Doncaster 19 Plymouth 13
Knights keep home record intact
With an hour gone and three tries to the good the Knights were always in with a chance of a bonus point win but a dogged Albion were resilient, fought back to gain a losing bonus point themselves; and in a tense last five minutes the result could have gone either way. It was compelling stuff and a good advert for the intensity of rugby at this level in front of a 2400 crowd and a national audience live on Sky.
The Knights made an impressive start, assaulting the Albion line in the opening minutes but were held out. That set up a 20 minute spell during which midfield parity produced a close quartered affair that increasingly the Knights got the better of; and either side of the half hour mark they scored two tries. First, a series of cohesive phases up the middle set up the position from which Mark Woodrow drifted left to find Brad Hunt and the centre's fine pass sent winger Wes Davies clear to touch down wide out. Mark Woodrow goaled from the touchline. The second came in rather bizarre circumstances: the Knights lost one of their scrums just inside the Albion half but Emyr Lewis took too long to clear and the alert Scot Gray was on him to charge down the kick, collect it on the run and make the line wide right. This time Woodrow couldn’t add the extras, and when Ross Laidlaw’s attempted drop goal drifted wide, the Knights had a satisfying 12-3 lead to contemplate at the break.
Plymouth came out on fire for the restart and their big pack put the Knights under severe pressure. The defences held and soon at the other end Woodrow’s clever cross kick was just to strong for Davies to gather; and the fly half then missed a shot at goal when Albion were caught offside. Woodrow then put a penalty from half way into touch right by the corner flag to set up a rousing series of thrusts at the line, and Albion penalties conceded with no yellow card in sight! Eventually a powerful maul did succeed and the Television match official was needed to confirm that Simon Grainger had scored. Woodrow’s extras extended the lead; but if there was any home expectation of Albion rolling over, it was quickly snuffed out as the visitors camped in the home half and pressed to get back in the game. They got due reward when a series of mauls created the chance to go wide and Liam Gibson drove into the corner. Again, the TVMO was needed to confirm the try after a long delay, and Laidlaw just converted from touch, in off the crossbar. The Knights could – should- have scored after they regained the kick off but were too frenetic in their handling and the chance was gone. Woodrow then weaved through the Albion defence to give Gray a chance of a try but he was hauled down short and turnover ball saw Albion quickly at the other end, winning a penalty, and Laidlaw taking three points for a losing bonus. It didn’t stop there, though. There were tense moments at both ends as Doncaster went for the fourth try, and Albion for the winner; but defences held firm.
Podcasts of the views of Lynn Howells, Ben Jones and Glen Wilson are available through the front page of this website.
Doncaster: Carter, Bishop, Hunt, Davey, Davies, Woodrow, Jones (Nicoud 76), Bunting (List 57), Boden, Tau (Rawson 45), Griffiths, Kenworthy, Gray, Grainger, Wilson.
Plymouth: Lewis (Neething 66), Gibson, Cruickshanks, Davis, Sestaret, Laidlaw, Lewsey, Rice (Matthias 18), Owen (Oxley 59), Barretto, Hayes, Gulliver, Stroud, Bornman (Lowrie 40), Kettle.
Referee: D Newitt (RFU)
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