Doncaster Rugby Club

Saturday saw Phoenix secure second place in Yorkshire 4 against third place Otley with the most emphatic performance of the season.

The side remained the same that beat Rodillians with the exception of Oliver returning to the side after a skiing holiday with Taylor occupying the bench.

The day’s conditions were such that Phoenix won the toss and opted to play into a strong wind and into the sun. However this wasn’t to prove a disadvantage and right from the off the home side took the game to Otley with strong forward drives combined with backs who when they found the gap made yards.

It was fly half Tim Elliot who showed the signs to come dummying the scissors and dancing through the gap to sprint thirty yards only to be hauled down short of the line.

It was Elliot who opened the day’s account when pressure from winger Greenslade saw him charge down the ball in the Otley goal line with Elliot pouncing on the vacant ball.

The next try came courtesy of the visitors dropping the pass in the back line twenty out with Burton picking up the spill and charging under the posts, The wind was that strong that the wind blew Ellis’s spot kick back from the sticks.

Otley could only respond with a forty-yard penalty that was to prove their only score of the day and the score-line 10-3 on the break.

The second half was to be a lesson in fluent open rugby which the visitors had no answer and when they did gain position they opted to maul and were one dimensional in their approach.

Ellis added three points from forty yards before the five-try haul commenced courtesy of the Phoenix backs. Burton added two to complete his hat trick along with Elliot adding another and ably assist by a try a piece from Conway and Jazanowski with some sublime back play combined with a rampant pack who overcame their larger counterparts. Ellis increased the margin with the wind his favour with five conversions.

With Phoenix seconds completing the double with a 39-8 victory this was a glorious day for Phoenix with Yorkshire three rugby waiting next season.