Doncaster Knights return to Castle Park after a successful away trip to Ealing in round three. The Yorkshire club host London Scottish with a handful of changes to the starting line up.

Conor Davidson is the only member of the front row who was in the starting XV against Ealing. His tight head partner will be Joe Jones, joined by Fred Davies, earning his first start at Hooker. 

Josh Williams will be joining Ben Murphy in the second row, as Cory Teague picked up a shoulder injury during his start last week. The back row remains the same, Thom Smith, Rhys Tait and Morgan Strong. 

The Knights stick with the same half-back pairing of Alex Dolly and Morgan Bunting. However, there are changes in the centre. Zach Kerr pushes out to the wing to make way for George Wacokecoke in the centre. Wacokecoke will join usual starter, Connor Edwards.

Maliq Holden and Jordan Olowofela make up the rest of the back three. 

On the bench, Hooker, Ben Chapman is set to make his debut off the bench. Chapman has joined Doncaster Knights this season from Ampthill. Usual hooker, George Roberts, moves to back row replacement. Jasper McGuire and Lewis Thiede are the substitute props. With Taniela Ramasibana and Archie Smeaton making up the second/back row reserves. 

Ollie Fox is set to replace Alex Dolly at scrum half, and Harry Davey is the remaining back on the bench.

Starting XV | 15, Jordan Olowofela. 14, Zach Kerr. 13, George Wacokecoke. 12, Connor Edwards. 11, Maliq Holden. 10, Morgan Bunting. 9, Alex Dolly. 1, Conor Davidson. 2, Fred Davies. 3, Joe Jones. 4, Ben Murphy (C). 5, Josh Williams. 6, Thom Smith. 7, Rhys Tait. 8, Morgan Strong. 

Replacements | 16, Ben Chapman. 17, Jasper McGuire. 18, Lewis Thiede. 19, Taniela Ramasibana 20, George Roberts. 21, Archie Smeaton. 22, Ollie Fox. 23, Harry Davey.

Injury news: 

• Semesa Rokoduguni is resting a sore hamstring.
• Cory Teague picked up a shoulder injury during the Ealing fixture.
• Russell Bennett is still recovering from a calf injury.
• Logovi’i Mulipola is also resting a calf injury.

Tickets for this fixture are still available here. 

 

Doncaster Knights defeated reigning champions Ealing Trailfinders last weekend, in an exciting away fixture down in West London.

Holden explained how this has given the Knights a boost after a disappointing game the week before: “It was really good for us to respond after a disappointing loss against Nottingham.”

“I think, in many ways, it was the perfect game to play after. It was backs against the wall, and with them being Champions of last year.”

“I think we went out there and we probably weren’t where we wanted to be rugby wise, with the ceiling that we’ve got, but I just thought we fronted up and the no talent stuff we were absolutely brilliant at.”

“During pre-season, we’ d always came on the positive side and won. We’d had like a real nice pre-season if that makes sense. We hadn’t been in those moments like we were against Nottingham. So it was good for us to reset to, to properly show where we were as a team. We probably thought we were a bit further ahead, but we weren’t, and so it was the perfect challenge and I think we did really well in it.” 

Holden hopes that the team will be able to put things right at home during this weekends game.

“It’s probably a bigger challenge than Ealing, in many ways. We were the underdogs going against Ealing we’re probably favourites now. And were aware that we probably are.

“We didn’t give the best account of ourselves against, Nottingham. I don’t want to say we let the fans down because we never go out intentionally trying to lose a game, and we give everything that we can. But, I think there’s definitely a responsibility to now put out a performance, that the fans would be proud of, and that they’ll be happy and not be disappointed with.” 

Holden has 69 caps for Doncaster Knights, and is one of a small group in the team that have been around for a while. He explained what it’s been like adjusting to the new group: “It’s been amazing and really seamless.”

“I think that’s why losing to Nottingham was such a good thing for us. We became so close straight away, and we really enjoyed being with each other. We got on so well and the connection was seamless. Maybe that was the reason that, when we found ourselves under a bit of pressure against Nottingham, we maybe struggled a bit more than we expected.”

