Post by Jamie Crawford on Jan 26, 2016 18:54:42 GMT
Sunday 31st January 3:15pm – Live on Sky
As the local Star said last Sunday, “Doncaster Knights 19 Jersey 24: Unlucky 13 as 12 match unbeaten run ends
It proved a case of unlucky 13 as Doncaster Knights best-ever run at this level came to an end in Saturday’s British and Irish Cup Pool 5 game at Castle Park.
The Islanders became only the second team to win at Castle Park this season when scoring a last-minute converted try by centre Fautua Otto to claim the spoils…”
That was in the Cup. Now on to league action when we welcome local rivals Rotherham Titans to Castle Park in what is set to be our biggest game of the season in terms of the number of spectators. I’d personally estimate a crowd of over 4 000. That’s my own guesstimate if that figure is way out!
The Knights are still SECOND in the Championship after thirteen games with nine wins, one draw and three losses. The Titans are ninth with six wins and seven losses. On their respective journeys the Knights have scored an average of 26.7 and conceded 20.5 points per game; the Titans have scored an average of 20.7 and conceded 26.7 points per game. The Knights have scored 36 tries to the Titan’s 26 and conceded 30 to the Titan’s 43. (Jersey have still conceded the fewest in the Championship, which puts ointment and a plaster over our defeat.)
Fly-Half Tom Barrett is the Titan’s danger man with the boot and Full Back/Wing Ben Rath is their leading try-scorer. Titan tries have mainly been scored by the Back Row and down the Wings. Opposition forwards have scored 56% of the tries that the Titans have conceded. These have been predominantly from the Back Row. However…
…Earlier this month the Titans signed Scottish Second Row Adam Sinclair to strengthen their pack. Sinclair has been signed from French club Albi and he has appeared for Scotland Under-20s and joins Rotherham to help the Titans recover from an injury crisis. Titan Forwards will be stronger than they have been previously plus gain the experience from French rugby.
Elsewhere this weekend:
Saturday 30th January
Blues v Welsh
Scottish v Carnegie
Mose v Nottingham
Fourth-placed Bedford Blues welcome London Welsh (8) to the slope at Goldington Road
The tenth-placed Scottish Exiles from London host our West Yorkshire neighboursLeeds sorry Leeds Carnegie (3) to the Athletic Ground in Richmond
Bottom club Moseley welcome Nottingham (6) to Billesley Common
Sunday 31st January
Bristol v Jersey
Pirates v Trailfinders
Bristol (1) lie in wait for Jersey (5)
The Cornish Pirates (7) welcome the Trailfinders from Ealing (11)to the Mennaye Field Penzance
The local Star said last Monday (25) “Rotherham Titans today begin their preparations for probably the biggest match of the season-the South Yorkshire derby against Doncaster Knights on Sunday at Castle Park.
Sunday’s clash, which is being broadcast live by Sky Sport, is of vital importance to both sides: Rotherham have lost their last four Championship games and have dropped to ninth, three from the bottom, and Doncaster, in top form this season, need to win to maintain their successful promotion campaign.
Rotherham, who won the first derby this season by 30-23 at Clifton Lane in September, are now much more optimistic that they can reverse the current run of bad form resulting in seven consecutive defeats in all competitions.
Although Rotherham lost 43-24 to Leinster in Dublin on Friday, coach Mark Jones was encouraged by the performance: “ We scored four good tries and have now scored seven in the last two games. We played really well. Leinster were very complimentary and said we were the best side they’ve played this season.”
Can the Knights bounce back from defeat in the Cup and beat their impressive run of unbeaten games? The Titans are confident and it will certainly be a tough task to regain the fortress reputation of Castle Park. We’ve got to play Carnegie, Bristol and Bedford as the remaining opponents at Castle Park this season, hopefully before any play-off games. Hardly the run home that you’d choose; yet to play the current third, first and fourth.
The top four teams have it all to play for. Jersey and Nottingham are less than ten points or two wins away from Bedford Blues in fourth place. The Blues will be aware of this and will fight to be in the play-offs; they are only four points below us.
We can only concentrate on the game ahead, so let’s have a five-pointer please Knights.
