LONDON WELSH 8 DONCASTER KNIGHTS 29
For the match in London against London Welsh, Knights centre Spencer Davey passed a late fitness test on his injured thigh so the only change from the team that beat Nottingham was at flanker where Russell Earnshaw replaced the hamstrung Simon Grainger. The match was a nostalgic home coming for Doncaster’s Director of Rugby Clive Griffiths who previously had spend three enjoyable and successful years as coach to the Exiles.
Doncaster started nervously and it was London Welsh who made most of the early running. However they suffered a blow after 6 minutes when their centre Rob Jewell injured his leg and had to be replaced by Duncan Hayward. The Exiles threatened after 17 minutes when they made a concerted attack down the Knights’ left flank but the visitors’ cover was more than up to the task. Doncaster eventually went ahead with a well worked move down the blindside of a scrum near the right touchline just inside their half when, after the ensuing ruck, the ball was moved swiftly to the left where Knights’ centre Paul Bailey made a good break before giving the scoring pass to wing Wes Devies who burst through a covering tackle to score in the corner. The Exiles came back immediately and, after the Knights were penalised for what the referee adjudged to be a professional foul, their full back Sam Ulph kicked a goal from 40 metres out. From the kick-off Doncaster lock Glen Kenworthy was yellow carded for jumping into their receiver whilst they were both in the air trying to claim the ball. Although a man short, the Knights took the game to London Welsh and appeared to have overcome their numeric deficiency as the game went deep into injury time. However, with the last play of the half, Doncaster lost possession just on halfway and quick passing to the right saw Exiles’ centre Duncan Hayward scoring halfway out to give his side a half-time lead of 8 points to 5.
Whatever Clive Griffiths said during the interval certainly worked and Doncaster started the second half on fire. After 3 minutes the Knights’ pack destroyed their opposite numbers at a scrum and from the penalty that followed Woodrow kicked the goal to make the scores even. From the kick off Exiles’ lock Phil Clarke was yellow carded for a similar offence to Kenworthy earlier and the Knights proceeded to lay siege to the home side’s try line. Although they could not quite manage to score during Clarke’s absence they did so immediately after his return. Having just annihilated the Exiles’ pack at a five metre scrum, they were in the process of doing the same as they went for a pushover try but Welsh were adjudged to have deliberately collapsed the scrum and referee Ashley Rowden had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try. Woodrow’s simple conversion took the Knights into a 7point lead and they proceeded to pummel the home pack. For 10 minutes courageous and sometimes desperate defence by London Welsh kept Doncaster at bay during which time the Knights went over the Exiles line three times but on each occasion the referee was unable to see whether the ball had been correctly grounded. However the Knights were not to be denied and, from their usual effective lineout drive, this time from 7 metres out, skipper Forster crashed over for his eighth try in five league matches and Woodrow’s conversion from halfway out extended the Knight’s lead to 14 points. At this point play was held up for over 10 minutes as London Welsh lock Howard Quigley was stretchered off with a neck injury which mercifully was not as serious as it first appeared. As both sides made liberal use of their replacements and the match went into extended injury time, London Welsh made frantic efforts to gain a bonus point and they gained a lineout close to the Knights’ try line. From the Welsh throw, Doncaster’s replacement lock Dan Cook broke away and made 40 metres before inter-passing and offloading by backs and forwards alike ended with Knights’ No 8 Glen Wilson breaking through a tackle on the Exiles 22 before running over between the posts to give Woodrow a simple conversion and Doncaster their fifth bonus point of the season. In all, the second half lasted 54 minutes.
The Knights win confirmed their position in second place and they managed to close the gap on leaders Plymouth Albion who won at home to Coventry but without gaining a bonus point. After the game, Clive Griffiths said we were absolutely dreadful in the first half but regrouped at half-time, got back to basics and squeezed the life out of them via some powerful forward play and positional kicking. The bonus point was indeed a bonus.
London Welsh
Sam Ulph: James Strong: Alex Cadwallader (Mark Meenan 76mins): Rob Jewell (Duncan Hayward 6 mins): Gerald Arasa: Tom Marks (Robert Shaw 81 mins): Robert Shaw (Julian Bishop 78 mins): Steven Millard (Dorian Williams 51 mins): Amo Tauialo (Johnny Masters): Pierre Durant: Howard Quigley (Andrew Daish): Phil Clarke: Brett MacNamee (Richard Griffiths 76 mins): Martin Anaya: Jim Brownrigg
Doncaster
Jon Boden (Donavan Van Vuuren 74 mins): Brad Hunt: Paul Bailey: Spencer Davey: Wes Davies: Mark Woodrow: Ben Jones (Dave Scully 62 mins): Simon Bunting (Richard List 79 mins): Steve Boden (Ben Phillips 46 mins: Ngalu Tau (Tom Davies 74 mins): Glen Kenworthy: Luke Gross (Dan Cook 83 mins): Russell Earnshaw (Ollie Cook 83 mins): Jason Forster: Glen Wilson
Referee: Ashley Rowden (RFU)
author: J Lowe |