“But again, part of being part of this family is that you’re going to go through tough times. It’s how you respond from it. I think we responded really well against Ealing. And now, we have the test of our environment, the test of our team and who we want to be this year. We need to back it up at home, so I’m super excited.” 

London Scottish will be coming off the back of a positive result, having beaten Cornish Pirates. Holden said: “They are a good squad, like a real good side.”

“A few of us went and watched the game last Friday because we were in London. They did really well against a tough Pirates team. Pirates lost on the last play to Ealing the week before, and I think Scottish were were miles better on the day. So, we have loads of respect for them.

“They’re never an easy team to play against so, we’re excited by it. They’ve got a big Quinn’s influence as well, but we’re just excited about going and putting our game on them. So we’ll give them the respect they deserve and hopefully come away with five points.” 

You can secure your ticket for the fixture here. 

 

The TOSSERS Lunch

Knights vs Cambridge

Saturday 30th November, 2:30pm KO

 

The TOSSERS are hosting their 1^st Lunch of the 2024-25 season – All Welcome!

 

What’s included?

Our delicious Cow Pie, Chips & Mushy Peas

Cheeseboard to Follow

Player Q&A

Private Lounge & Bar

Team Sheets

Access to Online Matchday Programme

Fun Quiz

In case you didn’t know the TOSSERS, stands for The Other Sides Society Enthusiastic Rugby Supporters

 

Price: £22.50 (Match Ticket Not Included)

DRESS CODE: Informal, Club shirts welcome

 

PLEASE NOTE: You must have a match ticket for access. These are sold separately.

 

You can book this via calling the club on 01302 831388 or you can book online. Book Here

Doncaster Knights’ loan players at Bury St Edmunds, Will Metcalfe and James Harrison contributed to Bury’s 36-22 derby win against Colchester. 

Will Metcalfe earned his start at scrum half and impressed with two tries to assist the Suffolk team to victory. James Harrison, also started in the second row, and has been excelling at Bury, proving a useful asset particularly during the line outs.

The first of Metcalfe’s tries came early on in the game as he snaked through a gap to score a fine individual try. He then claimed his next score in the second half of the game. Bury were awarded a penalty and opted for the scrum, Metcalfe spotted the gap in the defence and carried the ball to the line himself. 

To read their full match report, click here.

They will now face Sevenoaks away next week in National League 2 East. 

Photos: beanstalkmedia.co.uk

Doncaster Knights hope to remain undefeated on the road as they face Bedford Blues on Saturday, October 19th. KO 3.00pm.

It is important to have as full a coach as possible to keep the maximum amount we charge at £30 per supporter!

To reserve a seat please message John Lowe on 079 7711 2706.

You must contact John by Monday, October 14th. 

Coach information:

The coach will leave Buckley’s garage in Blaxton at 10.00am and, after pickups in Auckley, Branton, Cantley and Armthorpe it should arrive at Castle Park at around 10.30pm.

From there it will proceed along Balby Road for a pick-up opposite the Winning Post before heading south. If you are leaving your car at the club please leave it on the limestone car park.

The coach will leave Bedford for the return journey at 5.15pm

 

Doncaster Knights fought hard against reigning champions Ealing Trailfinders to claim the full five points on the road in 35-36 victory.

The Knights opened the scores almost instantly as Rhys Tait showed brilliant strength to carry through Ealing defence and find his way under the posts. Alex Dolly added the extras to give Doncaster the head start.

The even match in ability between the two squads was reflected in how quickly the hosts answered back. Ealing stretched the ball out to the wing and found the space out wide to score. Their fly half, Jones added the extras to level the scores early on.

Doncaster initially had dominance at scrum time and a scrum penalty allowed Alex Dolly to claim three points. Shortly after, Dolly added another three thanks to a turnover at the breakdown by Tait. 

Ealing then spent a while within the 22, they struggled to get the ball over the line from the rolling maul so opted to ship to the backline. Centre, Colgate managed to dart through and score. Jones added the extras.

Jordan Olowofela didn’t allow Ealing to keep the lead for too long as he received a well delayed pass from Morgan Bunting, which opened the gap for Olowofela to work his magic. Dolly secured another conversion.

