A try from the kick off and an excellent second half performance gave the Knights a well deserved victory over their illustrious opponents Cardiff in their second game in the pool stages of the British and Irish Cup. What was particularly pleasing from the Knights perspective was the fact that their gained a bonus point for scoring four tries in spite of having two players sin binned in the period just before and after the break.

With 9 Championship and Cup matches to fit in in 27 days, Doncaster Knights Director of Rugby Lynn Howells made 11 changes from the side that had beaten Coventry four days earlier as he rotated his squad to try to optimise the use of his 28 fit players. Two inclusions of note were Oli Goss on the left wing having his first game since having had to have his knee reconstructed following his injury in August and young Matt Lowcock recalled from Bath University to bolster the Knights squad.

Knights scored from the outset as Cardiff failed to gather the kick off midfield, the ball came back on the Knights side and scrum half Matthew D’Arcy scampered 35 metres through a disorganised defence, evading a couple of tacklers, to score 15 metres to the right of the post for the games opening try after only 14 seconds which fly half Ali Warnock converted. Cardiff quickly fought their way back into the game and their fly half Gareth Davies kicked a penalty for his side after 4 minutes. Davies then had three further chances to kick penalties for his side as the Knights fell foul of the Scottish referee but his long range efforts all just missed. With 30 minutes gone, the referee’s patience snapped as, firstly Knights lock Bryn Griffiths was yellow card for persistent team offences and he was followed shortly afterwards by prop Ngalu Ta’u for alleged scrummaging transgressions. The Knights mean defence was now really put to the test as Cardiff hammered away at their line through scrums and lineouts but, just as it looked as if they were going to reach the sanctuary of half time without conceding a score, the visitors opted from cross field kick which, although poorly directed and appearing to be going dead, suddenly bounced sideways inches from the deadball line into the hands of chasing winger Ryan Howells for a try. Davies conversion was successful and his side when into the interval leading by 10 points to 7.

Before they were even back to a full side the Knights equalised with a penalty through Warnock and from then on they never looked back. After a spell of pressure, the Knights went into the lead after 50 minutes. After good approach work by flanker Neil Cochrane and centre Chris Briers, the Knights won a ruck 30 metres out and Warnock’s diagonal kick was inch perfect as it fell into the hands of No 8 Andy Boyde who made a few yards before passing to supporting prop Stuart Corsar who gave the scoring pass to big wing Andy Wright who crashed over in the corner. Warnock’s excellent conversion from close to the right touch put the Knights back into a 7 points lead. Now it was Cardiff’s turn to upset the referee and Warnock was given three longish chances only one of which he managed to goal. With both sides making liberal use of their replacements and the game opening up as the visitors visibly tired under the Knights onslaught, it was scrum half Nicky Griffiths, in only his second cameo game since his serious shoulder operation in October, who stole the limelight as he raced over for two tries from similar positions in the last ten minutes. The first was from 10 metres out when he received the ball from a ruck in front of the posts and burst through a tackle to score to the right of the posts. His second, deep into injury time, came from a scrum just to the right of the posts and some 8 metres out. Knights replacement tight head prop, young Lewis Theide and the rest of the pack, drove the Cardiff scrum ant-clockwise and Griffiths picked up to dart over for his second try. Warnock converted both tries to give the Knights a well deserved victory and five points from the fixture.

After the game the Knights management were delighted that they had come through without any serious injuries, that young Oli Goss had come through unscathed, by the promising performance of young Matt Lowcock, the way that the experience players like Chris Briers, Steve Boden, Glen Kenworthy, Anthony Carter and Neil Cochrane and others had stepped up to the mark when it counted and, most importantly, the apparent strength in depth of the squad as injured players returned and confidence grew. They now face three hard Championship games away against Birmingham (to be played at Moseley’s ground), Bedford and Bristol in the next 7 days starting on Wednesday.

Doncaster Knights: Carter, Wright, Armitage, Briers, Goss (McColl 60), Warnock, D’Arcy (Griffiths N 50), Ta’u (Corsar 38), Boden, Cusack (Thiede 55), Kenworthy (Townson 60), Griffiths B, Lowcock (Bundy 46), Boyde, Cochrane Replacement not used: Lawrie

Cardiff: Czekat, Howells, Chapman, Ryan, John (Norris 68), Davies (Anderson 77), Slater (Lucas 76), George, James (Leighton 79), Gay (Matthews 60), Veater (Hill 68), Sweet, Powell, Godfrey, Thomas (Hampson 68)