Doncaster Knights beaten, Leeds Tykes put Huddersfield to the sword as Rotherham Titans keep pace

Ealing have big ambitions to win the Championship again this season, and retook the leadership of the second tier with this result allied with Coventry’s home loss to Cornish Pirates.

Doncaster stay fifth with the defeat but are only four points off second-placed Pirates.

Knights actually struck first through Rhys Tait but were 21-5 in arrears by the time George Simpson crossed for their second try, converted by Russell Bennett.

A converted try on the stroke of half-time put Doncaster in real trouble at 28-12 going into the second half, and it was 42-12 when Bennett went over for Doncaster’s third. Jack Metcalf got the bonus-point clinching fourth try to salvage a point for Knights and there was nice footnote at the end as centre Joe Margetts crossed on his 50th appearance for Doncaster.

Leaders Leeds Tykes continued their dominant form with a 57-17 victory over bottom of the table Huddersfield, running in nine tries in the National Two (North) win.

With plenty of substitutions as Leeds gave their full squad chance to shine, they nevertheless eased to victory with eight different players scoring tries and three different players kicking conversions.

Wing forward Junior Nuu got them off the mark with an early try, and centre Ben Dixon added the second three minutes later, full-back Kieran Davies converting.

Huddersfield were awarded a penalty try after a collapsed maul, but the Tykes continued their scoring spree with scrum-half Kit Keith having his 11th minute try converted by Davies.

Davies himself scored a try on 40 minutes which was converted by stand-off Seremaia Turagabeci, and left winger Henry MacNab added a fifth try on 41 minutes for a 31-7 lead.

Further points came from a 44th minute try to No 8 Ed Brown, centre Peter Lucock on 49 minutes, sub Jacob Mounsey on 61 minutes and MacNab again on 68 minutes, with scrum-half Kit Keith converting two of the final three tries.

The final ten minutes saw Huddersfield winger Max Horsfall and prop Harry Whitfield score.

Second-placed Rotherham Titans kept pace with Leeds Tykes with a 42-7 win over Tynedale at Clifton Lane.

Hooker Luke Cole got the Titans off the mark with a try on 32 minutes which centre Ritchie Hayes converted, and he was also on target with Tipiloma Kivalu’s 41st minute score.

No 8 Zak Poole and centre Harry Dunne also had tries converted by Hayes to go 28-0 ahead, and Hayes himself scored and converted a try on 57 minutes to lead 35-0.

Tynedale’s converted try came on 61 minutes, but Rotherham had the last word through Tomasi Tanumi scoring on 70 minutes.

Otley boosted their campaign with a 40-29 win over hosts Billingham. Gavin Stead’s reliable kicking proved the difference with all conversions and three penalties. Otley’s tries came from Ben Dinsdale (2), Rory Gaffney and Ryan Gibson.

Sheffield ran in four tries on their way to a 31-14 win over rivals Wharfedale at Abbeydale.

No 8 Ryan Burrows, scrum-half Elliot Fisher, wing forward Robert Fawdry and second row Dominic Parsons all scored tries, while Fisher kicked four conversions and a penalty. Wharfedale’s two tries came from prop Jake Armstrong and winger Rian Hamilton, with Robert Davidson adding the conversions.

Sheffield Tigers were 36-17 winners over Hull, with full-back William Baker kicking 16 points.

Tries for the hosts came from centre Barney Goatley, winger Lewis Taylor, hooker Louis Townsend and stand-off Mark Ireland, while Hull’s two tries came from centre Bureta Faraimo.

Hull Ionians were beaten 44-35 at Preston Grasshoppers despite tries from Sam Pocklington, James Thompson, Sam Wilson and Joe Makin.

Second-placed Heath narrowed the gap to leaders York to six points with a 34-12 win over their rivals in Regional One North East. Two tries from winger Joe Morrison and others from No 8 Tom Clough, flanker Harvey Keighley-Payne and prop Josh Crickmay helped them to victory.

Harrogate were 34-0 winners over bottom of the table Scunthorpe.

Harrogate’s tries came from stand-off Thomas Steene, second row Sam Brady, centre Richard Kaisia, No 8 William Hill, hooker Steven Maycock and winger Ewan Evans.