Squandering of lead sums up Knights’ growing woes

Not only did the Knights throw away a match-winning position of 19-7 at Castle Park against the Scottish Premiership champions, they also failed to use the British and Irish Cup, in which the overall standard is not as tough as the Championship, as an opportunity to restore confidence and rectify errors.

A transformation in form and application are required by Doncaster if they are to win at Meadow Lane against Nottingham on Friday in the next round of the competition.

Success in the British and Irish Cup is not the priority given Doncaster’s low place in the Championship table, second from bottom after six matches.

League survival must be the aim which is why winning the next Championship contest against Moseley at Castle Park,a week on Friday, is now of such importance.

What must have been particularly frustrating for coaches Brett Davey and Glen Kenworthy was that their team clearly has potential and ability and yet failed to deliver once again.

Doncaster managed to lose a game in which they scored four excellent tries, one of which by centre Will Simpson on 21 minutes was quite superb.

The move began with winger Dougie Flockhart who made an exciting break as Doncaster fought back. The counter attack was continued by No 8 Adam Kettle whose run was well supported.

The ball was switched from right to left and with Melrose unable to cope with the speed and skill of Doncaster’s handling, the Knights’ backs laid on an outstanding score which Simpson completed.

That excellent try was by no means the only decent one. The others on seven, 29 and 84 minutes by hooker Ben Sowrey, winger Dan Smith and Flockhart were also constructed intelligently and showed that the side can damage opponents, but the point is their efforts were ruined by themselves because of careless mistakes in defence and their repeated failure to keep hold of the ball.

Doncaster gave possession away more than 20 times, on 12 occasions in the second half, so it was no surprise that Melrose had such a productive second 40 minutes.

The team from the Scottish Borders, who had conceded three tries prior to the interval, and would have been punished by a fourth if Doncaster flanker David Bradford had not dropped the ball metres from the line, recovered strongly from a 19-7 deficit.

Doncaster fatally lost control and gradually their match-winning position evaporated. Indeed, they let in 23 points in a painful second half.

By the 46th minute, Melrose were just two points behind but on 60 minutes they led 27-22 after the conversion of the try by centre Bruce Dick, their second of the half.

Dick’s score, probably the turning point of an entertaining tie, owed precious little to Melrose’s creativity. Doncaster’s fly-half, Tom Luke, attacking at pace, threw out a high pass which was instantly and gratefully taken by Dick who rounded off his interception.

Doncaster continued to upset the referee and once Melrose’s fly- half Andrew Skeen had put over his second penalty on 67 minutes to add to his three conversions, the Knights were sinking quickly and losing by 30-22.

Doncaster’s loyal supporters were becoming increasingly angry, but in the second minute of injury time they saw, at long last, a glimpse of what their team was capable of producing.

Luke, who, apart from his earlier carelessness, played sensibly, made another threatening break. Replacement back Dante Mama supported the move and then passed to Flockhart who exploiting limited space to score.

An equally excellent conversion by Jamie Lennard from a narrow angle on the touchline cut the gap to only one point at 30-29, but with injury time rapidly coming to an end, Doncaster’s hopes disappeared.

Knights’ head coach Glen Kenworthy now has what has become the all-too familiar task of trying to turn his battered squad into a winning one.

“You would have thought that we would have won when we in front 19-7 at half-time,” he said. “Winning, though, is a habit and we haven’t that habit at the moment. We train well but when Doncaster cross the white line, we implode a wee bit.

“We are not retaining the ball. Rugby is a confidence game and we are lacking that and it’s hard to regain confidence. We just have to keep working hard.”

Doncaster remain genuinely optimistic that the crisis can be overcome. Their chances of avoiding relegation would be improved if they beat bottom club Jersey at Castle Park next month.

Doncaster Knights: Lennard, Flockhart,Simpson (Mama 46), Tincknell, Smith, Luke, Hallam(Silver 77); Brown (Davies 53), Sowrey, McGovern, Hoy (Planchant 60), Parsons, Boyde (Thomson 59), Bradford, Kettle.

Melrose: Thomson, Mallin, Dick, Helps, Kalamafoni, Skeen, Colvine (McCormick 73); Little (Arthur 65), Walker, Holborn, Ovens (Johnston 50), Miller, Dalziel, Runciman (Mitchell 50), Nagle.

Referee: S Rees (RFU).

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