Doncaster Rugby Club

Doncaster Phoenix 121 Stocksbridge 0

Saturday saw a comprehensive victory over bottom placed Stocksbridge which saw the biggest win in Doncaster Phoenix history, reliably informed that the last greatest margin was 95 -0 against Barnsley by Chairman Tony Mcnally.

It raises the following two questions if anyone can answer would be greatly appreciated:

1.       Was this the biggest win in Yorkshire 3 history?

2.       Was it the biggest win at Castle Park in a competitive fixture?

With a the conditions presenting a perfect summers day with the temperature around 22 degrees the opportunity presented itself for a game of flowing rugby but no one anticipated this score, especially with Stocksbridge having beaten fourth placed Moortown in their last league encounter.

Phoenix were also in a good vein of form from their victory away to Baildon the week prior and the team saw the following changes. Oakley was injured allowing the return of Taylor into the back row with Elliot and Greenslade having other commitments saw Lowcock into centre, Ryan Roodt and Charles Foster to wing and Brookfield to the bench.

The game started off with Phoenix playing up the pseudo-slope (for Mr Burton!) and into the sun and all seemed the norm for the first ten minutes with the only score coming from the boot of full back Jazanowski with a penalty kick in front of the sticks.

Then on ten the workman like Taylor went over from close range after supporting his pack to be on hand to score with Jazz adding the conversion.

A further ten minutes passed before Phoenix breached the line with Lowcock on fire this afternoon where he received the ball centrally to break the Bridge defence and scamper to the posts with Jazz adding the points.

It wasn’t until the last 14 minutes of the half that the flood gates seemed to open. The next try - possibly the try of the game - with Elliot breaking the Bridge defence on the Phoenix 22, he popped the ball to the supporting Taylor who charged 60 yards to score under the posts with Jazz adding the kick.

Foster was then next to open his account again receiving the ball after the first line defence was broken to run thirty to touchdown with Jazz adding another conversion.

Watts then scored the easiest try of the day with his pack having done the work to camp on the Bridge scoreline the ball become exposed from the ruck and all he had to do was pick the ball up and touch it down in one movement to add another again Jazz kicking the points.

Ryan Roodt was next to score this time on the right wing he received the ball after the pack had tied the defence in, he was left with a couple of defenders to evade and touch down in the right hand corner with trusty Jazz slotting the ball over.

Tim Elliot scored the last try of the half again always sniping around the breakdown, he broke free of the defence and scampered twenty to go under the posts with Jazz completing making the half time score 50-0.

Phoenix continued the second half in the way they finished and were relentless in their pursuit of points, it seemed that if Phoenix evaded the first line defence then the camels back was well and truly broke which saw the try fest continue.

Thus, Elliot, Foster and Ryan Roodt all completed hat tricks, Danny Brookfield scored a brace (his first coming from his first touch of the ball), Jazz, Kaihau and the ‘Bessacarr Express’ Burton all got their name on the score sheet with Jazz’s conversion tally being 13 out of 18 on the day.

I would also like to commend and take hats off to the Stocksbridge lads whilst suffering a heavy defeat they did play on admirably and would like to apologise for our fly-halves seeming lack of respect when he took the ball from under the posts to the corner, this gesture was not aimed at Stocksbridge but was done in jest to make the kick harder for the consistent Jazzanowski who was hitting a rich vein of form.

Moving on it was also hearting to know that despite travelling with 12 men the second XV also scored a creditable draw 22-22 at Stocksbridge and proved to add a satisfactory end to the league program.