George Edgson treble helps Doncaster Knights power past Nottingham

Doncaster’s seven tries secured a maximum five points against an enthusiastic but limited Nottingham team and ensured they bounced back from the previous week’s disappointing defeat at Cornish Pirates.

A seventh victory in ten Championship matches saw Knights move onto 31 points, ten behind leaders Ealing Trailfinders. They remain fourth in the table.

The several changes coach Steve Boden made after the loss in Penzance proved beneficial and with second bottom Nottingham foolishly conceding too many penalties, Doncaster’s forwards took advantage.

Five of their tries, three by hooker George Edgson on 26, 40 and 50 minutes, were produced from aggressive rolling mauls against which Nottingham’s pack found it difficult to defend.

Knights were comfortably ahead by 24-0 at the interval following tries by Argentinean flanker Guido Volpi, set up by the charging Thom Smith, Edgson’s first, a skilful score from winger Kyle Evans and the second by Edgson just before half time.

After earning the bonus point, Edgson’s third try ten minutes into the second half stretched the lead to 29-0 and with scrum-half Alex Dolly kicking accurately, adding his third conversion, Doncaster effectively had won the contest with 30 minutes left.

Nottingham scored a first try on 56 minutes after the Knights were penalised at the scrum. From the line-out Nottingham’s replacement prop Josh McNulty was driven over to score.

That brought an immediate reply from the hosts with replacement hooker Will Holling finishing the maul and fly-half Billy McBryde, enjoying an excellent game, converting to make it 38-7.

Winger Maliq Holden added the seventh try in the corner after a cross-kick from McBryde’s replacement, Sam Olver, before the visitors’ spirit earned them a second try.

Hooker Edgson is delighted to be back at Castle Park after returning to the club from Jersey.

He said: “Doncaster is a positive environment and the team spirit is good.

"It’s great to score my first hat trick but I was just sitting at the back of the maul and the others were doing the work for me.

“After the loss at Pirates we needed a professional performance and we put that in.”

Knights: Davey, Evans, Margetts (Best, 67), Edwards, Holden, McBryde (Olver, 75), Dolly (Wheeldon, 51), Davidson (Carlile, 51), Edgson (Holling, 51), Foster (Denman, 61), Kelly (Davies, 58), Drake, Volpi, Hudson, Smith (Roberts, 61).

Nottingham: Stapley, D Williams (Graham, 70), Thacker, Bunting (Creed, 70), Browning, Bale (Hollingsworth, 40), Marsh, Sio (T Williams, 40), Farnworth, Betts (McNulty, 50), Ramshaw (De Andrade, 50), Cox (Hanekom, 56), Wright, Barrett, Obano (Tweedy, 48).

Referee: Sara Cox