Doncaster Knights 54 Nottingham 45: Knights finish on high ahead of busy summer rebuild
DONCASTER KNIGHTS finished a frustrating season in the Champ on a high note at Castle Park with their fourth consecutive league win.
It was an entertaining contest against Nottingham, one which produced 15 tries, eight of them from the Knights.
The performance – dazzling at times – earned a maximum five-point haul, meaning Doncaster end the campaign in eighth on 73 points with a record of 12 victories, 11 defeats and three draws.
But the scale of the task ahead of them to try and close the gap on the leading teams is clear, finishing 54 points off convincing champions Ealing Trailfinders
What’s been puzzling is why their talented players have been unable to achieve far more.
Excellent wins against Worcester, Coventry, Cornish Pirates and Bedford and, indeed, against Nottingham, illustrated clearly the quality which could be delivered, but weak results and performances against the likes of Chinnor and Ampthill at Castle Park and losing 61-17 at Ampthill, showed the inconsistencies of a full-time squad.
Doncaster’s plans for next season are well underway and another 10 new players will be announced soon, so when the squad for the 2026-27 season reports back in early July, the Knights will have just over 40 players to pick from, several from the current group.
Four tries in the first half, two by scrum-half Alex Dolly and one each for Ben Chapman and Connor Edwards, were followed by another four in the second by forward Jasper McGuire, wingers Matt McNab and Zach Kerr and a penalty try.
It enabled a deserved win against, as did the departing Russell Bennett – joining rivals Rotherham Titans – adding six conversions.
One player back next season is fly half Morgan Bunting, 25, formerly at Rotherham and Nottingham.
“I’m very optimistic,” said Bunting. “It’s a good idea that Doncaster have moved to part-time professionalism as it gives the boys the chance to develop their careers off the pitch.
“I’m excited about the South Yorkshire derby and you must give credit to Rotherham who’ve done well to get back to the Champ.
“It’s good for the local community because we’ve not had that rivalry for a while. We have a lot of good rugby people who care about Doncaster, and it would have been easy for them to moan this season, but they’ve backed us.”