Promising Symons is set for Knights debut

Andy Symons, 21, has joined the South Yorkshire club on a dual-registration deal and arrives with impressive references.

Mauger, who featured with Leicester from 2007 to 2010 and won 46 Test caps as a centre himself, spotted Symons playing in New Zealand and advised his former club to take him on.

He made his Leicester debut at Llanelli last year and has played three more times for the Premiership club but has been moved out to Doncaster to gain extra first team action.

It is further evidence of Knights’ growing links with Leicester after they also took prop Keiran Brookes on loan in a similar deal this season.

Although Clive Griffiths has returned to Castle Park as director of professional rugby this week, he is still predominantly on Canada duty so tomorrow’s squad for the Championship game at Nottingham has been named by the existing coaching set-up with the Welshman overseeing a number of small tweaks as Knights aim to get back on track.

Doncaster are hoping to repeat last month’s success at Meadow Lane when they defeated Nottingham in the British & Irish Cup, but make a few changes due to injury and suspension.

Tom Luke is out with a broken jaw but full-back Dante Mama and loosehead prop Tom Davies both return to the Knights’ ranks from duty with the RFU Championship XV. Jamie Lennard lines up at fly-half with Tom Barrett taking his place on the bench.

Heavyweight prop Tomas Francis keeps hold of his starting berth while Jethro Rawling returns from suspension and Louis Silver gets the nod at scrum-half after recovering from injury.