A combination of injuries and unavailability of the Colts saw Doncaster travel to Halifax for their latest NC2 league match with a depleted squad. We started the game with a bare 15 players, with another player travelling to arrive late. However it was a strong and buoyant team, inspired by the return of Jimmy Rule from injury, Ben Millar back at Fly Half after going awol for 4 months in Spain and Andy Ellis making his first start in 2 years following a knee operation. All were to have a significant impact on the game.
The game started badly for Doncaster when in the first two minutes a clearance kick was charged down on their own 22 and the Halifax centre scooped the ball to go through unopposed scoring under the posts, the conversion left Doncaster 7 points down with only minutes on the clock. Doncaster responded positively and a combination of solid forward play and powerful running by Andy Ellis in the centres, saw Halifax conceding a number of penalties in their own half. It took some resolute defending to keep the Doncaster pack out. With Jimmy rule dominating the line out, the pack continued with the catch and drive and from a maul two meters from the Halifax line Ashley Stirland broke to score in the corner. A brilliant kick from Ben Millar added the extra two points.
The restart saw Doncaster present the ball to Halifax and following a few minutes of scrappy play the Doncaster pack were penalised for going off their feet at a ruck on the 22 metre line in front of the posts, Halifax took the opportunity to go back in to the lead with the three points from the penalty.
Again Doncaster responded positively and spent the next ten minutes in the Halifax 22, the forwards dominating and it was only Doncaster’s errors that prevented them from scoring further tries. Eventually from another maul starting 10 meters from the Halifax line, Tom Davies broke and charged over to score, surprisingly Ben Millar missed the conversion. From the restart Doncaster again moved in to Halifax territory and seemed to take control of the game, Halifax only able to clear their line with some hopeful kicking. However it was from one such clearance that Doncaster mounted a counter attack, but when the attack broke down on the half way line, Halifax pinched the ball and two brilliant passes out to the electric winger saw him strip the Doncaster defence to score in the corner, to make the score 15 - 12 to Halifax. Doncaster were stunned by the score but were soon back in the Halifax 22 and from another driving maul Mike Martin broke to drive over in the corner on the stroke of half time. Once again Ben Millar added the extra 2 points with a brilliant conversion from the touch line. Doncaster going in at half time leading 19 - 15.
If Doncaster thought Halifax were going to fade in the second half they were wrong, despite some dominating play from the Doncaster pack, the Halifax defence held firm. Ten Minutes into the second half from a Halifax scrum on their own 22, Simon Greenslade forced an error from the scrum half, Andrew Poskitt scooped the ball and shot toward the Halifax line only to be felled a metre short, but from the ensuing ruck, Austin Hayes picked and drove over next to the posts, Ben Millar adding the extra 2 points to make the score 26 - 15 to Doncaster, but the game was far from over.
Following a period of scrappy play Halifax broke in to the Doncaster half and the ball moved swiftly out to the pacy Halifax winger, who easily rounded 3 Doncaster defenders to score under the posts. Adding the extra 2 points made the score 26 - 22 to Doncaster, but Halifax had their tails up.
The game became scrappy and ill tempered, Doncaster totally lost their concentration and fluency and Halifax took full advantage, mounting a number of running attacks and with 10 minutes left scored in the corner to lead 27 - 26. Following a further period of scrappy and ill tempered play, the Halifax lock was sin binned for punching, but Doncaster were unable to take advantage of the sin binning, as they lost a player through injury and having no replacements, both sides had to play the final 8 minutes with 14 men. However Doncaster regrouped and following a penalty Ben Millar put them 5 meters from the Halifax line for the next catch and drive. Halifax managed to repel the rolling maul, but from the following ruck a metre out Austin Hayes settled the game, when he again picked the ball and drove over in the corner. Ben Millar failing to add the extra 2 points from the touch line. Final score Halifax 27 Doncaster 31. |
