Doncaster Knights suffer high-scoring defeat at Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing have big ambitions to win the Championship again this season, and retook the leadership of the second tier with this result allied with Coventry’s home loss to Cornish Pirates.

Doncaster stay fifth with the defeat but are only four points off second-placed Pirates.

Knights actually struck first through Rhys Tait but were 21-5 in arrears by the time George Simpson crossed for their second try, converted by Russell Bennett.

A converted try on the stroke of half time put Doncaster in real trouble at 28-12 going into the second half, and it was 42-12 when Bennett went over for Doncaster’s third.

Jack Metcalf got the bonus-point clinching fourth try to salvage a point for Knights and there was nice footnote at the end as centre Joe Margetts crossed on his 50th appearance for Doncaster.