Coventry (H) – 10/05/2025

38Doncaster Knights

24Coventry

2:30 pm · May 10, 2025
league

It was a slow start for the Knights as Coventry came out the blocks strongly. The visitors opened the scores just four minuites in with their number 8, Nayalo showing impressive power to drive over. They added the conversion to go 0-7 up. 

Shortly after, Alex Dolly kept the Knights in the game by slotting three points and closing the scores. 3-7

Coventry came back fighting, using the power of their forwards again to drive over the line for a second score. Another conversion put them 3-14 up.

The Knights continued to fight and Telusa Veainu displayed his notorious footwork, allowing him to weave in and out of Coventry’s defenders. He chucked the ball backwards for Dolly to scoop up and dive over under the posts. Dolly added the extras to his own try, scoring all 10 of Doncaster’s first points, 10-14. 

Coventry slotted a penalty and carried that momentum into another score. Their final try before the half time whistle was intercepted from under the Knight’s noses and carried the length. They added the extras 10-24. 

Half time score Doncaster 10 – 24 Coventry.

Donny came out to the second half with fantastic energy, a scrum penalty from the pack allowed Russell Bennett to kick us up to the 5m line. The forwards then put in another big shift as a dominant driving maul made its way over the line. Coventry were penalised for illegally bringing down the maul, meaning Doncaster were awarded all 7 points in the form of a penalty try. 17-24. 

With the Knights now within a converted try, they continued to display really threatening attack. Captain, Ben Murphy made an unbeliveable carry, charging nearly 10m forward with Coventry players hanging off him. In the next phase, Bennett kicked a well placed cross-field to Obi Ene, who made a fantastic run up the wing before finishing in the corner. Dolly slotted a really crucial conversion from the touchline to level the scores. 24-24. 

Doncaster’s next try followed almost instantly as Rokoduguni offloaded nicely to Jordan Olowofela. Olowofela put boot to ball and Zach Kerr chased it down, sliding over the line with the ball. Another good conversion from our scrum half. 31-24. 

The Knights started to play with little to no errors and Veainu kicked an impressive 50:22 to give Doncaster a line out inside the 22. The set peice was spotless and the back line moved the ball quickly out to Olowofela on the wing, who ducked under Coventry’s defence to score. Dolly converted again, 38-24.

Coventry continued to fight back in the attempt to earn a bonus point, but Doncaster defended brilliantly. Archie Smeaton turned the ball over at the breakdown to keep the Knights on the front foot, and eventually our replacement hooker Ben Chapman kicked a 50:22 with the clock in red, securing the Knights their 9th concecutive win. 

Congratualtions to our man of the match, Ben Murphy, for superb defence, dominant carries and his all important leadership. 

Team Lineups

Andrew Turner 1 Toby Trinder

George Roberts 2 Jordan Poole (C)

Logovi'i Mulipola 3 Tye Ramont

Ben Murphy (C) 4 Dan Green

Josh Williams 5 Rhys Anstey

Adam Hopkinson 6 Tom Ball

Rhys Tait 7 Matt Kvesic

Morgan Strong 8 Senitiki Nayalo

Alex Dolly 9 Sam Maunder

Russell Bennett 10 Tommy Mathews

Aidan Cross 11 James Martin

Zach Kerr 12 Oli Morris

Jordan Olowofela 13 Jake Henry

Semesa Rokoduguni 14 David Opoku-Fordjour

Telusa Veainu 15 Logan Trotter

Replacements

Ben Chapman 16 Suva Ma'asi

Jasper McGuire 17 Jevaughn Warren

Lewis Thiede 18 Matt Johnson

Archie Smeaton 19 Chester Owen

Conor Davidson 20 Aaron Hinkley

Ollie Fox 21 Josh Barton

Morgan Bunting 22 Liam Richman

Obi Ene 23 Will Lane

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