DONCASTER KNIGHTS 10

WANDERERS 50

Friendly

Castle Park

Monday, September 10th, 2007

The friendly at Castle Park featured an evergreen and a player who by the end of the match had only played 90 minutes of rugby union. And by the final whistle there was just as much disparity on the scoreboard thanks to four second half tries to the visitors.

In 42-year-old Dave Scully Doncaster have a player who has seen it all and scored a century of first class tries. He couldn’t add to his tally tonight but Chris Ashton continued his run of a try per game.

It was Ashton’s first ever start in a Northampton shirt and he was lively throughout. His try, the third of Saints’ eight, showed his instinct for the line and a honed sense of timing a run into the line. Equally notable was Chris Budgen’s 52nd-minute effort that marked his first action of the season.

The game became increasingly comfortable for the confident visitors. But when Doncaster scored in the fifth minute through winger James Rothwell the home side looked in control, thanks to a string of penalties conceded by the visitors.

Two tries before the half-hour steadied the ship: the first for a dummying Stephen Myler, the second a penalty try when Doncaster pulled down a rolling maul close to their line. The Knights’ other points came from the boot of Craig Deakin but by the break the Wanderers had taken control thanks to Ashton and Mark Easter, who scored on the stroke of half-time.

With their discipline troubles under control the Wanderers took an iron grip on the game. David Smith scored a double, but he owed his first to the unselfishness of Ashton who, after collecting a Myler cross-kick, coolly drew the final defender and gave a pass.

Ironically the move of the match denied Smith a hat-trick. Running the ball from deep the Wanderers sliced through Doncaster’s defence with Will Harries (twice), Ashton and Myler all involved. Unfortunately the final pass was ruled forward. It didn’t prove to be a crucial decision and Harries capped the performance with the final try in the 65th minute.

Teams:
Doncaster Knights – Thomas; Webb, Bailey, Deakin, Rothwell; Young, Scully; List, Plevey, Hayes, Wilkinson, Stirland, Cook, Planchant, Soden.
Replacements (all used) – Martin, Fox, Cusack, Pearce, Francis, Story, Marsden.

Wanderers – Harries; Ashton, Hoyles (Hart 65mins), Anderson, Smith; Myler, Vass (Brake 49mins); Vickers (Purbrook 40mins), Batty (Gray 40mins), Sigley (Budgen 28mins), Lord (Cannon 49mins), Hoy, Lawes, Lewitt, Easter.

Scorers:
Doncaster Knights – Try: Rothwell; Con: Deakin; Pen: Deakin.

Wanderers – Tries: Myler, Penalty Try, Ashton, Easter, Smith (2), Budgen, Harries; Cons: Myler (5).

TIMELINE:
5mins KNIGHTS Try Rothwell Con Deakin 7-0
22mins WAND Try and Con Myler 7-7
27mins WAND Try Penalty Con Myler 7-14
31mins KNIGHTS Pen Deakin 10-14
34mins WAND Try Ashton Con Myler 10-21
40mins WAND Try Easter Con Myler 10-28
HALF-TIME KNIGHTS 10 WANDERERS 28
45mins WAND Try Smith Con Myler 10-35
52mins WAND Try Budgen 10-40
61mins WAND Try Smith 10-45
65mins WAND Try Harries 10-50
FULL-TIME KNIGHTS 10 WANDERERS 50