new Leeds hooker Mark Regan risked and won at a defensive line-out soon after the try, throwing long and safely to Chris Murphy infield. Murphy then ruined the advantage coming in from the side of a ruck, and Stimpson potted Leicester's first points from the 22.

But Leicester's handling errors were too numerous to mention. One lapse when Josh Kronfeld failed to finish off a leggy break by Johnson cost a probable try and though Leeds briefly caught the bug -- Cameron Mather spilled the ball over the line -- the home side were doing the basics well, with the Celtic half-back pairing of Derek Hegarty and Gordon Ross betraying no debut nerves.

Leeds lost van Straaten to the groggy after-effects of a heavy tackle, but Ross took over the goal-kicking and the Scot, trying his luck in England rather than taking up a super-district contract at home, ended up looking like the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo.

Austin Healey had looped round Neil Back to score for Leicester, with Stimpson adding the conversion, when Ross kick a goal from close in for a 13-10 lead. Stimpson soon levelled again when Palmer was pulled back for dabbling illegally at a ruck, but Ross, who joined from Edinburgh in the summer, found a range that initially seemed beyond him when he struck first a 45-metre drop goal then an even more gargantuan penalty from halfway.

Leicester continued to eschew the up-the-jumper tactics they might once have resorted to, but had no taste for catch-up rugby. Healey too often slowed the speed of attack, and Joe Naufahu, ushered into action less than a week after stepping off a plane from New Zealand, was blatantly offside in trying to steal an interception. Harder and Diego Albanese set up Scarbrough's joyous run-in behind the posts -- Ross converting -- and the champions were reduced to an unseemly, unsuccessful scramble for the minor consolation of a bonus point for finishing within seven.

They could not even manage that, despite a last-ditch yellow card for Dan Hyde, and once almost 100 minutes of gametime was finally brought to an end, Leeds savoured their triumph.

Leeds 26 Leicester 13
Tries: Scarborough 2 Try: Healey
Cons: Van Straaten, Ross Con: Stimpson
Pens: Ross 4 Pens: Stimpson 2

Half-time: 7-3 Attendance: 4,500

Leeds Tykes: D Scarbrough; G Harder, T Davies, B van Straaten (C Hall, 25; C Emmerson, 65), D Albanese; G Ross, D Hegarty (A Dickens, 57); M Shelley (capt), M Regan (M Holt, 77), G Kerr, C Murphy (S Campbell, 57), T Palmer, C Mather, I Feaunati, D Hyde.

Leicester Tigers: T Stimpson; S Booth, O Smith, D Hipkiss (J Naufahu, 60), F Tuilagi; A Healey (S Vestey, 85), J Hamilton (H Ellis, h-t); G Rowntree (P Freshwater, 31-40, 60), D West, F Tournaire, M Johnson (capt), B Kay, J Kronfeld (P Short, 66), M Corry, N Back.

Referee: C White (Gloucestershire).