Doncaster Knights 16 Worcester Warriors 32: Disappointment for Griffiths as Doncaster’s run is ended

Doncaster Knights director of rugby Clive Griffiths admitted his side “let themselves down” as they fell to their first defeat of the season against recently relegated Worcester.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Sep 2014, 07:25 BST
Dougie Flockhart lines up a penalty.Dougie Flockhart lines up a penalty.
Dougie Flockhart lines up a penalty.

The loss also ended a 16-game unbeaten run at Castle Park and Griffiths said: “We let the crowd down, we let ourselves down and we let everyone down.”

“I’ve told the boys not to get too down about it because it was always going to be a tough game, I was hoping to get something from it, but it wasn’t to be against a good side.”

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Dean Ryan’s men took the lead when they worked the ball out wide and the impressive Ben Howard created space for Ryan Bower to barge his way over and Mieres converted.

Straight from the restart the Knights made a mess of an attacking lineout and following a fast break from Worcester’s Sam Smith he charged past Paul Jarvis for the second try.

Worcester were then penalised for not rolling away and Dougie Flockhart, who scored 18 of the Knights’ 23 points the previous week, opened his account with three points.

The Warriors restored their 12-point lead moments later when smart work from Tom Biggs claimed the restart and they won a penalty on 23 metres which Mieres kicked.

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Doncaster inched their way back into the contest when Flockhart kicked his second penalty after Worcester were pinged for offside.

Scrums dominated the opening stages of the second period, Worcester winning a penalty at the scrum and Mieres kicking the three points.

But Doncaster refused to lie down, and after a couple of good attacking phases they were awarded a penalty and Flockhart kicked his third three-pointer.

Once again the Knights failed to deal with a restart, and again they were punished, this time Max Sterling raced over in the corner and Mieres converting.

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An excellent push drive from Doncaster had Worcester going backwards, before they were adjudged to have deliberately collapsed the maul and referee Tom Foley awarded a penalty try.

But that surge was to prove too little too late, when Sam Betty drove over in the corner.

Doncaster Knights: Jarvis, Flockhart, Clark, Armitage, Lewis (Bulumakau 59), Lennard, Palu (Bravo 69), List (T. Davies 59), Hunter (Bergmanas 72), Quigley (R. Davies 59) Challinor, Hotson (Phelan 59), Makaafi (Eggleshaw 62) Hills, Shaw.

Worcester Warriors: Howard, Smith, Grove, Simons (Sterling 50), Biggs, Mieres (Eden 76), Mulchrone (Arr 50), Bower (Rapava Ruskin 64) Annett (George 79), Schonert, Percival, Sanderson, Williams (Cox 71), Betty, Van Velze. Not used: Daniels

Referee: T Foley (RFU).

Related topics:Doncaster KnightsDoncasterCastle Park