Doncaster Rugby Club

Moseley 0 Doncaster Knights 22

The Knights forced another valuable away win and nilled Moseley in the process, the first nil for three seasons emphasising what a strong defensive performance this was in difficult playing conditions. The disappointment was the failure to secure a fourth try bonus point and the way the top of the table is looking, the whole season could well depend on these bonuses.

After a first half in which Moseley dominated possession and territory against the strong diagonal wind, and only 0-10 in arrears, the hosts clearly fancied their chances after the break but found a new resolve in the Knights who scored twice on 50 and 55 minutes to make the result a formality, but despite dominating the last half hour they just couldn’t force the fourth try. The last ten minutes were spent virtually camped on the home line, but with a non functioning line out in the wind the frequent penalty election became the scrum where Moseley used every trick in the play book, mostly illegal, to disrupt against the Knights’ more powerful unit and referee Vertigan surprisingly ignored the penalty try option that was clearly deserved on at least two occasions in that period. All the more surprising given that he had correctly awarded one just before half time as Moseley collapsed one under their own posts. The inconsistent refereeing cost the bonus point, but in fairness the Knights had several other opportunities to take it and wasted them all carelessly. Whatever the dynamic blend that was found the previous weekend, it wasn’t evident at Moseley where the performance was error strewn.

The knights had opened their account early on when Mark Woodrow’s penalty took him to the century mark for the season, whereas Ollie Thomas missed the one chance he had. The story of the first half was one of home dominance despite going into the wind and the Knights’ defence being stretched on several occasions but holding out without many scares. They did themselves few favours – Netani Talei was an early sin bin visitor for killing ball – and knocked on far too often, allowing a lively Moseley team to move the ball quickly in open play. It was against the run of play that the penalty try arrived, which Woodrow converted.

After the interval the Knights’ two tries were both well constructed. First, a Donovan Van Vuuren break was carried on by Simon Grainger (who had replaced the injured Jason Forster at the break) deep into the home ’22 where quick recycled ball to the right saw Anthony Carter in the line to finish off good handling in the corner. Five minutes later and good phases by a rampant pack and several pick and drives found Dan Cook in the right place at the right time and he forced his bulk across the line, close enough in for Woodrow to add the extras. That killed the home resolve and as their pack visibly tired under Knights’ pressure in loose and set plays, the only question was when the bonus point would arrive. It never did.

Clive Griffiths was delighted with the nil part of the afternoon and the defence that was responsible for it; but disappointed in the manner in which they didn’t control the controllables and in the failure of the referee to punish the home scrum in the closing stages. But most important of all the win keeps the Knights right in the mix at the top of the table and looking forward to the visit of Exeter next Saturday.

Moseley: Thomas, Lennard (Oduoza 74), O’Leary, Cox (Buckley 50), Binns, Macdonald, Knight (Hunter 76), Coles, Caves (Bick 74), Buxton, Arnold (Hadley 74), Skelding (Stott 74), Evans, McIntosh, Rodwell.

Knights: Carter, Van Vuuren, Hunt, Davies, Bailey, Woodrow, Jones, Bunting, Boden, Rawson (Tau 55), Gross (Kenworthy 62), D Cook, Earnshaw, Forster (Grainger 40), Talei (O Cook 74).

Referee: A Vertigan (RFU)