Cornish Pirates 38 Doncaster Knights 19: Youngsters no match for Pirates

Doncaster director of rugby Clive Griffiths

Play-off bound Doncaster Knights were unable to repeat the feat of going all the way to the British & Irish Cup, as they did splendidly last season, bowing out in Cornwall yesterday.

A much-altered side – director of rugby Clive Griffiths made 12 changes – included a lot of younger players who were given the chance to press a claim for a starting place in the Knights’ Championship team.

A fine try finished by George Catchpole kept Pirates honest in a first half in which the hosts built a 10-7 lead, but any hopes of a competitive game were extinguished early in the second half when the experienced Cornishmen raced into a 24-7 lead.

Captain for the day, Alex Shaw, demonstrated Doncaster’s fight with two tries.

Cornish Pirates: T May, Moyle, Riley, Hendrickson, Evans, L May, Townsend, Walker, Elloway, Paver, Parker, Beukeboom, Cheeseman, Simmonds, Duncan. Replacements: Channon, Gendall, Garratt, Atkinson, Day, Cargill, James.

Doncaster Knights: Bryant, Bulumakau, Catchpole, Armitage, Lewis, Cusack, Field, W. John, Stagg, Sproston, Maksymiw, Hotson, Young, Owen, Shaw. Replacements: List, Veikoso, Pasquali, Challinor, Hills, Mcilwaine, Heaney.