Chris Walker

Doncaster Knights travel to Cross Green to take on North Yorkshire side Otley this Saturday with a squad showing unbridled enthusiasm for the pre season competition. The game will kick off at 3pm and is planned to consist of three 30 minute thirds to give both squads much needed contact game time.

Finishing 13th in the 16 team National League One last season Otley may have seemingly underperformed , but this pre season they have already defeated Bradford and Bingley 45 points to 19 and look an invigorated squad with a positive season of Rugby in front of them.

For one Knight it will be fond return to Cross Green as England U18 captain Chris Walker will be returning to the club he spent last season on loan at. Walker , who has now joined up with his new loan club for pre season, will be one of up to 13 new faces that could wear the jersey for the first time this weekend.

Doncaster Knights Director of Rugby sent this message to the fans “ Let us all enjoy the day at a great club with a proud history. We have three weeks to the start of the season and the long road to match sharpness starts here. Obviously it is a game and therefore I want it won, but the important thing is to get game time and enjoy the opportunity to welcome back Rugby”.

Howells has almost a new back division to choose from, with the only notable absentee being Christian Lewis Pratt who is still on duty with his club Leeds. News from the training camp this week hinted at a return to action of Ponytpridd legend Brett Davey backing up Tristran Roberts at Fly Half.

Davey told us “In the pre season games we all need to support the younger players in the squad, and if that means a few older heads pulling on a jersey to take off the pressure then so be it”. Davey’s last and only appearance coincided with Doncaster’s first win of the 2009/10 RFU Championship season, credit for which Davey gave firmly to the other players. “ It was good to be able to have a hands on presence to further explain the coaching methods, but the squad did the job and I was just a part of that”.

Preceding the game on the Friday evening the squad will run through a full training session on the first team pitch at the free entry “ meet the players” event. Fans are invited along for a 7pm start on Friday 13th August to watch the training session and join in the Question and answer session afterwards in the clubhouse suite of the De Mulder Lloyd stand.