Doncaster Knights: Paul Jarvis aims to hold onto No 15 shirt

There is no shortage of competition for the No 15 shirt at Castle Park but it will take something extra special to take it off Paul Jarvis.
Paul JarvisPaul Jarvis
Paul Jarvis

Jarvis was switched to the wing, where he played regularly earlier in his career, for the game at Richmond in order to give summer signing Sean Scanlon a run-out.

But despite the former Rotherham man making a useful Championship debut for the club, Griffiths moved Jarvis back to full-back in Saturday’s home game against Bedford and he played a starring role in their hard-fought 30-22 win.

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After making and scoring a try Jarvis looks odds-on to retain his place in the side to visit Ealing Trailfinders this weekend but he is well aware of the fact that he can’t allow his standards to drop if he wants to remain the club’s first-choice full-back.

“Sam Edgerley, who can play in several positions, is fit again now and the club has also signed Sean so there is a lot of competition for places,” said Jarvis.

“I know I’ve got to play well or there is the chance I’ll lose my place in the team but it’s the sort of challenge that I thrive on.”

Jarvis’s pace when linking up in attack has posed problems for the best of Championship defences over the last couple of seasons and it helps him get into position to support a break, even when the player making the break is speed ace Tyson Lewis.

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“This is my fourth year at the club and a few of the other backs have also been here for quite a while and we’ve gelled together well,” said Jarvis.

Having ended the first month of the season with three successive wins, Knights will be hoping to carry on in a similar vein during October.

“We’ll obviously go into it in a confident mood but I’m expecting it to be a tough game and they’ll be more used to playing on the 4G pitch they’ve got down there,” said Jarvis.

“Speaking as a back it is always good to play on a fast surface but I’m not a fan of 4G pitches not least because you can often pick up cuts and bruises - even burns - which can affect your preparation for the next game.”