Doncaster Knights 33 Halifax 3
With a dozen players not being selected for either this or the “A” team fixture because of injuries of varying seriousness, there wasn’t a lot to be gleaned by the visiting spies from Newbury about the starting line up in a week’s time, but they would have enjoyed a match that saw the Knights in full flow at times and already exhibiting a passionate defence that will not easily concede tries like last season. After the match, Clive Griffiths was pleased with the defensive performance particularly but was also happy with the manner in which al five tries were taken.
Halifax, from one division lower, had a pack that competed well throughout and indeed enjoyed a spell of second half pressure that they rightly felt deserved some reward. That spell gave the Knights defence a serious work out that they enjoyed – a series of close in attacks were repelled without any real alarm, and when the Knights turned the ball over as they did on several occasions with ferocious tackling and some of the dark arts of the breakdown area, they looked sharp and incisive in the backs.
It took 11 minutes for the opening try to come. Fast ball left off a ruck saw the ball pass quickly between Ben Jones, Mark Woodrow and Jason Forster to given Steve Boden the space to get into the left corner. Woodrow’s conversion attempt just went wide. Ten minutes later and the Castle Park crowd were treated to a beauty – Tom Davies put in a huge tackle in midfield that created turnover ball that was moved rapidly wide where Wes Davies and Anthony Carter were two on one, and as Carter drew his defender wider, Davies showed the ball before accelerating through the gap for a fine try. Woodrow added the extras with ease. Halifax then got their only points of the afternoon off a penalty when Forster was caught offside at a ruck and it signalled the start of a feisty period up to half time in which one try resulted from foul play and another was denied because of it! First a Halifax punch brought a Knights’ penalty that was kicked to the right corner. The line out catch and drive was exemplary and Forster was credited with the touch down. Woodrow was again on the mark with the conversion. Then, a wonderful “try” was disallowed on a Touch Judge intervention – Ryan Peacey, Ben Jones and Wes Davies worked the narrow side and a clever inside ball sent Brad Hunt to the line like a diving rocket, but after the scoring pass was delivered, a Halifax defender was taken out unnecessarily and the try denied. Another try was denied by a fantastic saving tackle on John Boden after Hunt’s break had released him and the half time score at 19-3 could have been bigger.
Just after the break the good sized crowd were treated to another sight of Wes Davies at pace as his dummy allowed him to ghost through a bemused defence for a delightful score, after Jones, Woodrow and Spencer Davey had created the opportunity so sharply finished off. Woodrow was again on the mark with his kick to stretch the score to 26-3 and a heavy Halifax defeat looked on the cards. It was not, however, to be. Eight replacements in the home side, including the home debut of Dave Scully, saw the impetus lost and the visitors took the opportunity to build pressure and enjoy several good spells in Knights’ territory. It was a useful defensive workout and the treatment room post match had several players seeking relief from battle wounds as a result of the commitment shown. The crowd were treated to one final gem of action at the other end when in the dying minutes, the Knights lifted the siege on their own line with another turnover, and a strong burst up the right saw Forster, Hunt and Scully interpass before Spencer Davey finished off the move by breaking the last line of frantic defence. Jon Benson, on as replacement fly half, added two points to finish off a very useful afternoon’s work for a Knights’ team lacking several first choice players but starting to find the cohesion that will be needed as the season develops.
In the “A” team fixture that preceded the main event, Doncaster had a hard fought narrow 12-7 win courtesy of tries by Andy Ellis and Keil Billam.
The league season proper starts next Saturday with the visit of the Newbury Blues to Castle Park (2.30pm).
Knights: J Boden, B Hunt, W Davies, S Davey, A Carter, M Woodrow, B Jones, S Bunting, S Boden, J Rawson, G Kenworthy, D Cook, S Grainger, J Forster, R Peacey.
Replacements: D Scully (57), S Plevey (59), J Benson (59), L Gross (62), R List (64), D Storey (79), C Cusack (79), C Deakin (79)
