Doncaster Rugby Club

Sedgley Park 17 Doncaster Knights 47

The Knights leapfrogged Exeter into second place with this seven try outing in the Manchester sun. There was no lack of cohesion in a much changed side from the previous week as the Knights swept into a 33 point lead in as many minutes, the bonus point in the bag as early as the 27^th. Key players rested included Justin Bishop and Glen Wilson as Lynn Howells took a look at players who had impressed in training and in “A” games. In all there were eight changes to the line up that took the field at Northampton.

Amidst some stunning first half back play was a Wes Davies hat trick, the winger appearing all over the place for his tries. It started with a cleverly taken interception and a 60 metre sprint: then an angled supporting run inside Donavan Van Vuuren who could have made the corner but instead put Davies in under the posts; and finally the beneficiary of an overlap after debutant Chris Planchant had burst upfield with a storming run and fast recycled ball created the space for the Davies’ hat trick. Leading the side for the first time in Wilson’s absence, hooker Steve Boden had marked his honour with the opening try as the pack set up a powerful early maul from a line out to drive him over. Davies’ third try was mirrored by one from Van Vuuren in the midst of all this thrilling stuff – again Planchant, a summer recruit from Waterloo who really caught the eye, charged upfield: when he was finally felled his offload saw Simon Grainger progress deep into home territory and fast hands put the winger into the left corner. Mark Woodrow had goaled four of the five tries and a rout appeared on the cards.

Just before the break, though, the home side did score as winger Freeman Payne made it to the corner after holes had been punched through the centres. It had been the first time Sedgley Park had threatened. The difference in class between the two sides had been all too evident in pace, power and speed of thought.

Whatever was said on both sides at the interval it was a different game after the break. As they have done previously (notably at Coventry), the Knights looked to take their feet off the gas and a big home revival found penalties being conceded, and Glen Kenworthy in the sin bin for repeated team offences. The home scrum became dominant. Tackles were being missed. Chances came along frequently for the home side who had renewed belief they might get something from the game. Only a fabulous tackle by Spencer Davey prevented one try: Ollie Cook produced another try saver: and to nobody’s surprise a home score did come, when no less than a five man overlap was created on the left and Jan Van Deventer scored with embarrassing ease with the Knights still the man short. Ben Jones and Anthony Carter were next called to pull off spectacular try saving tackles. It was one way traffic. When Carter did reverse the flow with a terrific attack into the home ’22, turnover ball was kicked downfield, a horrific bounce beat the covering Cook and Van Deventer was allowed an easy stroll for yet another score, which Phil Jones converted. Now 17-33 and the sniff of at least a bonus point, the home cause was further helped when Cook was sin binned for a careless high tackle after Nicoud had wasted a searing break with a throw away pass to set up a surprise home counter attack. But at this point the Knights seemed to decide enough was enough and reasserted themselves in the last 10 minutes. Back we went to the structured play combining forwards and backs in a dominant finish that saw two deserved scores. First Grainger was on the end of a driven maul before a classic training ground move involving replacements, scrum half Antoine Nicoud and winger Paul Bailey, saw the latter nip behind a bemused home defence for a try at the posts which Tom Luke converted to give the score line a more realistic feel.  The score line reported on TV and in the Press of 17-38 was the result of a highly flustered home fourth official having far too much to do as the late crop of replacements flooded the pitch and he took his eye off the action!

Next Friday night the Knights play Plymouth at Castle Park, live on Sky Sports at 7.45pm recognising their growing status in the Game. It will test them much more than Sedgley grit did.

View podcasts by Justin Bishop, Steve Boden and Wes davies on the link from the front page.

On Monday night the Knights "A" team take on Leeds at Castle Park, 7.45pm

Sedgley Park: Nutt, Payne, Craig (O’Hare 77), Briers, Van Deventer, Jones, Albinson (Leck 69), Gazzola (Du Plessis 45), Roddam (Roberts 74), Halsall, Fourie (Townson 45), Norris, Crous (Livesey 74), Newton, Skurr.

Doncaster: Carter, W Davies, Davey, Luke, Van Vuuren (Bailey 55), Woodrow (Hunt 75), Jones (Nicoud 62), T Davies (List 50), Boden, Rawson (Tau 50), Griffiths, Kenworthy, Gray (Cook 46), Grainger, Planchant.

Referee: T Wigglesworth (RFU)