'A strong league': And Doncaster Knights are braced for its toughest test
Dean Richards has hailed the strength of Champ Rugby as his Doncaster Knights team prepare to face the best team the second tier has to offer.
Knights welcome unbeaten league leaders and defending champions Worcester Warriors to Castle Park today.
Richards made his name as a hugely successful coach of Leicester Tigers at the sharp end of English and European rugby.
But he also had two stints in the Championship as it was then known, winning it at the first attempt with both Harlequins in 2006 and Newcastle Falcons in 2013.
Both times they were the team expected to win promotion - something no longer available to the second-tier champions.
Now further down the table with Doncaster – a squad he inherited in the summer which he is still moulding - Richards is enjoying the challenge the second tier is presenting.
“I've been in the league before and it's always been a strong league,” said Richards.
“I think there's a lot of good rugby played in the league by some good teams, there really is.”
Doncaster have won only two of their first six games this season.
"Turning actions into words”
In National One, in-form Leeds Tykes look to make it five wins in six when they welcome mid-table Birmingham Moseley, while Sheffield RUFC host fellow strugglers Dings Crusaders.
Sheffield’s director of rugby Anthony Posa believes his team are still acclimatising to the challenges of the step up in divisions.
“There’s games we’ve lost this year where the exact same performance last year would have been a win,” he said. “It’s easy for me to say, it’s about turning those words into actions.”
Proud names struggling
Two big Yorkshire names are struggling at the wrong end of the National Two North table.
Otley and Wharfedale used to ply their trade in the second tier but after years of being mid-table in the regionalised fourth tier, now occupy the bottom two positions. Both have won just one game each with Otley in 13th and away at second-placed Darlington Mowden Park today. Bottom club Wharfedale travel to Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield, who are fourth bottom.
After a strong start, Hull Ionians have lost two straight. They host Preston Grasshoppers.