Doncaster Rugby Club

Today saw the return fixture with Hullensians in the anticipated Yorkshire 4 fixture  and saw Phoenix claim top spot with another hard fought encounter for the third week running against Hull opposition.

The side saw the inclusion of Sanderson at prop, Elliot (Tim) reverting back to fly half, Shandy Lowcock back at centre Dave Maguire in at outside centre and Jon Ellis at full back with the I (impact) Team of Conway, Farley and Kaihau on the bench.

Phoenix started the game like a train with Skipper Longworth steaming in to steal the ball from the kick-off to set up the first attack. From this initial impetus the pack powered to the right and pressured the visitors gain line and were duly rewarded with a Jon Ellis penalty banged over from the far right.

With Phoenix maintaining the flow they again steam-rollered their opposition from a customary catch and drive from a line out and Dan Morris touched down only for the referee to be unsighted and not award the five points. However they regained the ball from the scrum for the mighty Ellis to barge over on the far right to increase the advantage by a further five points.

For the next half an hour the home side rested on their laurels and were guilty of letting the resilient visitors back into game with a lack lustre spell where they failed to take advantage of two easily kickable penalties and concede a converted Burrel try with Ritchie reducing the deficit to one point having camped in home territory.

At the turn around Phoenix were lucky to keep their slender advantage after the visitors were also guilty of missing an easily kickable penalty and could not capitalise on the late pressure they applied.

For the first ten minutes the exchanges were even which prompted coach Senior to introduce the I-team alias Conway, Farley and Kaihau and the impact was immediate with Farley receiving the ball on the right breaking blind and dummying past his opposition for a twenty yard stroll. Maintaining the territorial advantage Hull conceded two penalties in front of the posts which Coach Conway gratefully stepped up and increased the advantage by six points.

Next play in the I-team was Kaihau who received the ball in the loose twenty out and broke through Hull defence only to be hauled down a yard from the line. Phoenix kept the pressure on battered the home line with a two on three now apparent the ball popped gracefully into Coach Farley’s hand to touch down in the right hand corner.

Not satisfied with this Phoenix maintained momentum for Hull to clear their decks only for the ball to fall to Conway who showed signs of old and broke right to left and pop to Meadows who darted to the corner only for the officials to be again unsighted and fail to award the score.

With territorial domination now truly established it wasn’t a surprise for Phoenix to cap the game from pressuring the Hull line with scrum half Greenslade receiving the ball a yard out breaking right and popping an inside ball for Morris to barge over to seal the win with Conway adding the conversion.

The whistle followed soon after and Phoenix was further rewarded with the knowledge that leaders Otliensians went down at Rods and claim top spot.

The seconds were unfortunate to go down 12-10 at Halifax 3rds in the merit table but at the end of the day things bode well in the Phoenix camp.