Leeds 21 Perpignan 20Gordon Ross kicked a last-gasp, retaken conversion as Leeds defeated French giants Perpignan to breathe new life into their campaign. With the game deep into injury time, substitute Gordon Bulloch forced his way over in the right corner.
Ross, knowing it was the last action of the contest, had the unenviable task of winning the game for his side, and although he missed the first conversion attempt, he was given another chance when referee Nigel Owens adjudged Perpignan to have been encroaching on the kick.
The Scot stepped up to land the conversion at the second attempt to give Leeds new hope in what is turning out to be a tight group.
Earlier, Roland De Marigny had gone over for Leeds in the first half, but Perpignan looked as though they had won thanks to tries by Nicolas Durand and Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, and 10 points from the boot of Nicolas Laharrague.
Leeds, no doubt buoyed by an upturn in fortunes domestically in recent weeks, played some enterprising rugby in the opening stages and deservedly went ahead through Ross's penalty in the ninth minute. But they were behind two minutes later after a dashing piece of opportunism by Durand.
The France scrumhalf allowed his pack to roll a maul about 15 yards before he snatched the ball from its base and sprinted down the blind side for a try in the right-hand corner. Laharrague converted.
Against the run of play the hosts reduced the deficit in the 37th minute through their first try of the game. Their first decent spell inside Perpignan's half saw Justin Marshall and the impressive Andre Snyman make inroads with some straight running before the ball was spun out wide and full-back De Marigny slalomed over in the left corner.
Ross kicked a drop goal in the 45th minute to put Leeds in front.
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