A Gray day for fast and furious Knights

Doncaster Knights might, just might, be a match for the Saints. For 25 minutes even the Northampton crowd – all 11,000 of them – were quiet as the Knights tore into the home side again and again.

Only twice, and then briefly, in the opening quarter, did Northampton get into the Doncaster half. It was one way traffic, fast and furious. What were missing, though, were points to reward all the effort.

Scoring opportunities there were but a combination of organised defence and isolated players holding on in the tackle meant that just one try was scored – and what a try it was!

Club photographer Graham Severn took a sequence of shots on his long lens that records Justin Bishop taking Mark Woodrow's cross kick, beating the cover tackle and setting off into the Saints' 22.

There he was tackled but still managed to offload over his shoulder to the supporting Scott Gray who then beat Carlos Spencer's cover tackle to make the line for a wonderful try that Woody converted. It brought the house down – even diehard Northampton supporters were on their feet in applause. It was Gray's first try for the Knights since joining from Scottish Borders in the summer.

He added a second in the second half and deservedly won the man of the match award for a superb all round performance.

Saints coach Jim Mallinder was fullsome in his praise for the Knights performance on the day, saying they were by a mile the best side they played to date.

Doncaster's director of rugby Lynnn Howells, was disappointed to lose but immeditaely recognised that this was the best performance of the season to date by his charges.

It was a day to benchmark the side he inherited. He was happy but at the same time aware that to win this league the Knights lack the sheer pace of the Saints backs and their game-breaking players.

In the event, few chances fell to the Saints but they took each one with a clinical finish. The magic of All Blacks Carlos Spence and Bruce Reihana: the cutting edge of former Wigan star Chris Aston and the razor sharp finishing of Scotland wing Sean Lamont – all ingredients that the Knights still lack.

Howells has said that as players become available after the World Cup, the Knights will be open to adding top quality to the squad. Agents are flooding Castle Park with proposals this week and it will be interesting to see what changes happen in the weeks ahead. One thing is for sure: the Knights are now hell bent on going one better than last season and finishing at least second in this league.

This weekend thoughts turn to a short trip across the Pennines to the north Manchester area and old rivals Sedgley Park. They have had a tough start to the season with just two wins from seven games.

After the game, thoughts will turn to the World Cup Final which will be shown at Castle Park in the evening. Doncaster can claim one connection with the England team – scrum half Andy Gomarsall started his rugby career here in the Under 7s in the mid 1980s before his family moved south a few years later.