Doncaster Knights: 'Our heart has been ripped out... but we're still fighting for the Knights' says Clive Griffiths after defeat to Ealing Trailfinders

“We knew it was going to be tough but the players played as well as we could have expected all over the pitch and never gave in,” said director of rugby Clive Griffiths.

“Without looking to make excuses we are under the pump with the number of injured players. We’ve got loan players in and others playing out of position and we were obviously short of a bit of firepower

“But we are digging in and it was 10-9 at half-time and that score for ages in the second half and even though they brought on quality replacements we kept them out and that shows that there is heart in the team.

“Some people might be looking at the result and thinking this and that but the heart of the team has been ripped out but the heart that is remaining is fighting for the Knights and hopefully the supporters can see that.

“We know that Ealing are a good side and we know what they can do but they didn’t open us up down the middle and that was pleasing.”

“There was nothing in the game in the first half, as was reflected by the score, and the message at half-time was to keep on doing what we’d been doing. I still thought that we could get something out of the game until their third try late on.”

Knights had several players on debut including Namibia World Cup back-rower Wian Conradrie.

“It was a tough game in which to make his debut as he had only arrived here on Thursday and he had to go straight in to the side because of the injury situation,” said Griffiths. “In an ideal world we’d have given him time to settle in.”