Doncaster Rugby Club

Barnsley 1^st XV 51 Doncaster Phoenix 1st 17

Doncaster Phoenix 2^nd XV 5 Barnsley 2^nd XV 27

This was the proper pasting the score line suggests but Phoenix actually only got battered for 25 minutes of this encounter, the first 15 and the last 10!

The team looked very pensive in the warm up and took that fear factor onto the pitch.  The Barnsley marauders could sniff the fear and were soon tearing into the phoenix defence.  From the loose lineout on the 5 metre line the Barnsley backs kicked into life and opened the scoring with the first of many tries under the post.

At 19 nil down the Phoenix boys were clearly still on the bus (or in their cars!) With the match barley 20 minutes old.  The last straw came when our 20 stone Tongan international was lifted off the ground by the fat boy from the chip Shop.

Gradually the Phoenix boys started to gain some confidence and realise this was not the all blacks but was indeed Barnsley in Yorkshire 3!

Ed Crowe, starting his first game for the 1s this season brought some respectability to the score line just before half time with Tim Elliott putting him in for great score under the sticks.

The half time air was sweet perfume, the players tried the marching tune but coach Senior was not impressed.  'Get out there and sort yourselves out' was the war cry.  The Phoenix boys did start to play well just after half time with some driving runs from forwards and backs.  Atkinson made great break down the touchline cheered on by his Mum and whipped by his Dad. 

Eventually the pressure told and rejuvenated arm wrestling king Al Kaihau dived over from 5 yards converted by Stewart.   Another penalty five minutes later and Phoenix were starting to crawl back in 29-17-game on!

At this point the ferry master started to blow his horn and Tim had to depart lest he missed his trip to the land of garlic, onions and fizzy beer (that’s France Al).  As Tim departed the Phoenix lost shape and Barnsley kicked up 15 gears.  Three tries in about 3 minutes followed in any embarrassing passage of play.  It felt like unopposed tag rugby with tackling that the. Under 8's would have been proud of.

The final whistle could not come soon enough (literally 10 seconds earlier would have better for Nick Germaine who was injured in the last action of the game).  The he had to watch Wales lose!

Phoenix 2nds fared a bit better than the 1^st XV colleagues but the result was still in favour the South Yorkshire neighbours. On the day the 2’s suffered from late cry off’s and coming against a bigger, better drilled side that meant the Barnsley double was complete.

Positive points were that despite the size advantage the 2’s battled all day and the structure still maintained that an entertaining game of rugby was there for the spectators. Good performances from Wood, Sheehan (try scorer) and Veal combined a team ethos saw that the 2’s certainly didn’t disgrace themselves.

Luckily for Phoenix the evening’s entertainment was much better with the traditional black tie scum tour.  Paddy was the revelation with blue moon in Masons, disco diva in the underground and then home to rustle the lads up some sweet and sour.  Miller also impressed with the sweet sound of American pie.

Let’s hope the performance off the pitch starts to get reflected for 80 minutes on it!