Doncaster Knights 24 Cornish Pirates 27: Gallant Knights go close as Howells passes on baton

Doncaster’s commendable efforts to reach the semi-finals of the promotion play-offs ultimately failed, but considering the youth of the squad and the injuries suffered during the campaign, the Knights can be highly satisfied that they came so close to achieving a trip to Worcester.

This narrow defeat at Castle Park where Doncaster fought relentlessly against a Pirates side which had already secured a home tie in the semi-finals against London Welsh, meant that in his last home game as the club’s director of rugby, retiring coach Lynn Howells did not finish his four years at Doncaster by earning the result he desired most.

However, the Welshman unquestionably leaves Castle Park in good hands. His successor, Brett Davey, has the ability and the determination to build on Howells’s legacy. One of the new coach’s immediate tasks will be to ensure that the replacement at fly-half for Tristan Roberts, who will be returning to Doncaster next season in Bristol’s colours, is of a comparable standard and possesses the same match-winning skills, not least as a goal-kicker.

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The three tries scored by centre Andy Wright, winger Matt Williams, his 15th in the Championship, and scrum-half Nathan Jones with five minutes remaining were high class, but Doncaster’s failure to take a promising opportunity just before the final whistle during a three-man overlap was less impressive and costly.

Jones’s converted try on 75 minutes, a thrilling score which cut the Pirates’ lead to 27-24, hinted at the possibility that Doncaster’s forwards would be able to create another breakthrough.

The Cornishmen, however, retained the ball intelligently as the contest reached its climax.

The Pirates had no need to add to the two tries scored by full-back Rhodri McAtee and winger Nick Jackson, whose converted score stretched their lead to 27-17, because their solid defence performed with authority and withstood Doncaster’s late attacks.

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“It was nip and tuck. We lost three lineouts in the Pirates’ 22 and realistically that’s where we lost the game. If you are going to play in the semi-finals of a competition, you’ve got to be more clinical than that,” said Howells.

“We’ve shown all season that we can go for the whole 80 minutes, but we are not a match-winning side when you don’t make use of a four-to-one overlap as there was in the last passage of play. We missed three players out and you can’t do that.

“At the start of the season, everyone was predicting we were going to be relegated. So, we’ve shown even with a young squad that is willing to work hard, anything is possible.

“It is sad to be going, but four years at the same club is a long time. You come to the situation where people get too used to the same voice. You know when the time is right to go. I’ve had a couple of offers which I am now considering.

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“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it here. The board has been good and supportive, and Doncaster have put their money into an infrastructure which is ready to make progress.”

Pirates are even better placed, and with home advantage in Penzance in a fortnight, their ambition of playing favourites Worcester in the final should be realised.

Although they rested at least two of their major players, Chris Stirling, the Pirates coach, said: “We are on a winning roll with eight on the trot, and there was no way we could come here and hand it to Doncaster on a plate.

“It’s a shame Doncaster couldn’t get to the semis. We lost our way in the first half and gave them some chances, but in the second, we controlled the ball but fair play to Doncaster, they came back at the end.”

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As a new era starts at Castle Park, Doncaster’s squad take a break ahead of pre-season training on Tuesday, June 14.

Doncaster Knights: McColl, Flockhart, Goss, Wright, Williams, Roberts (Briers 66), Jones, Frazier, Lawrie (Boden 65), Thiede (Corsar 63), Kenworthy (Parsons 50), Craig, Rowen, Farivarz, Makaafi.

Cornish Pirates: McAtee, Pointer, Hopper, Winn, Jackson, Thomas, Doherty, Storer (Currie 52), Elloway (Cowan-Rickie 78), Rimmer, Nimmo, Gulliver, Betty, Burgess (Ward 62), McGlone.

Referee: C White.