Plymouth Albion hooker Jon Vickers expects 'huge challenge' at Leeds
HOOKER Jon Vickers believes Plymouth Albion face a huge challenge on Sunday when they make their second trip to Leeds within a month.
Albion are making a quick return to the West Yorkshire city after the result of their original Championship match with the Tykes on January 6 was quashed by the RFU.
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Leeds won the game 34-16, out-scoring Albion by four tries to one, but Plymouth appealed for the result to be over-turned after the match went to uncontested scrums on 13 minutes when the new Headingley pitch started to cut up badly.
Albion were winning 3-0 at the time and they told the RFU they felt they might have won the fixture had contested scrums continued.
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The RFU opted not to award the win to Albion but instead ordered a replay.
Plymouth are happy for another chance to try and pick up some valuable league points, but promotion play-off chasing Leeds were angry at having five points chalked off.
Leeds scrum-half James Doherty tweeted after the verdict was announced: "RFU Championship are you joking? I request we replay the game at Jersey then considering that was only fit for growing spuds."
Vickers says all the Albion players know that Leeds will be keen to prove a point on Sunday when the match is replayed at West Park.
"It is going to be a big challenge for us against a good side," said Vickers.
"I think the result last time was affected by the set piece, but it means they (Leeds) are going to be looking to be incredibly strong in that area to prove that the result should have stood.
"I think we realise the huge challenge we will face and that we have to meet it head-on particularly in the scrum because they will have a point to prove.
"They will feel that result was fine and that the scrum would not have made any difference, but we have to make sure otherwise."
Albion did dominate the first quarter of the game at Headingley four weeks ago and Vickers says the team have to use that as a positive.
"We started that game incredibly well," said the former Exeter Chiefs player. "In the first 20 minutes we were 6-0 up. The scrums did have a big influence as I think we won three penalties at them.
"We went there knowing if we controlled field position and played to our strengthens we were going to cause them trouble.
"They were incredibly strong on the counter-attack off turnover ball, so we know we have to look after the ball in the right areas this weekend. If we do that we can cause them harm."
Vickers feels the pressure is off Albion as they have nothing to lose, unlike Leeds, who are trying to win back the five points they lost.
"They are a very good side and we know that," said Vickers. "But we need to go up there and take the pressure off ourselves, similar to like we did when we went away to Newcastle. We went up to Newcastle with no fear and we put in a good performance.
"We need to look for that type of performance again. If we do that the result will take care of itself."
Albion are going through a shocking run at the moment. They have only claimed one league win in the last four months and have only scored one single try in 2013.
Vickers admits the players desperately want to end their poor run of form.
"Of course we do," he said. "I can assure you it has been as frustrating for the team and management as it has been for the supporters.
"But all we can do is keep working hard in training on the things that are going to be specific to how we can win on the weekend – and that's what we are doing."
Albion do not know a lot about West Park, where Sunday's game will be played. Vickers thinks he may have played there in an A League match against Leeds. He does know that it will not be as sheltered as Headingley.
"It will be a bit unknown to us," he said. "And if the weather is like it has been this week, then it is going to be wet and windy and hard to play in, so we going to have to play smart."
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