Post by Jamie Crawford on Nov 8, 2016 14:11:32 GMT
Friday 18th November 20.00.
We undoubtedly travel to Headingly as the underdogs as the fourth-placed Knights play second-placed Carnegie at Headingly. Carnegie have only lost once this season and that was last time out against the unbeaten Irish exiles. They may be smarting from that loss but the Knights want Carnegie to continue their losing ‘streak’.
Apparently Carnegie recruited well pre-season and their initial results confirm that. As mentioned they have only been beaten once in eight games by top-placed and unbeaten London Irish. That said it was a convincing victory 41-17 to confirm the pecking order.
“Scottish international prop Michael Cusack brought his career full circle by returning to Leeds Carnegie for the 2016-17 season having agreed a two year contract with the club.
The Doncaster-born prop made his senior debut as a teenager back in 2003 and now 13 years later he returns to his first club. The 31-year-old made his Scotland debut prior to last year's World Cup having qualified through residency after five seasons at Glasgow Warriors.” (RFU)
Recent Mini-Junior Head Coach/ Rugby Development Manager Ants Posa has installed measures taken to prevent or at least dissuade this leakage of home-grown talent. There is now a pathway from Mini-Juniors on to Phoenix or even the Knights for exceptional talent. Players can even combine studying at Doncaster College with playing rugby through the Academy. “The Academy is in an initiative developed through a partnership between Doncaster College & University Centre and the Knights aimed at developing elite young sportsmen alongside studying for academic qualifications out of Castle Park.
“The ambition of the Academy of Sport is to allow students to fully prepare for a career in sport whilst to learning and playing in a professional sporting environment, which will ultimately lead to improved progression routes in their chosen field with much more than a qualification.
The full time Rugby Development Centre is based out of Castle Park and comprises two age groups 16-18 (FE) studying programs from levels 1-3 and post 18 (HE) studying degrees in either Sports Science or PE & Coaching.
Players accepted to the Academy of Sport will complete all their Rugby activity at Castle Park with access to our wide range professional facilities. Such unique opportunities will allow Academy players to get in the mindset of how a professional club operates and what it takes to make it in the world of sport.
The two Academy sides are coached by DRFC Rugby Development Manager Ants Posa and play their home games out of Castle Park meaning that those individuals who demonstrate the potential to succeed in the professional game will have a clear path to the Knights set up.” (DRFC website)
Carnegie may be second and have scored 32 tries over eight games compared to the Knights’ 23 but they have conceded 27 tries to the Knights’ 15. Does Carnegie play an attacking game which can lead to both try-scoring and try-leakage? Simples - the Knights need to try to prevent Carnegie from scoring (predominantly front row, wings and centres) and try to exploit their defence (predominantly wings, half backs and front row).
In Joe Ford Carnegie has the Championships second best kicker and Ford has scored about 24% more points than third-placed Titan Will Robinson. The Knights particularly have to watch for Ford’s drop goals. He has scored three over eight games; Welsh’s Joe Carlisle and Bedford’s Jake Sharp are the only others to have scored a drop goal and both have only scored one.
Other results that could impact the Knights’ fourth place in the Championship this weekend:
Carnegie are nine points above and so a possible Knights win wouldn’t alter that. Similarly a Carnegie win wouldn’t see them rise to first IF the Pirates beat the Irish exiles in Cornwall on Saturday.
Nottingham (6, 4 points below) v Ealing Trailfinders (3, 1 point ahead) on Friday 18th
London Welsh (5, 2 points below) v Bedford Blues (11) on Saturday 19th
Cornish Pirates (7, 4 points below) v London Irish(1, unbeaten) on Saturday 19th
We undoubtedly travel to Headingly as the underdogs as the fourth-placed Knights play second-placed Carnegie at Headingly. Carnegie have only lost once this season and that was last time out against the unbeaten Irish exiles. They may be smarting from that loss but the Knights want Carnegie to continue their losing ‘streak’.
Apparently Carnegie recruited well pre-season and their initial results confirm that. As mentioned they have only been beaten once in eight games by top-placed and unbeaten London Irish. That said it was a convincing victory 41-17 to confirm the pecking order.
“Scottish international prop Michael Cusack brought his career full circle by returning to Leeds Carnegie for the 2016-17 season having agreed a two year contract with the club.
The Doncaster-born prop made his senior debut as a teenager back in 2003 and now 13 years later he returns to his first club. The 31-year-old made his Scotland debut prior to last year's World Cup having qualified through residency after five seasons at Glasgow Warriors.” (RFU)
Recent Mini-Junior Head Coach/ Rugby Development Manager Ants Posa has installed measures taken to prevent or at least dissuade this leakage of home-grown talent. There is now a pathway from Mini-Juniors on to Phoenix or even the Knights for exceptional talent. Players can even combine studying at Doncaster College with playing rugby through the Academy. “The Academy is in an initiative developed through a partnership between Doncaster College & University Centre and the Knights aimed at developing elite young sportsmen alongside studying for academic qualifications out of Castle Park.
“The ambition of the Academy of Sport is to allow students to fully prepare for a career in sport whilst to learning and playing in a professional sporting environment, which will ultimately lead to improved progression routes in their chosen field with much more than a qualification.
The full time Rugby Development Centre is based out of Castle Park and comprises two age groups 16-18 (FE) studying programs from levels 1-3 and post 18 (HE) studying degrees in either Sports Science or PE & Coaching.
Players accepted to the Academy of Sport will complete all their Rugby activity at Castle Park with access to our wide range professional facilities. Such unique opportunities will allow Academy players to get in the mindset of how a professional club operates and what it takes to make it in the world of sport.
The two Academy sides are coached by DRFC Rugby Development Manager Ants Posa and play their home games out of Castle Park meaning that those individuals who demonstrate the potential to succeed in the professional game will have a clear path to the Knights set up.” (DRFC website)
Carnegie may be second and have scored 32 tries over eight games compared to the Knights’ 23 but they have conceded 27 tries to the Knights’ 15. Does Carnegie play an attacking game which can lead to both try-scoring and try-leakage? Simples - the Knights need to try to prevent Carnegie from scoring (predominantly front row, wings and centres) and try to exploit their defence (predominantly wings, half backs and front row).
In Joe Ford Carnegie has the Championships second best kicker and Ford has scored about 24% more points than third-placed Titan Will Robinson. The Knights particularly have to watch for Ford’s drop goals. He has scored three over eight games; Welsh’s Joe Carlisle and Bedford’s Jake Sharp are the only others to have scored a drop goal and both have only scored one.
Other results that could impact the Knights’ fourth place in the Championship this weekend:
Carnegie are nine points above and so a possible Knights win wouldn’t alter that. Similarly a Carnegie win wouldn’t see them rise to first IF the Pirates beat the Irish exiles in Cornwall on Saturday.
Nottingham (6, 4 points below) v Ealing Trailfinders (3, 1 point ahead) on Friday 18th
London Welsh (5, 2 points below) v Bedford Blues (11) on Saturday 19th
Cornish Pirates (7, 4 points below) v London Irish(1, unbeaten) on Saturday 19th
