Second Half Dominance Secures Bonus-Point at Paton Field for Knights

A dominant second half performance saw Doncaster Knights pull strongly away from hosts Caldy at Paton Field in Round 21 of the Championship this afternoon.

It was an inconsistent first half from both sides, which ultimately ended 7-10 when the teams ran into the sheds for the break.

Within two minutes, the Knights had scored the inaugural points of the afternoon. A strong line break from Connor Edwards was followed by an offload from the floor by the centre to co-captain Thom Smith. Moving quickly from the breakdown, Joe Margetts wangled his way through for the opening try which Alex Dolly converted.

On 19 minutes, the Knights were reduced to 14 men as Martin Sigren was punished for repeated maul infringements from the Knights.

With 7 minutes left of the half, and the Knights back to a full contingent, Caldy scored their lone try of the day. Recycling on the Knights line at close range, the hosts went over the whitewash from Tom Sanders. Elliot Gourlay then converted.

Dolly added a penalty in front of the posts at 40 minutes to top up the Knights’ score and end the half of action.

Back underway for just two minutes, the Knights were over the line again. Edwards received a pass and barged his way through a slight gap. He fed inside to Dolly who dotted a ball off the boot. Maliq Holden then had the pace on the wing to finish with his scrum half converting.

George Roberts scored the third as the pack’s love of a driving maul try once more proved true. Rumbling over from a couple metres out with the hooker at the bottom. Dolly’s conversion came off the upright but was over the cross bar for the extra points.

The bonus point score came with 5 minutes left on the clock. A spilt ball from Caldy hands was picked up by Will Yarnell at his 22. He made the original break on fresh legs before feeding Edwards. The centre had his scrum half in support the rest of the way but the Welshman had enough left in the tank to finish underneath the posts. With Dolly off the field, Billy McBryde stepped up to take the conversion.

And the icing on the cake came in the final minute. Putting a probing chip kick over the line, McBryde gave Robbie Smith a lovely ball to scamper after and dive upon on the line. And so, on his 50th Knights appearance, it was rather fitting that McBryde’s conversion brough the day’s action to an end.

Match Statistics

Caldy XV | 15 Elliot Gourlay; 14 Nick Royle, 13 Dan Bibby, 12 Lewis Barker, 11 Louis Beer; 10 Rhys Hayes, 9 Chris Pilgrim; 1 Adam Aigbokhae, 2 Ollie Hearn, 3 Nathan Rushton, 4 Sam Dickinson, 5 Tom Sanders, 6 Reuban Birch, 7 Nyle Davidson, 8 Callum Ridgway.

Replacements | 16 Clarke, 17 Higginson, 18 Jones, 19 Olyott, 20 Crowe, 21 Thomas, 22 Barlow, 23 Cartmill.

Tries: Sanders

Cons: Gourlay

Starting XV | 15 Billy McBryde; 14 George Simpson, 13 Joe Margetts, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Maliq Holden; 10 Sam Olver, 9 Alex Dolly; 1 Conor Davidson, 2 George Roberts, 3 Andrew Foster, 4 Evan Mintern, 5 Ehize Ehizode, 6 Martin Sigren, 7 Thom Smith, 8 John Kelly.

Replacements | 16 Will Holling, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Karl Garside, 19 Sam Daly, 20 Jared Cardew, 21 Will Yarnell, 22 Robbie Smith, 23 Jack Metcalf.

Pens: Dolly

Tries: Margetts, Holden, Roberts, Edwards, R Smith

Cons: Dolly 3, McBryde 2

Yellow card: Martin Sigren

Gallery