Andy Boyde

Round 3 of Part 1 of the Championship has the Knights face Bristol at the Memorial Stadium.
Kick Off Sunday at 3.00pm, Tickets available from www.bristolrugby.co.uk

Last season Bristol came very close to promotion back to the Premiership, only to be narrowly beaten by the Exeter Chiefs to the Aviva Premiership. I think the whole of the Championship would like to congratulate the Chiefs on their win over Gloucester.

After their first couple of games Bristol have already almost matched their loss record for the 2009-10 Championship. They have already lost to Knights local rivals Rotherham Titans, 24 – 26 and then surprisingly lost 29 – 27 to Championship new-boys, Esher. Bristol only lost 3 games in the whole of Stage 1 last season, which may set fans hearts fluttering.

New signings at the Memorial ground this season are:

Sean Marsden, back row from ex-Exeter Chiefs, returning to his former club

Richard Bolt, halfback from Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs

Paul Hull’s men will still be regarded as a Premiership team that was unlucky not to do the typical yo-yo return back up after a season in the Championship. Exeter Chiefs pipping them to the post last Season was definitely not in their plans, so they’ will see it as their mission to upset any plans that Worcester chief, Cecil Duckworth, may have of Worcester rejoining England’s elite clubs.

The fans at the Memorial ground may find it hard to swallow that they, last season’s Championship runners-up, are one of only 4 teams yet to win a game after two games have been played. The Knights, Plymouth Albion and the Bees are the other 3. After today there will be by default at least 1 less.

Head Coach Paul Hull said on the Bristol official website www.bristolrugby.co.uk “"The expectation was very high last season and with a different make-up and a younger team, that expectation has to be slightly different. However, we will still put everything into every game we play and play with the famous Bristol spirit.”

The Doncaster fans will be disheartened regarding current injury news. While flying winner Matty Williams has passed a fitness test for this coming Sunday’s game the likes of Club Captain Steve Boden , Lock Matt Challinor and number 8 Latu Makaafi remain doubtful. Scrum Half Nathan Jones is potentially our for between 6-8 weeks with a knee injury.

Doncaster Knights Director of Rugby will call for the Knights to show more steel this weekend and stand firm against the Forwards of Bristol.

Bristol’s defeat by Rotherham Titans by only two points was the result of a Titan try in the 96th minute, in lapsed time. To emphasize this last minute defeat, the Titans scored whilst Bristol only had 12 men on the field following a bizarre set of circumstances. The following week Championship new-boys, Esher beat Bristol, again by only 2 points. After 2 matches Bristol have lost them both but only have a negative points difference of 4 plus gained 2 losing league bonus points.

Standings.

　

Bristol are 9th in the Championship, with the Knights 10th. Elsewhere fellow non-winners of a game; Birmingham/Solihull Bees (12th) travel to the capital to face the exiles, London Welsh (7th)

Plymouth Albion (11th) travel to Nottingham (6th) on Sunday.

8th-placed Moseley are only 3 points ahead, so within overtaking distance if the Knights and the Pirates win, they play at home to the Cornish Pirates (2nd).

Bristol struggled in a Titanic battle against Rotherham, and then they were ushered in to a narrow defeat by Esher, can the Knights put Bristol to the sword or will Bristol revert back to type and start winning again?