All of these games are obviously subject to not being called off due to storm Jonas which is forecast to bring gales and heavy rains to the UK from Tuesday. The poor West of the UK are forecast to receive most of the rain again.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
As the local Star said last Sunday, “Doncaster Knights 19 Jersey 24: Unlucky 13 as 12 match unbeaten run ends
It proved a case of unlucky 13 as Doncaster Knights best-ever run at this level came to an end in Saturday’s British and Irish Cup Pool 5 game at Castle Park.
The Islanders became only the second team to win at Castle Park this season when scoring a last-minute converted try by centre Fautua Otto to claim the spoils…”
That was in the Cup. Now on to league action when we welcome local rivals Rotherham Titans to Castle Park in what is set to be our biggest game of the season in terms of the number of spectators. I’d personally estimate a crowd of over 4 000. That’s my own guesstimate if that figure is way out!
The Knights are still SECOND in the Championship after thirteen games with nine wins, one draw and three losses. The Titans are ninth with six wins and seven losses. On their respective journeys the Knights have scored an average of 26.7 and conceded 20.5 points per game; the Titans have scored an average of 20.7 and conceded 26.7 points per game. The Knights have scored 36 tries to the Titan’s 26 and conceded 30 to the Titan’s 43. (Jersey have still conceded the fewest in the Championship, which puts ointment and a plaster over our defeat.)
Fly-Half Tom Barrett is the Titan’s danger man with the boot and Full Back/Wing Ben Rath is their leading try-scorer. Titan tries have mainly been scored by the Back Row and down the Wings. Opposition forwards have scored 56% of the tries that the Titans have conceded. These have been predominantly from the Back Row. However…
…Earlier this month the Titans signed Scottish Second Row Adam Sinclair to strengthen their pack. Sinclair has been signed from French club Albi and he has appeared for Scotland Under-20s and joins Rotherham to help the Titans recover from an injury crisis. Titan Forwards will be stronger than they have been previously plus gain the experience from French rugby.
Elsewhere this weekend:
Saturday 30th January
Blues v Welsh
Scottish v Carnegie
Mose v Nottingham
Fourth-placed Bedford Blues welcome London Welsh (8) to the slope at Goldington Road
The tenth-placed Scottish Exiles from London host our West Yorkshire neighbours
Bottom club Moseley welcome Nottingham (6) to Billesley Common
Sunday 31st January
Bristol v Jersey
Pirates v Trailfinders
Bristol (1) lie in wait for Jersey (5)
The Cornish Pirates (7) welcome the Trailfinders from Ealing (11)to the Mennaye Field Penzance
The local Star said last Monday (25) “Rotherham Titans today begin their preparations for probably the biggest match of the season-the South Yorkshire derby against Doncaster Knights on Sunday at Castle Park.
Sunday’s clash, which is being broadcast live by Sky Sport, is of vital importance to both sides: Rotherham have lost their last four Championship games and have dropped to ninth, three from the bottom, and Doncaster, in top form this season, need to win to maintain their successful promotion campaign.
Rotherham, who won the first derby this season by 30-23 at Clifton Lane in September, are now much more optimistic that they can reverse the current run of bad form resulting in seven consecutive defeats in all competitions.
Although Rotherham lost 43-24 to Leinster in Dublin on Friday, coach Mark Jones was encouraged by the performance: “ We scored four good tries and have now scored seven in the last two games. We played really well. Leinster were very complimentary and said we were the best side they’ve played this season.”
Can the Knights bounce back from defeat in the Cup and beat their impressive run of unbeaten games? The Titans are confident and it will certainly be a tough task to regain the fortress reputation of Castle Park. We’ve got to play Carnegie, Bristol and Bedford as the remaining opponents at Castle Park this season, hopefully before any play-off games. Hardly the run home that you’d choose; yet to play the current third, first and fourth.
The top four teams have it all to play for. Jersey and Nottingham are less than ten points or two wins away from Bedford Blues in fourth place. The Blues will be aware of this and will fight to be in the play-offs; they are only four points below us.
We can only concentrate on the game ahead, so let’s have a five-pointer please Knights.
All of these games are obviously subject to not being called off due to storm Jonas which is forecast to bring gales and heavy rains to the UK from Tuesday. The poor West of the UK are forecast to receive most of the rain again.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
