Bristol 39 Doncaster Knights 10: Davey left brimming with pride at heroic Knights

A reshuffled Knights, with Burdon returning to outside-half, put their bodies on the line in a physical performance with the West Countrymen to leave Brett Davey brimming with pride at his squad’s heroics over the season.

Bristol opened the scoring through a Doncaster connection as Luke Eves, son of Derek, charged over unopposed. A pass to Challinor was knocked on and quickly recycled by the Bristol backs before the centre touched down with Matthew Jones adding the extrass.

Knights responded with a spell of sustained heavy pressure, but Ben Toft was harshly penalised for holding on and outside-half Jones stepped up to increased the lead.

Doncaster registered their first points as Flockhart elected to go for goal as Bristol were twice penalised for not rolling away in successive phases.

Bristol responded with a penalty and a try through winger Will Helu as he spotted a hole from a quick tap to give Jones a simple conversion.

Stand-in fly-half Fred Burdon replied almost immediately with the Knights’ only try of the game as he took an opportunistic chance to score between the posts for Flockhart to convert.

An interception from winger Flockhart was then called back for a knock-on after he had run the length of the field.

The resultant scrum gave way to a penalty try for the hosts and Jones again converted to give Bristol a 27-10 lead at the interval.

Knights came out in positive mood and were rewarded with a penalty but they turned down the kick in an unsuccessful attempt to go for a try.

More bad luck on the hour-mark saw Oli Goss’s clearance charged down by Bristol centre Fautua Otto before cannoning off Flockhart and falling into Otto’s hands for a simple try.

The final score went to Bristol as half-back Matty James rolled over for a try and converted.

Bristol: Goodridge, Watkins, Otto, Eves, Helu, Jones (James 72), Slater (Silver 63), Lilley (Davis 72), Harris-Wright (Lawrence 58), Thompson, Glynn, Townson (Sambucetti 66), Grieve (Lilley 78), Merriman (Pennycook 66), Montagu (Vanderglass 52).

Doncaster Knights: Keating (Berridge 66), Flockhart, Goss, Gidlow, Toft, Burdon (Quinn-McDonogh 74), Heaney, Brown, Yeandle, Brown (Francis 54), Smith, Parsons, Challinor, Bradford (Farivarz 33) (Kettle 60), Makaafi (Kenworthy 70).

Referee: I Tempest.