Ealing clawed back another try as they appeared to set up for a kick into touch following a penalty. However, they opted to quick tap and attack a gap on the wing. Jones converted to put them in front again. 

Doncaster’s scrum continued to dominate as another scrum penalty meant Dolly could secure another three points. 

Ealing’s rolling maul proved to be more successful on this occasion as their hooker broke over the line.  However a missed conversion meant the scores remianed within three (26-23).

Olowofela gave Doncaster the edge heading into half time. The Knights were playing a penalty advantage so Connor Edwards risked a grubber kick through Ealing’s defence, Olowofela outpaced Ealing and collected the ball over the line. 

Half time score 26-28. 

It was the men in green who claimed the first points of the second half as they gained three from a penalty. They continue to push at Doncaster’s defence but the Knights showed fantastic work rate to turn over the ball at a driving maul. 

Bunting read Ealing’s defence well and chose to carry up the pitch as he spotted a gap. This put Doncaster in a good position for Dolly to kick for another three. 

As tensions rose, Doncaster’s discipline slipped and they conceded two penalties in quick succession meaning Ealing regained the lead again. 

However, the Knights recomposed themselves and Olowofela claimed his second hat-trick of the season to snatch the final score of the game. Connor Edwards popped the ball to Semesa Rokoduguni out on the wing. Roko then sent it to Wacokecoke. Wacokecoke offloaded back inside to Olowofela, who jumped out of a tackle to carry the ball over the line.

It was a nail-biting final few moments as Doncaster were defending on their try line. But they applied great pressure and a knock on at the breakdown meant they regained possession to secure the win. 

Final score Ealing 35, Doncaster 36. 

The Knights are back at Castle Park next week to face London Scottish. You can secure your tickets here! 

Doncaster Knights have named their squad for the first away trip of the Championship season. Round three sees the Knights face Ealing Trailfinders away.

With a few changes to this weeks starting line up, Lewis Thiede replaces Logovi’i Mulipola in the front row due to Mulipola picking up calf injury during the Nottingham game. Conor Davidson and George Roberts remain 1 and 2. Fred Davies is still the replacement hooker with front row replacements Joe Jones and Jasper McGuire.

Cory Teague earns his first start moving Thom Smith to the back row. Teague will be part of a second row pairing with captain, Ben Murphy. While Smith is joined in the back row by Rhys Tait and Morgan Strong.

Josh Williams, Archie Smeaton and Arthur Green are the other forwards amongst the replacements.

The backline remains exactly the same as last week, Alex Dolly and Morgan Bunting as half backs, Connor Edwards and Zach Kerr in the centre and Maliq Holden, Semesa Rokoduguni and Jordan Olowofela at back three. The two replacements, Ollie Fox and George Wacokecoke also staying the same.

Starting XV | 15, Jordan Olowofela. 14, Semesa Rokoduguni. 13, Zach Kerr. 12, Connor Edwards. 11, Maliq Holden. 10, Morgan Bunting. 9, Alex Dolly. 1, Conor Davidson. 2, George Roberts. 3, Lewis Thiede. 4, Ben Murphy (C). 5, Cory Teague. 6, Thom Smith. 7, Rhys Tait. 8, Morgan Strong. 

Replacements | 16, Fred Davies. 17, Joe Jones. 18, Jasper McGuire. 19, Josh Williams. 20, Archie Smeaton. 21, Arthur Green. 22, Ollie Fox. 23, George Wacokecoke.

Morgan Bunting joined Doncaster Knights this season, but his name is no stranger at Castle Park because his Dad, Simon Bunting has 96 caps for the Knights.

Morgan explained how he has settled into Castle Park: “I’ve really loved it here. It’s quite close to home, so it’s a pretty big deal for me to come into a club like this.

“Obviously, with being a new player, settling in can always be a little bit difficult, but now there’s such a big group that have come together, it’s been pretty easy to integrate into the squad with the lads that were already here.” 

The fly-half said he and his family are “very proud” to have joined his Dad’s former club, “I’ve always looked up to my dad. It’s massive to come to a club he was a part of and successful at.

