Post by Jamie Crawford on Sept 6, 2016 12:02:50 GMT
Our first home game of the season arrives at the same time as Doncaster Racecourses biggest meeting of the season; the St. Leger Stakes. The St. Leger is the oldest classic horse race in the World (Colonel Anthony St. Leger founded the race in 1776); 65,425 people went to the four-day St Leger festival last year. The vast majority of those will go on the final day, Saturday for the St. Leger Stakes. I’m doing my duty as a husband and going this year (as will others) so can’t see the Knights beat the Titans.
I would advise turning left from Castle Park (as you must now do to prevent a build-up as cars wait to turn right) on to Armthorpe road and then doing a U-turn at the roundabout about 300m up the road to go back into Armthorpe. Doing this manoeuver is often quicker than trying to turn right on non-match days anyway! You can then turn left at the roundabout in Armthorpe towards Hatfield and then right at the next roundabout outside Armthorpe to head towards the M18 and beyond. Alternatively turn right at the roundabout in Armthorpe towards Old Cantley, then right at the roundabout after Old Cantley opposite the school onto Cantley Lane towards Bawtry road at Cantley traffic lights or straight on down Warnington Lane to go left at the end towards Bawtry/Rossington or the M18 down the new Great Yorkshire Way.
The M18 leads to the A1 (N or S) or the M1 (N or S) going S/W (right) or the M180 or M62 going N/E (left).
The last race is at 6.00pm so hopefully the crowds will stay until the end and the game won’t be delayed.
Who can forget when Juan Pablo Socino (now with Newcastle Falcons) struck that penalty kick last season? It looked as if it was going about five meters left of the upright but them seemed to turn mid-air like a heat-seeking missile aimed at a hot-spot between the posts. Good luck or fantastic appraisal of the strong wing, you be the judge. On one hand he had missed juan or two earlier (sorry) but on the other hand Socino was the best penalty taker in the Championship at the time (and voted Championship player of the season last season!)
On to the game - Head Coach Justin Burnell continues to transform the club which he saved from relegation last season with the signing of over 25 new players (below).
Danny Herriott from Jersey Reds
Miles Normandale from Cardiff Blues
Joe Rees from Worcester Warriors
Tom Williams from Bedford Blues
Joe Graham from Leeds Carnegie
Chad Thorne from Coventry
Ian Williams from Oxford Harlequins
Joe Hutchinson from CR La Vila
Buster Lawrence from Birmingham Moseley
James Tyas from Chinnor
Tom MacDonald from Hartpury College R.F.C.
George Oliver from Coventry
Ollie Curry from London Irish
Luke Cole from Gloucester Rugby
Tom Hicks from Gloucester Rugby
Jack Ramshaw from Leeds Carnegie
George Tresidder from Leicester Tigers
Matt Dudman from Leeds Carnegie
Charlie Foley from Birmingham Moseley
Jake Henry from Darlington Mowden Park
Dan Tai from Leeds Carnegie
Cameron Hudson from Wharfedale
Will Thomas from Llandovery RFC
Ben Foley from England Sevens
Matt Walsh from Darlington Mowden Park
Coming in the reverse direction - to the Knights are Lloyd Hayes, Sean Scanlon and Robin Hislop. These three players will have a point to prove to Burnell but no ex-Knight signed for the Titans over the Summer break.
Last season each team ran out winners at their home ground:
26th Sept – 30–23 to the Titans at Clifton Lane
31st Jan – 34-24 to the Knights at Castle Park.
This season the Titans welcomed the Welsh exiles to Clifton Lane for their first Championship game and beat them by one point 33-32. Apparently the Titans overturned a 14-point deficit to edge an eight-try thriller at Clifton Lane. It seems that the Titans are eminently beatable at home this season but they have a never-say-die attitude akin to the Knights. However the Knights have the home advantage, so c’mon Kinghts, let’s start making Castle Park a fortress this season.
“…the Exiles produced a commanding second half display to open up what looked like being a match-winning 32-18 lead - Kristian Phillips and Aaron Carpenter going over with Joe Carlisle adding a conversion and a drop goal.” (Titans website 06/09/16)
Carlisle’s drop goal proved to be the triumphant score of the game.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
