Doncaster Knights 24 Ampthill 32: Knights 'can forget about doing something special' after latest defeat

Having lost at Caldy before Christmas and now to Ampthill, supposedly two of the weaker clubs in the Championship, it is essential the Knights, whose facilities and full-time professional style are far superior, fulfil their potential this Saturday against Bedford, again at Castle Park.

Doncaster should be a top three side regularly given the quality of their squad, reinforced by two new signings recently, but currently look a mid-table team, making too many careless errors, handing over possession to opponents and, arguably, often failing to use a talented back line.

With home advantage and leads of 10-0, 17-8 and 24-15, Doncaster should have won, and with converted tries by flanker Rhys Tait, winger Maliq Holden and hooker Tom Doughty, looked capable of securing victory, but Ampthill quickly counter-attacked to exploit the Knights’ blunders.

Having scored once before the interval, the Bedfordshire club fought back to add four excellent tries on 42, 61, 66 and 77 minutes as Doncaster’s defence was broken far too easily.

Ampthill’s full back, Tom Bacon, briefly a Doncaster player in the 20-21 season, shot through twice in both halves to score thrilling tries after the Knights had given the ball away.

Not surprisingly after such a poor performance against a side they expected to beat, coach Steve Boden was angry.

He said: “If we play on Saturday like that against Bedford, they’ll put 60 points past us. There’s something mentally that’s not quite right with us.

“We’ve got to look into it, and we’ve got to talk about getting back our pride in the club because there’s not a lot there now.

“It was awful. We are in a hole at the moment and neglecting our core skills. It was so easy for Ampthill to beat us. Credit to them. They were abrasive and tough and won because of our errors.

“They looked as if they wanted to be at the contact areas more than us and that’s not acceptable. At the start of the season, we chatted about doing something special this year, but we can forget that.”

The Ampthill game should have been a memorable occasion for Knights’ captain and fly half Sam Olver, making his 100th appearance.

Sadly, after kicking a penalty and a skilful conversion, Olver had to be replaced following an injury which may prevent him playing for some time.

Doncaster Knights: McBryde, Simpson, Margetts, Bedlow, Holden, Olver (Metcalf 23), Dolly (Fox 77), Davidson (Courtney 63), Doughty (Roberts 54), Barrett (Thiede 49), Brown (Mintern 42), Ehizode, Wilson (Hopkinson 77), Tait (Smeaton 59), Digby.

Ampthill: Bacon, Elliot, Jackson, Strachan (Harmes 77), Harris, Barton (Parks 60), White (Green 65), McGuire (Nearchou 50), Cutting (Chapman 65), Beaton (Hardman 59), Peard (Moore-Aiono 53), Pearce-Paul, Stonham, Smart (Blackmore 61), Strong.

Referee: Andrew Jackson.