“It’s a club that I remember a lot from growing up. I remember being four or five years old and spending a lot of time at this club. So it’s a big deal for me to come here.” 

At the weekend, The Knights suffered their first defeat of the season to Bunting’s former club, Nottingham. He reflected on the performance: “I think just the harsh reality is we probably weren’t good enough on the day. There’s a lot of pride and aspiration in the group, and I think we all let ourselves down a little bit.

“But, when you look back at the game, there were some positives to take away from it. I feel we spent a lot of time in the Nottingham half, credit to them, they defended. But if you play that game again, I feel like we know now what to do to come away with points and turn that pressure into points.” 

Bunting said: “It was strange to play against Nottingham, but good to see a lot of the lads, I do have a lot of close friends there so it was good to see them.” 

 

 

The Knights are heading into a very important game this weekend, against current Championship winners, Ealing Trailfinders. 

Bunting said: “We had a tough Monday review, worked out what we need to do and I think we are all focused towards the next challenge, which is going away to reigning champions Ealing. There is no bigger test really at the minute. We’re just taking it week by week.” 

“There’s always some additional little challenges with away games. Obviously the travel can affect you, but I feel at this level you have to go to a lot of different places, so I think it’s more just getting used to having two games at home then being on the road. We will see how we react to that.” 

Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders kicks off at 3pm onSaturday, you can follow the live feed on our twitter page. 

Alternatively, the Knights are back at Castle Park the following week to face London Scottish. Secure your tickets here.

 

 

Doncaster Knights fall short to a determined Nottingham side at Castle Park. 

Nottingham Rugby opened the scores early on as a Doncaster penalty allowed them to kick for the line out. They executed the line out well, with their hooker going over the line from the rolling maul.

Despite missing the conversion for the first try, the visitors extended their lead shortly after by kicking three points off the tee, the penalty was given because Doncaster were offside. 

After Nottingham’s first score, Doncaster manage to keep the majority of the possession for the remainder of the first half, but errors mean they came away with very few points. 

There were a handful of positive moments, including a turnover in the line out. This then led to the ball being fed down the line to Zach Kerr who put in a brilliant grubber kick to keep Doncaster in the attacking 22. They spent a while close to the try line but handling errors meant they came away without a score.

Morgan Bunting placed a good cross field kick which was dropped into touch by Nottingham’s 15, Ryan Olowofela. Allowing them another chance to attack from the line out. The line out was unsuccessful but the visitors knock the ball on meaning Doncaster were back in possession.

The Knights continue to push in attack and Morgan Strong finally cracks the defence. The Number eight picked the ball from the back of the scrum and showed brilliant strength to carry the ball over the line. Alex Dolly comfortably slotted the conversion. 

Doncaster come close to scoring a second try just before the half time whistle as the ball was shipped to Jordan Olowofela who gained a lot of ground. However, another handling error meant it was lost forward at the line. 

Half time score 7-8. 

It was a more positive start to the second half from the home team as the half backs linked up nicely to set Olowofela up for a try under the posts. The forwards made a series of carries which drew the defence in and opened up the space for the backs, Dolly then shipped the ball to Bunting who perfectly timed his pass to Olowofela. Dolly added the extras again. 

Doncaster continued to dominate the next few phases, until Nottingham’s winger Harry Graham intercepted the ball and ran the whole length of the pitch. Maliq Holden softened the blow with a brilliant chase down on the conversion, keeping Doncaster in front at the time. 

However, following the intercept, Doncaster Knights struggled to get their momentum back and Nottingham scored two more tries and a penalty. 

The first of the tries was scored by their second row, Tom Manz, who found a gap in the Doncaster defence after Nottingham spent a while making carries. The second was scored out on the wing when Nottingham moved the ball quickly to create the overlap. Both the tries were converted meaning the final score was 14 – 30 to Nottingham. 

Maliq Holden was awarded our man of the match, showing dedication and fight in defence, as well as making some great carries. 

Doncaster Knights now focus on their first away game of the season next week, against Ealing Trailfinders.