Fixtures
DONCASTER KNIGHTS 27 ROTHERHAM TITANS 20
A spectacular long distance try by Knights replacement full back Steve McColl in the final play of a tense local derby against Rotherham Titans gave his side the bragging rights for the next few weeks and, more importantly, four vital points in their quest to reach the promotion play-offs of the Championship that start next month. The build up to the try lasted 90 seconds and involved a scrum, five rucks and 17 passes.
For this vital home game, Doncaster’s Director of Rugby made a number of changes from the side that had lost last time out two weeks ago against London Welsh. In the backs, Chris Briers came in on the wing in place of Will Hurrell, who was away playing for the England U20’s, Alistair Warnock was recalled at fly half in place of sickness victim James Brooks and Chris Hallam got the nod over Matthew D’Arcy at scrum half. In the pack, big Tonga prop was recalled in place of Michael Cusack, Steve Boden replaced Steve Lawrie at hooker and Adam Kettle, back from a leg injury, came in at flanker for Simon Grainger who was sidelined by a neck injury.
Before a crowd of 2174, it was the Titans who struck first with a penalty by their fly half Johnny West who kicked a penalty after 7 minutes but this was wiped out 5 minutes later by a penalty by Knights fly half Ali Warnock. With 28 minutes gone, and after a period littered with mistakes and “aerial ping pong” the Titans gained a lineout on the Knights 22 and, in a move straight off the training paddock, their scrum half Neil Chivers burst through between two pods of forwards to run virtually unopposed for the games opening tr which was converted by West. Doncaster hit back fairly quickly however and hooker Steve Boden, standing at the back, gathered a poor lineout throw by Rotherham and fed flanker Cochrane just inside his own half. He popped the ball up to prop Tom Davies on the burst before a nice soft pass to the supporting Adam Kettle gave the flanker an unopposed run to the line from 35 metres out for his side’s opening try that was converted by Warnock for the final score of the first half. Throughout the half, the Knights made things very difficult for themselves for their inability to win their own lineout ball
Turning around with the score at 10 all, it was Titans who scored first when a delicate chip kick to his right wing by West was picked by full back Brad Hunt and the ball was moved back inside to the supporting Jon Feeley who wrong footed the covering Knights defence to score near the posts and West’s simple conversion put his side back into a seven point lead. Again the Knights struck back almost immediately albeit somewhat fortuitously. Titans won a Knights lineout just inside their own half and flanker Adam Kiesberger ran across the field with the ball. As he got halfway across, the ball seemed to pop out his hands as he went to pass and it went straight to Warnock who needed no invitation to race 40 yards for a try between the posts that he converted himself to bring the scores back level. With 57 minutes gone, Howells introduced his triumvirate of Scots with Steve Lawrie at hooker, Stuart Corsar at prop and Steve McColl at fullback and they started to win their own lineout ball and began to look more dangerous with McColl injecting more pace from the back. West put his side back into the lead with a penalty after 62 minutes but this was again wiped out by a similar score by Warnock and the game went into the last 10 minutes at 20 all. With both sides desperate to win, both sets of spectators hearts were in their mouths as mistakes were made by either side in their desperation for a score. With just 5 minutes of normal time left, Rotherham’s replacement hooker Nigel Conroy was sinned binned for an alleged dangerous tackle and the pressure was now well and truly on Titans. However they battled gamely and took the game into the Knights 22. Then, in the 5th minute of injury time, came the heart breaking try. The Knights had a scrum inside their 22 towards the right hand touch; from their the ball was moved through 3 sets of hands before replacement full back Steve McColl made a half break to get towards his own half 10 metre line; from the resultant ruck two quick passes put replacement lock Bryn Griffiths on the burst and he brushed aside a couple of defenders before being hauled down just inside the Titan’s half; the ball was then moved left and then right with two successive rucks before being moved to the left and a long pass by Warnock put centre Bevon Armitage into some space close to the left hand touch line; he evaded a couple of tackles but, just as it looked as he would go into touch, he managed to slip the ball to the supporting Anthony Carter, now on the left wing; he made ground to the Titans 22 before passing the ball inside to the supporting Cochrane who, when challenged, passed the ball inside to McColl who raced over in the corner to the delight of his team mates and the Knights supporters. To rub salt into the wound, Warnock converted from close to touch with a great kick and the Knights were in the lead for the first time in the game as the final whistle went.
After the game, a relieved Lynn Howells admitted his team had played their “get out of jail card” at the end but he praised his side for their “never give up” attitude. However he admitted that there was much to still work on before the Knights rearranged Championship game away at Coventry on Wednesday evening.
Doncaster Knights: Carter, Flockhart, Armitage, Tonga’uiha. Briers (McColl 57), Warnock, Hallam, Davies (Corsar 58), Boden (57), Ta’u (HT), Kenworthy (Griffiths 70), Townson, Boyde (Bundy 67), Kettle, Cochrane Replacements not used: D’Arcy
Rotherham Titans: Hunt, Feeley, Maggs, Gidlow, Swatkins, West, Chivers, Kilbane (Voisey 67), Batty (Conroy 62), O’Donnell (Quigley 77), Challinor (Denton 57), Barnes, Swindell, Burrows, Kiesberger Replacements not used: Haytor, Allen, Henderson
Further Information on Doncaster Knights
see www.drfc.co.uk
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