Championship – Carnegie hit cruise control but Doncaster Knights suffer at London Irish

Yorkshire Carnegie ran out resounding 42-20 winners in a solid display at mid-table London Scottish.
TRY AGAIN: Carnegie's Joe Buckle got on the scoresheet against hosts London Scottish.TRY AGAIN: Carnegie's Joe Buckle got on the scoresheet against hosts London Scottish.
TRY AGAIN: Carnegie's Joe Buckle got on the scoresheet against hosts London Scottish.

Within a minute of the game, Yorkshire were down to 14 men as Fa’atiga Lemalu was sin-binned for a high tackle, the hosts capitalising for an early three-point lead.

The Exiles would not regain the lead again, however, as a wonded Carnegie assumed control.

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The visitors scored their first of six tries within 10 minutes, as they won a lineout close to the London Scottish tryline, caught and drove over.

Joe Buckle came up with the ball, as did Antonio Kiri Kiri in a similarly-worked try shortly after, with Lemalu redeeming himself by crashing over a few minutes later.

On 35 minutes, Carnegie got their bonus-point try as full-back Chris Elder beat three defenders to score under the posts.

It took Chris Stirling’s side 14 second-half minutes to score their fifth try, all but sealing the win, when captain Richard Mayhew burrowed in from short.

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Scottish hit back through centre Tom Griffiths – a try converted by Rory Jennings – although Carnegie killed off any hopes of a revival when Andy Forsyth scored the visitors’ sixth try of the afternoon.

FRUSTRATED: Doncaster Knights' try-scorer Ollie Stedman. Picture: Marie Caley.FRUSTRATED: Doncaster Knights' try-scorer Ollie Stedman. Picture: Marie Caley.
FRUSTRATED: Doncaster Knights' try-scorer Ollie Stedman. Picture: Marie Caley.

Fly-half Jade Te Rure kicked for a 100 per cent conversion record, before Scottish registered a couple of late consolation tries.

Ollie Stedman cut a frustrated figure after Doncaster Knights found themselves on the wrong end of a 49-12 scoreline at Championship leaders.

The visitors found themselves 21-7 adrift at the break – Charles Beech’s try keeping the Knights in touch – before the hosts raced clear after the break.

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Stedman, who scored a late consolation try, said: “The score got away from us a bit.

“We showed some encouraging rugby at times and we probably left a couple of tries on the pitch so the scoreline flattered them slightly.

“We struggled in the second, but the first half was really encouraging and we will take the positives from that.”

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