Doncaster Rugby Club

Nottingham 17 Doncaster Knights 35

Knights go second after feisty win at Meadow Lane

The Knights got the perfect outcome to Sunday’s fixtures with a bonus point win on the day that Pirates and Leeds drew in Cornwall. With Rotherham’s loss on Saturday, the Knights move up into second place behind Leeds and next weekend’s derby against the now fourth placed Titans becomes even more mouth watering!

Clive Griffiths again elected for the physique of Ollie Cook over the craft of Simon Grainger in the pack, and tried Spencer Davey outside John Cannon in the centres.  A lively start saw the Knights quickly in the home ’22 as Jason Forster burst off the back of a stolen Greens’ line out; and shortly after Ben Jones wriggled his way up the middle to set up fast ball left where Anthony Carter was in the line to take a long float pass and get into the left hand corner with just 3 minutes on the clock. Any thoughts that this presaged an easy afternoon were quickly blown away as dam Montague broke, passed right and it was only a great cover tackle by Donovan Van Vuuren that saved a score as he forced the ball carrier into touch close to goal. From the line out, the Greens’ maul was promptly collapsed and Simon Bunting shown the yellow card. The penalty saw another line out catch and drive from which prop Nigel hall was driven over, and Tom Barlow’s extras put the home side in front with still only 7 minutes on the stadium clock. Mark Woodrow succeeded with the two penalty chances on offer as the Knights piled on pressure, only to lose try opportunities to errors; but Nottingham were very much in this game and Barlow reduced the deficit to a point with his first chance after Ollie Cook had caught the TJ’s attention for careless use of his feet. From the restart, the Knights won ball and went through productive phases before Woodrow’s half break gave John cannon the chance to step and force himself through tackles to touch down at the posts for his first of the season. Woodrow’s extras were simply taken. Half an hour of breathless rugby had kept the crowd on their toes and there was every likelihood that this was going to be another of the high scoring encounters the two teams have enjoyed in recent times. The Knights, though, again went a man short as Ollie Cook was shown yellow after a high tackle – and after two further penalties under pressure near their line, the Knights were forced to defend a catch and drive a man light with Montague there to power over for a try. Barlow converted it as half time approached and it was still anyone’s game. But in added time the Knights set up a series of attacks. Van Vuuren was inches away from scoring as he was tackled into touch; and then Woodrow made a clever angled run across the defense before floating a long pass left where Wes Davies appeared on his opposite wing to score in the left corner. Woodrow added to it with a terrific conversion and the break was reached with the Knights ahead 17-25. Half the half had been played a man short through indiscipline but the Knights deserved their interval lead.

The first action of the second period saw Forster gallop deep into the Greens’ 22 before releasing Carter into the left corner for his second of the day. Carter had stepped with balletic precision to beat the cover defense without putting a foot on the touchline. It was the perfect start, the bonus point secured, and a statement of intent not lost on the home crowd. Matthew Smith, on a month’s loan from Leicester, almost got a score back but was hauled down from behind 8 metres short and forced to spill the ball to the visitors’ relief; and after a series of good phases up the right the game was put to bed as early as the 54^th minute when Luke Gross drove over from a strong maul after an attacking line out. Again Woodrow couldn’t convert but the scoring, little did we know it then, was complete for the afternoon. Nottingham then tried “Sevens” catch up rugby, which the Knights responded to in turn, with end to end stuff thrilling the spectators but visibly taking its toll on players. Woodrow at one point picked up loose ball and set off up field unopposed but his legs gave out and he kicked ahead, only then to be late tackled by Joe Duffy who was at the heart of everything fiesty about Nottingham all afternoon. Until then he had evaded the attentions of referee Mark Wilson, who looked bemused at times, but this time was rightly yellow carded. The usual raft of replacements appeared and the game lost shape for 15 minutes. Van Vuuren, Carter and Davies combined up the right but were snuffed out: Van Vuuren and Davey came close on the left; and Rohan Nirmalenoran knocked on for the Greens with the line at his mercy after Nottingham had worked an overlap on their left. The game ended with Brad Hunt looking sharp as he broke into Greens’ ’22, and then Dave Scully came close; but the final whistle came with Doncaster very much on the attack and a driving maul held out with Forster just failing to get the touchdown.

It had been a lively encounter – more than that at times! – and the Knights stood up to be counted, every one of them. A potential banana skin was competently avoided, no injuries apparent, and even new man Ben Gollings blooded for an uneventful last ten minutes. The third double of the season had also been secured. Next Saturday sees the arrival of Rotherham Earth Titans at the Castle (2.00pm) and with eight wins on the trot behind them, Griffiths’ men will go into that one in great heart.

Nottingham: Nirmalendran, Thompson, Smith, Dodge, Jackson, Barlow, Springall, Hall, Duffey, Hopkins, Rouse, Morley, Hammond, Loney, Montague.

Doncaster: Carter, Davies (Hunt 77), Davey, Cannon, Van Vuuren, Woodrow (Gollings 70), Jones (Scully 77), Bunting, Boden (Phillips 51), Rawson (Tau 70), Gross, D Cook (Kenworthy 68), O Cook (Grainger 65), Forster, Earnshaw.

Referee: Mark Wilson (RFU)