Bedford Blues 12 Doncaster Knights 23: Knights ready for promotion play-offs

The result virtually guarantees them a position in the promotion play-offs.

Knights director of rugby Lynn Howells rotated his squad, making nine changes from the side he had put out against Birmingham & Solihull three days earlier. The bulk of the changes came in the pack with a new front-row of Michael Cusack, Steve Boden and Tom Davies.

Doncaster started off with the advantage of the slope and put Bedford on the defensive from the outset but they lost possession on two occasions before centre Hudson Tonga'uiha and lock Bryn Griffiths combined to send in wing Andy Wright for a try converted by Ali Warnock, who added a penalty.

The Knights withstood some pressure before Warnock made it 13-0 at the break.

Canadian international full-back James Pritchard missed two penalties in the space of four minutes before Bedford wing Oli Goss dived over in the corner.

Warnock's penalty on 59 minutes caused Bedford to take risks and a pass just inside their own half was intercepted by winger Dougie Flockhart, who outpaced the defence to score 10 metres to the right of the posts for a try that Warnock converted.

Behind by 16 points with only 17 minutes to go, Bedford threw everything into attack and pinned the Knights on their own line.

The Knights defenders survived almost 10 minutes of constant pressure before Warnock intercepted a pass on his own line and a break took play to the Bedford 22.

As the game went into stoppage time, Bedford again just managed to outflank the Doncaster defence and replacement back Duncan Taylor crossed.

The the intensity of the game was such that both sides had to call on all of their replacements as the pressure was cranked up in the final minutes

Doncaster now prepare for Wednesday's visit to league leaders Bristol followed by three British and Irish Cup games in eight days before their punishing schedule of nine games in 28 days, caused by having to re-arrange postponed away fixtures, is over.

Bedford Blues: Pritchard (Taylor 63), Fielden, Dorrian, Vass, Dodge, Davies, Walshe (Roberts 66), Walsh (Cecere 53), Richmond (Locke 77), Boulton (Seal 53), Tupai, Rae (Harlock 49), Lewitt, Goodman, Harding (Gillanders 65)

Doncaster Knights: Carter, Wright (McColl 56), Armitage, Tonga'uiha, Flockhart, Warnock, Griffiths N, Davies (Corsar 77), Boden (Lawrie 56), Cusack (Thiede 77), Griffiths B (Kenworthy 77), Townson, Kettle (Grainger 68), Boyde, Cochrane (Hallam 80).