Coventry 16 Doncaster Knights 24
Van Vuuren hat trick produces bonus point win
For the second week running, the Knights had to come from well behind but this time scored 19 unanswered points in a commanding second half performance to claim the bonus point win. Clive Griffiths made two changes, moving Ben Gollings to outside centre as part of the process of discovering his most potent position, and bringing Steve Barretto in at prop to rest John Rawson. The day at the Butts Arena was perfect for rugby, just the low bright sun likely to cause any problems.
The Knights started purposefully and with just 50 seconds on the clock won a penalty for a collapsed maul; but although Ben Gollings missed the chance with a scuffed kick, the Knights weren’t long in scoring. Turnover ball saw Ben Jones dart up the right to set up the position from which fine handling saw winger Donovan Van Vuuren score in the left corner. That promising start, though, was spoilt by some poor passing (four forward passes included!) and inaccurate line kicking that let Coventry into the game. They almost scored on their right, only Russell Earnshaw’s tackle forcing them into touch five metres short, before a combination of errors did cost a try. Another Coventry attack saw a forced knock on and advantage to the Knights on their own ’22. Instead of securing the possession, Steve Boden hacked upfield, advantage was called over, and Coventry returned the ball with a high up and under which full back Anthony Carter made a horrible mess of against the low sun to present Miles Dorrian with the simple task of picking it up and strolling under the posts to make Ben Russell’s conversion a formality. For the rest of the half the hosts enjoyed most possession and territory but couldn’t break a determined defence typified by an amazing cover tackle by Jason Forster on winger George Dixon who had looked sure to score. From all their pressure, Russell had three penalty attempts in the ten minutes before half time, and succeeded with all, to send Coventry in 16-5 deservedly ahead at the break. The Knights had been below par but it was evident also why Coventry so rarely get beaten on home soil.
Whatever was said in the interval it was a very different Knights that emerged to control almost the whole of the second half. The pressure was telling as Gollings declined easy shots at goal and when Coventry prop Niall Treston stopped a second successive red zone maul illegally he was rightly shown yellow, and while he sat out his ten minutes the Knights took full advantage to score twice. First Forster scored his 21st of the campaign off a driven maul; and then after Carter had come close off a good backs’ handling movement, the alert Van Vuuren spotted his chance to nip in for his second try. Gollings converted both and with the last quarter remaining, the Knights had the lead. Last week at Pirates they failed to close the game out but it was a very different situation now. Coventry were increasingly forced to play catch up rugby, with Kurt Johnson threatening every time he got ball in space, but the Knights defence was superb, typified by one spectacular tackle by Simon Grainger on the flying Johnson that brought gasps around the stadium. Van Vuuren nearly scored again as he chased his own delicate chip and although the pressure on Coventry was intense, it was beginning to look as though the bonus point try would not come after all. But we know this Knights team never gives up! Under intense Knights pressure, replacement lock Ian Nimmo was sin binned five minutes into added time to give the Knights one last advantage; and as Coventry tried to run a ball out of defence, Dorrian chipped over the attacking Knights line only to find the anticipating Forster dropping back to gather the ball, offload to Gollings who in one movement spin a pass to Mark Woodrow who drew the defender and sent Van Vuuren in for his hat trick in the ninth minute of added time. Gollings couldn’t convert but the Knights ended Coventry’s eight match winning run at the Butts Arena in emphatic style.
Clive Griffiths was thoroughly delighted with the team’s second half performance. “We controlled the game in every phase and deserved what we got out of it, but we will need to review why we made so many errors in the first half. All their points came from our mistakes. We must cut them out.” Next week it’s back to the EDF Energy National Trophy as the Knights host London Welsh looking for a place in the quarter finals and an eventual trip to Twickenham. Kick off at Castle Park will be at 2.30pm.
Coventry: Russell, Dixon (Montague 79), Gerahty, Sanders, Johnson K, Dorrian, Walls (James 69), Treston (Davis 78), Friswell (Protherough 79), Brits, Campton, Tonkin (Nimmo 61), Venter, O’Connor, Johnson T.
Doncaster: Carter, Davies, Gollings, Cannon, Van Vuuren, Woodrow, Jones (Scully 28), Tau (Davies 53), Boden (Phillips 68), Barretto, Kenworthy, Gross (Dook D 61), Cook O (Grainger 61), Forster, Earnshaw.
Referee: L ApGeraint-Roberts (RFU)
picture courtesy of Graham Beardsley |
