Doncaster Knights 12 Bristol 27: Knights fail to build as title-chasers seal double

Bristol dashed Doncaster Knights’ hopes of a third successive Championship win when completing the double at Castle Park.
Doncaster director of rugby, Clive GriffithsDoncaster director of rugby, Clive Griffiths
Doncaster director of rugby, Clive Griffiths

But as was the case when the two sides met at Ashton Gate on a miserable November night, promotion-chasing Bristol did not have it all their own way.

Alhough they went into the game as firm favourites, third-bottom Doncaster justifiably fancied their chances of causing an upset, given their improved results of late.

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Sadly for Knights’ director of rugby Clive Griffiths, who blamed an 11-1 penalty count against them for their failure to capitalise on a 12-10 interval lead at Ashton Gate, the club’s performance fell below that of their last two home games.

That was particularly the case in the first half when they made numerous handling mistakes which led to Bristol dominating both possession and territory in the second quarter.

Conscious of the fact that Bristol had posted three early tries against Moseley last time out, Knights were up for the battle from the off and full-back Paul Jarvis made a couple of early breaks. Knights, however, struggled to get out of their half for long periods of the second quarter and but for some heroic defence would have conceded more than the one try scored by scrum-half Dwaine Peel, who sneaked over from close range after his forwards had drawn a blank.

Matthew Morgan, who had earlier struck the post with a penalty, missed the conversion but edged his side into an 8-0 lead in the dying stages of the half.

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Knights’ hopes suffered an early setback within three minutes of the restart when full-back Jack Wallace touched down after Morgan’s kick had bounced kindly for George Watkins.

The wing effectively killed the contest when intercepting fly-half Ume Fosita’s pass as Knights looked to move the ball wide, and raced over 60m for a converted try to leave Knights trailing 20-0.

Fosita’s influence on the game had been in marked contrast to his home debut against Yorkshire Carnegie a fortnight earlier, and he was replaced by Piers Francis on 55 minutes.

One thing you can never accuse this Doncaster side of is throwing in the towel though and they started to find form in the last quarter, replacement back-row Latu Makaafi finishing off a good handling move instigated by Dougie Flockhart by touching down on 69 minutes.

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Bristol hit back to record a bonus-point try, but Knights had the final word with a last-minute penalty try goaled by Flockhart.

The result left Bristol a point behind leaders Worcester and Doncaster five behind fourth-from-bottom Yorkshire Carnegie, while three clear of Moseley.

Doncaster Knights: Jarvis; Flockhart, Clark, Hepetema, Lewis; Fosita (Francis 55) Palu (Field 50); Tom Davies (Bergmanas 68), Hunter (Veikoso 57), Quigley (John 57), Hotson, Phelan, (Stedman 55), Challinor, Hills, Shaw (Makaafi 67).

Bristol: Wallace; (Jarvis 65), Watkins, Maule (Tovey 73), Henson, Amesbury, Morgan, Peel (Koster 61); O’Connell, (Genge 53), McMillan Brooker 72), Hall, Glynn (Joyce 53), Evans, Mama, Ovens, (Hampson 61), Eadie.

Referee: A Small (RFU).