Doncaster Knights 10 London Welsh 17: Knights pay for indiscipline

Although they dominated the scrums and competed well at the lineouts, the Knights had to play second best in terms of territory against a Welsh side that played to a fixed game plan that confined Doncaster to their own half for large parts of the game.

Knights fly-half James Brooks missed an early penalty before Welsh full-back Aled Thomas was adjudged to have knocked on as he grounded the ball after diving over the line unopposed.

Welsh continued to press, particularly from their driving maul, and they went into the lead with a penalty by Thomas.

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Knights wing Doug Flockhart was denied when the referee went back for an earlier knock on and the remainder of the half was spent mainly in the Knights half with the only score being a second penalty from Thomas.

Welsh extended their lead after only four minutes of the second half when a well-drilled lineout maul allowed prop Michael Holford to drive over.

The Knights upped the pace and were rewarded with a try to centre Hudson Tonga'uiha as he burst out of a ruck 10 metres from the line. Brooks converted and he kicked a penalty shortly afterwards to bring them back to within one point.

The Knights indiscipline finally told and Thomas punished them with two penalties for the third-placed visitors.

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Doncaster Knights: Carter, Flockhart, Armitage, Tonga'uiha, Hurrell, Brooks, D'Arcy (Hallam 69), Davies (Corsar 50), Lawrie (Boden 72), Cusack, Kenworthy (Griffiths 60), Townson, Grainger, Boyde (Bundy 75), Cochrane. Unused: McColl, Thiede.

London Welsh: Thomas, Evans, Mackay, Gower, Claasens, Whatling (Shabbo 65, Lewis (Davies 54), Holford (Hornsmith 65), Whitehead (O'Meara 78), Ward, Garvey, Corker, Mills, Brown, Mercer (Hills 63). Unused: Powell, Starling.