Rampant Doncaster RLFC ease to victory at Batley Bulldogs

Strong-running Bureta Faraimo, currently out injured, scored four tries when the Dons posted a 38-0 away win over the West Yorkshire side in the closing weeks of last season, with Edene Gebbie and Luke Briscoe sharing four between them in their third successive win over them.

The Dons, who are entertaining to watch when they play like this, carried on where they had left off with a blistering start which earned them an 18-0 lead at the end of the first quarter despite playing up the biggest slope in the British game.

They scored the first of their nine tries after just five minutes when winger Gebbie powered his way over from close range in the corner after the ball had been moved along the line. Scrum-half Connor Robinson, who again showed up well, tagged on an excellent touchline conversion in the blustery conditions.

The Dons doubled their lead on 12 minutes when prop Suaia Matagi, who led from the front in the first quarter, crashed over from close range after Batley had failed to clear the danger from a kick by Robinson who added the much easier conversion.

Centre Oli Greensmith, who played several games on loan from Wakefield during the Dons’ League One days, went close for Batley prior to the visitors turning defence into attack on 20 minutes. Stand-off Watson Boas broke strongly down right from the halfway line before finding supporting skipper Reece Lyne on his inside ten metres out. Robinson again tagged on the extras.

The Bulldogs started to show their teeth more in the second quarter and scored their first points against the Dons in over three hours with a converted try by second-rower Dane Manning. But they failed to turn further pressure into points - partly due to their own failings and some solid defence.

And they fell further behind just before the break when Briscoe rounded off a bout of slick handling to touch down in the corner to earn his side a commanding 22-6 interval lead.

It took the Dons less than five minutes to add to their lead. Centre Brad Hey another to impress in what was a strong team performance, strolling in from ten metres out for another converted try following more crisp handling along the line.

They lost Boas with a broken nose on 53 minutes, but it didn’t affect their momentum and a good offload in the tackle by Pauli Pauli, who showed up well after coming on at the start of the second half for his first taste of action after knee surgery, set up the chance for Gebbie to cross from close range two minutes later.

Full-back Craig Hall, who has been in a rich vein of form in recent weeks, raced in from 30 metres for another converted try as the Dons opened up a 40-6 lead,

The Dons returned to the attack after a spell on defence during Batley’s best attacking spell of the half with hooker Isaac Misky going over from close range. Robinson’s sixth conversion made it 44-6.

Batley opened their account for the half with Greensmith going over from close range for a 70th minute converted try.

Gebbie brought the Dons’ supporters to their feet with another 50m run down the middle before Briscoe raced in for a another long-range try at the death to give Robinson the chance to bring up the half century of points for the first time since winning promotion.

Dons: Hall, Briscoe, Lyne, Hey, Gebbie, Boas, Robinson, Knowles, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Smeaton, Fash. Subs: Misky, Gardiner, Hepi, Pauli.