The Knights have a point to prove to Chinnor after trailing 18-13 but reputedly in the ascendency in the reverse fixture at Chinnor last November when the floodlights failed and the game was cancelled. Opinions of Knight’s supporters differed about having ‘only’ played 58 minutes but the consensus seemed to be that a replay would be the fairest result. The RFU eventually concluded that the result would stand.

Both sides scored a brace of tries in the fixture, Chinnor’s fly half George Worboys added a conversion and two penalties to his try. The other Chinnor try was scored by prop Rob Hardwick.

Last time out the Knights travelled to Elgia Fields to play Cambridge and had a comfortable win 17-52, scoring eight tries in the process.Knight try-scorers were wing Jordan Olowofela, flanker Rees Tait, scrum half Ollie Fox scored a brace, No. 8 Morgan Strong (pictured), substitute wing Aiden Cross also scored a brace and substitute hooker Fred Davies. The result was strangely enough almost a carbon copy of when the sides met last November and the Knights won 52-17 at Castle Park. The Knights scored eight tries and six conversions in each game but Chinnor scored two tries, two conversions and one penalty last November, then three tries with one conversion last Saturday.

Chinnor welcomed fifth-placed Cornish Pirates to Kingsey Road in Thame and narrowly lost by just two points 31-33. Chinnor scored five tries and so gained two bonus points for scoring four tries or more and for finishing with seven points of the winner. Chinnor tries were scored by hooker Alun Walker, full back Nick Smith, substitute scrum half Callum Pascoe and substitute flanker Cameron Rafferty dotted down twice.

placeholder image — Doncaster Knights rugby union team

A prop and the fly half powered over the line (not out wide) against the Knights last November and last week tries were scored by a hooker, a full back, a scrum half and a different flanker. This indicates that tries tend to be scored fairly centrally, except possibly the full back Smith try that could have been anywhere on the pitch but…

Other games taking place across our green and pleasant land:

Saturday 9th April

Ampthill (8) v London Scottish (9)

Morgan Strong, Doncaster Knight No.8 photo by John Ashton

Cornish Pirates (5) v Caldy (11)

Doncaster Knights (6) v Chinnor (10)

Ealing Trailfinders (1) v Bedford Blues (2)

Hartpury University (4) v Coventry (3)

Sunday 20th April

Nottingham (7) v Cambridge (12)

Eighth plays ninth, first plays second and fourth welcome third. Both Coventry and Hartpury will have their eye on second place as they’re equal and two points below second-placed Bedford respectively. Of course, Bedford might beat Ealing but Ealing have only been beaten twice this season (both times by the Knights).

A Knight Win would enable us to leapfrog the Pirates to fifth if Caldy beat them.

A Knight Loss would mean we remain seventh because Nottingham are six points below us.

COYK

DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…