Doncaster Knights: Clive Griffiths reflects on win over Richmond

Long-serving Dougie Flockhart raced in for a hat trick of tries as Knights claimed a third successive win to climb up to seventh in the table.

“We said at the start of the month that January was going to be a very important month for us so to win all three games and climb away from the bottom four is obviously very pleasing,” said director of rugby Clive Griffiths.

”We hadn’t won at Castle Park in the league since September and that was very much the focus in the build-up.

“Having got the monkey off our back, particularly in front of an above average crowd, we can now look forward with more confidence in our remaining home games.”

Although delighted with Knights’ second half performance, during which they scored four well-worked tries prior to Richmond bagging a late interception try, the Welshman was critical of their first half display.

“We got off to a good start with an early try by Dougie but after that we went back to our bad old ways of giving away penalties and making handling errors,” he said.

“Fortunately, we defended very well and kept them out but a better side, and no disrespect to Richmond, would probably have taken advantage.”

Griffiths said he didn’t pull any punches in his half time team talk with fellow coaches Paul Cooke and Glen Kenworthy also having their say.

“The players responded right from the start and the try scored by (scrum-half) Tom James was worth the admission money alone.

“It was a move we’d stolen from Yorkshire Carnegie from our game at the end of last year and we adapted it on the training ground and it worked a treat.”

Recalled centre Lloyd Hayes also touched down.

“He made a nervous start but he took his chance well and I could never see us losing after that,” said Griffiths.