Jarvis bags a cup brace as the Eagles are put to flight

But whether they see winning the competition as something worth fighting for this season, given their target of a top-four finish in the Championship, is another question.

Director of rugby Clive Griffiths made no secret of the fact during the build-up that he viewed this weekend’s league game against Moseley the more important of the two.

But that didn’t stop him putting out a strong side for their latest challenge with scrum-half Michael Heaney making a welcome return after missing the last four games and resuming his partnership with Declan Cusack for the first time for over two months.

It was just as well that he did as Eagles arrived with a much stronger side than the one beaten 34-10 by a Newport-Gwent Dragons Select a week earlier.

Although the result was never in doubt, Knights rarely looked like running away with the game even though full-back Paul Jarvis gave them a flying start with an 80-metre try after just seven minutes.

Despite Cusack’s best efforts to get the ball out wide, Knights were unable to build on their start and the Irish side came more into the game.

They put Knights under sustained pressure on occasions and it wasn’t until flanker Rory Moloney was sin-binned on 31 minutes that the home side extended their lead through a well-worked try by wing Tyson Lewis.

Having conceded early tries after the restart in recent games, Knights will have been happy to see second-rower Glen Young grab a 44th-minute try to make it 17-0.

But once again Knights flattered to deceive and the only addition to their tally was a close-range try by Jarvis at the start of the final quarter which earned his side a bonus point.

Eagles continued to give a good account of themselves and Doncaster had to dig deep defensively at times.

Just when it was beginning to look as though Knights would keep a clean sheet, replacement No 8 Stephen McVeigh touched down from close range on 77 minutes.

Only a superb cover tackle by Sam Edgerley, who came off his wing. denied Moloney a second try at the death.

Rotherham Titans put on a riveting performance in their opening game in the competition, running in eight tries in 48-12 win at Ealing Trailfinders.

Winger Curtis Wilson produced a hat-trick of tries, while fellow backs Jack Hayes, Ben Rath and Will Goodwin all got on the scoresheet with forwards Michael Cromie and Tom Calladine adding further scores.

The first try came after 10 minutes when loose head Cromie was on hand to crash over from close range following a lineout inside the Ealing 22.

A dominant Titans had to wait another 10 minutes before adding a second try, fly-half Goodwin collecting the ball around 40 metres out before weaving in and around several opponents to score near the posts.

By the half-hour mark a third try arrived when Calladine forced his way over.

The bonus point try was secured when Wilson was set free to score in the corner for the first of his tries, his second coming just before the break following good work from Goodwin and captain Sean Scanlon.

The second period started as the first had finished with Wilson showing enough pace, strength and skill to score his third try inside 10 minutes.

Trailing 38-0, Ealing salvaged some pride when Alex Bradley and Callum Wilson each crossed the line as the hosts enjoyed their best period of the game.

But, 15 minutes from time, normal service was resumed when centre Hayes picked up and dived over for the visitors’ seventh try.

An eighth followed just before time good work by James McKinney and Joe Barker allowed Rath to complete the win.

“We have been threatening to do that to a couple of sides throughout the season in some bad conditions,” said Titans head coach Mark Jones.

“Today, the conditions – apart from the wind – were perfect and we just clicked.

“Our backs and forwards worked together very well and that allowed us to get our building blocks in place.”