Doncaster demolish Rochdale Hornets to reach League One play-off final

The Dons, who will tackle Swinton at Heywood Road on Sunday, ran away with the game in the second half to win 52-20 after leading by just eight points at the end of a keenly-contested first half.

The Dons drew first blood when centre Robbie Storey celebrated his return to action after more than a month on the sidelines when he spotted a gap ten metres out to touch down near enough for scrum-half Conor Robinson to convert.

In addition to kicking all but one of the Doncaster tries, Robinson also kicked well tactically in the first half to help his side win the key battle territorial battle.

Consequently, it took Hornets until the 28th minute to mount their first sustained spell of pressure on the Doncaster line and they made it pay – winger Daniel Nixon running on to a cut-out pass to dive over in the corner following some slick handling.

Hornets’ joy was short-lived.

Robinson found himself in the clear deep in the Rochdale half after running at the line and he found former PNG international centre Jason Tali up in support and he finished strongly to claim his 100th try for the club.

Robinson added the conversion to make it 12-4.

Hornets capitalised on a dropped pass just outside the Doncaster 20 to mount a late spell of pressure. But they failed to turn it into points due to some dogged defending.

With just eight points separating the two sides at the start of the second half the first score was always going to play a vital role and fortunately for the Dons’ fans it was the home side who scored it - hooker Greg Burns’ darting run from acting half-back sending Storey over from close range for a second converted try to make it 18-4.

Hornets looked to have pulled back one of the tries needed to get back into the game when Zac Baker touched down under the posts on 47 minutes but the referee had spotted a forward pass.

The Dons rode their luck and effectively put the game out of reach three minutes later when skipper Sam Smeaton touched down from close-range from Ben Johnston’s pass. Robinson again added the extras to leave Hornets trailing by 20 points.

Watson Boas, who hopes to be back playing at the Eco-Power Stadium for Papua New Guinea in the forthcoming World Cup, burst clear to claim Doncaster’s fifth converted try shortly after coming off the bench.

The one-way traffic continued with Leeds-bound Leon Ruan going over for another converted try.

Winger Travis Corion, who showed good pace on a long touchline tilt, just managed to get over the line after losing his balance after rounding the last line of defence.

Hornets hit back with a try by winger Cian Tyrer, who also added the extras, only for Johnston to cancel it out when making a try out of nothing on 67 minutes.

Belatedly, showing what they could produce, Hornets scored two-well taken tries by centre Ben O’Keefe, the first of which was goaled by Tyrer.

Fittingly, however, the Dons had the final word – Tali getting on the end of a Robinson grubber kick to claim a second converted try

Dons: Taulapapa, Halliday, Tali, Storey, Corion, Johnston, Robinson, Holdstock, Burns, Wilkinson, Smeaton, Ruan, McConnell. Subs: Roberts, Peterson, Fella, Boas.