Doncaster Rugby Club

Saturday saw half of Phoenix travel to Sheffield Oaks and the other half travel to Norton Oakes and slip on a banana skin to a determined gritty Sheffield side eager for points to maintain Yorkshire 4 status.

The whole build up lacked previous weeks intensity resulting in the visitors losing their three point cushion to Otley and need to restore the discipline clearly lacking from this weeks efforts (or lack of!)

With ten minutes prior to kick off it looked like Phoenix were going to have to start with eleven men as the seven were the opposite side of Sheffield and turned up with nine minutes to spare.

Saying that Phoenix commenced in the ascendancy and were on the score sheet within five minutes after making territory resulting in a line out ten yards out. Having won the line out Burton and Ellis combined with a sweet miss-move that allowed Ellis to cross the line unopposed under the sticks for seven points.

Phoenix further compounded their lead with a penalty shortly afterwards from the boot of Ellis and would have increased the advantage further had Farley been six foot picking the ball close out and failing to touch down by inches.

However Oaks were committed and in the last ten and pulled back the score to 10-3 after they increased their work ethic and received a penalty in range.

On the turn round it was the home side who continued in the same vein as they finished the first half and carried the ball well and played to their superior upper body strength resulting in another penalty to reduce the arrears to four points.

Phoenix then enjoyed a period of possession and did venture into Oaks territory but the only opportunity of points was a penalty that Ellis pulled left.

The last ten minutes combined with Oliver going into the bin for persistent handling saw Oaks apply pressure in the visitors twenty two with the inevitable try in the left corner after Oaks committed Phoenix defence allowing the centre to touch down and bag the points with no time left for reply.

Phoenix seconds faired better avenging their recent defeat to Morley 3rds and taking back the initiative in the merit table.