Doncaster Knights 12 Richmond 22: Knights' top four hopes suffer major setback

Doncaster Knights' hopes of a top four Championship finish for the third successive year suffered another setback following their 22-12 defeat against Richmond at Castle Park, writes Steve Hossack.
Matt Challinor is thwarted by Will Warden. Photo: Dean AtkinsMatt Challinor is thwarted by Will Warden. Photo: Dean Atkins
Matt Challinor is thwarted by Will Warden. Photo: Dean Atkins

The Londoners became the latest side to win at Castle Park – which is proving no longer the fortress it once was this season - when completing the double.

They needed a last minute try to beat Knights at the Athletic Ground earlier in the season but won the return game – which will be remembered more for the blizzard-like conditions than the rugby - with much more to spare.

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Knights remain well-placed in the top four battle but successive defeats have seen them lose ground and allowed two other runners to enter the race.

And with the toughest run-in of any of their rivals this was seen as something of a must-win game.

Already down to the bare bones with well over half-a-dozen players on the sidelines, Knights’ cause wasn’t helped when prop Richard List cried off with a bug on the day of the match and centre Mat Clark also pulled out due to feeling unwell during the warm-up.

That led to centre Lesley Klim being drafted in as a replacement at the 11th hour and prop Colin Quigley, who would only be used in an emergency due to an ankle problem, also helping to fill the bench.

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Their problems didn’t stop there with influential skipper Michael Hills picking up what could turn out to be a serious knee injury in the build-up to Richmond’s first try on 15 minutes.

Full-back Robert Kirby added the extras and also added a penalty a couple of minutes later.

Both sides looked to move the ball but the game was littered with handling mistakes.

Richmond, who elected to play with the wind in a change of tactic, regularly put boot to ball and dominated the territorial exchanges.

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Prop Jeremy Cunnew added to Doncaster’s problems when breaking away to score a second try on 31 minutes to make it 17-0.

Little had been seen of the Doncaster attack in the second quarter until big prop Joe Sproston rewarded a spell of pressure with a close range try.

Knights would probably have settled for a 17-5 scoreline having played into arguably the worst conditions since their return to the Championship.

But Richmond bagged a third close range try in stoppage time to lead 22-5.

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Knowing that they needed to score first after the break, Knights did just that when No 8 Josh Tyrell, who probably felt the cold more than most, touched down for a converted close range try on 47 minutes.

At 22-12 Knights, who had bombed an earlier chance, looked to be back in the game but that was as good as it got and despite a couple of jinking runs by Andy Bulumakau they rarely looked like adding to their tally and ended up empty-handed.

Knights: Cowell, Curtis, A Bulumakau, Foley, Lewis, Humberstone, Heaney; Bergmanas, Nelson, Sproston, Challinor, Hicks, Ram, Hills, Tyrell. Reps: Langdon, Pope, Quigley, Hill, Shaw, James, Klim.