Doncaster Knights 16 Leeds Tykes 30
This result effectively ended any outside hopes the Knights had of Premiership rugby next season but did serve to remind anyone just how far this team has come in 12 months. A year ago they were fighting to avoid the relegation zone in their first season at this level. Now they are a whisker off being the best. A top four finish will exceed their own target for the season and already the eyes are on strengthening for an even more serious tilt at the title next time.
With seven league games remaining and all pressure off, Clive Griffiths can be expected to experiment somewhat with the future in mind. He will also give full attention to the National and Yorkshire Cup campaigns, looking to win both trophies.
A crowd of 3000 showed up at Castle Park on an ideal day for rugby and both teams were pretty much at full strength. The Knights started well and dominated the opening 10 minutes. They scorned an early 3 points by running an advantage play when dotting the ball would have given a simple kick; and when they did get a second change Ben Gollings scuffed the penalty attempt horribly to drag the ball wide. The value of points was almost immediately demonstrated when, in Leeds first attack the home backs were offside, Leigh Hinton slotted his kick and the Tykes spirits were visibly lifted. Back at the other end, though, more pressure on the visitors saw Simon Grainger charge down a kick but Leeds were quickly to the ball in goal to clear before any Knight could take advantage. The Knights’ pressure at this point was continuous: another penalty this time kicked to the left corner set up a series of drives at the Tykes’ line, and as advantage was played a lovely backs move saw a try on the cards but a Leeds hand knocked on in desperation and rather than consider the penalty try, referee Ashley Rowden came back to the original advantage and Gollings this time took the three point s to level the scores. Hinton put the Tykes ahead on 24 minutes for a tackle offence penalty near half way, but the crowd were incensed when he “stole” a couple of yards behind the Ref’s back and his kick just crept over the bar. Two minutes later he had another chance at long range when Ngalu Tau strayed offside and again showed the value of a top kicker by extending the Tykes lead to six points when they had hardly been in the game to this point. A great tackle and jackle by Jason Forster won a penalty which Gollings did convert to reduce the gap on the half hour, and for the last ten minutes of a high intensity half, Leeds managed to force their way back into this game and twice came close to an opening try but great Knights’ defence held firm.
The stadium erupted two minutes into the second half when Russell Earnshaw gathered a Darren Edwards box kick and flipped the ball to Donovan Van Vuuren who came in off his wing on an angled run at great pace to carve his way through desperate defence to dive over for a great individual try at the posts. Gollings conversion put the home side ahead for the first time. The lead should have been extended a minute later as Gollings’ tackle forced a holding on penalty but he himself then missed the 38 metre kick. The Tykes riposte was swift, though, as a rapid backs move saw Jonny Hepworth straighten the line to make room for a scoring pass to Richard Welding on his outside. Hinton converted the wide kick and the Knights’ lead had lasted just five minutes. It was pulsating stuff with both sides testing the other, and a mighty front row battle testing the referee. The crowd was loving every minute of it and there was a terrific atmosphere around the ground. It was compelling viewing. National One rugby at its very best. The Knights were penalized off a midfield line out when Simon Bunting was spotted tripping an opponent and Hinton drove a long kick deep into the home ’22. Leeds tried to force a massive maul over the line but were held out, forcing the ball out to the backs where Hepworth was somehow allowed to skip through a weak tackle and sprint to the posts to make Hinton’s conversion a formality. But the Knights hit back immediately and forced a penalty at a ruck inside the Tykes half and Gollings this time hit the kick well for three points and the gap was now just seven. However, with replacements arriving thick and fast it quickly became clear that the Tykes’ reserve strength was adding to their cause whereas the home scrum in particular was weakened. Tykes stepped their effort up a gear and showed more guile, more explosive power in the later stages of the game; and it was no great surprise when a third try came. The Knights will be disappointed at its manner, though. Hinton on the left spotted a wide open space on the right and cross kicked for the advancing John Holtby. Van Vuuren did cover and chose to allow Holtby to collect the kick before tackling him. Unfortunately he did not hold him on the ground and Holtby was able to regain his feet and scamper over the line for a rather soft, if well constructed, try. Hinton added insult to injury with a touchline conversion that went over off the past and the bar with 15 minutes to play. The game was then about two things that continued the interest to the end. Tykes desperately sought the fourth try bonus point: Knights a try that would at least bring a losing bonus point. Neither in the end succeeded, although both came close and with the final attack of the game Van Vuuren did squeeze into the left corner with defenders in close enough attendance to force him to spill the ball over the line.
It had been a monumental match, which the league leaders – who had that little bit extra when it mattered -just deserved to win but as Clive Griffiths said afterwards, “there is no humility in this defeat against the side who will surely be in the Premiership next season. I am really proud of my players and, again, if we had taken our chances we could have won this one.”
The Knights have a Yorkshire Cup game at Cleckheaton on Tuesday evening (7.30pm) where a strong squad XV will do duty, before the full Knights side travel to Otley next Saturday for yet another Yorkshire derby.
Knights: Carter, Davies W, Cannon, Davey (Woodrow 60), Van Vuuren, Gollings, Jones, Bunting, Boden, Tau (Davies T 56), Kenworthy (Cook O 40), Gross, Grainger (Talei 53), Forster, Earnshaw (Cook O 66).
Tykes: Welding, Holtby (Rock 67), Snyman, Tuilagi (Hopkinson 44), Biggs, Hinton, Edwards, McDonald, Rawlinson (Parker 68), Noon, Hooper, Myall (Taele 65), Dunbar (Isaacson 65), Schusterman (Lock 64), Oakley.
Referee: Ashley Rowden (RFU) |
