Talking Sport Now & Then: Knights make smart move while loyalty pays dividends at Dons

I can understand Boden’s reasons for leaving, though the timing could possibly have been better, as the RFU have made a right mess of both funding and giving a sense of direction to the Championship in recent years and I’m not sure their latest proposals will improve the lot of second tier clubs such as the Knights.

I always found Boden, both as a player and later a coach, to be a knowledgeable straight-talking character and I wish him all the best in the future.

Knights look to have made a smart move by bringing in Sr Ian McGeechan to work with, and mentor, head coach Joe Ford.

The 77 year-old has done it all and is rightly highly regarded within the game. As a player he made 32 appearances for Scotland, whom he captained on nine occasions and went on two British & Irish Lions tours.

But it was as a coach where McGeechan really made his mark.

He took over as Scotland head coach in 1988 and two years later steered them to the 1990 Grand Slam – the last time they achieved the feat.

He went on to lead the British & Irish Lions on two tours Down Under and two to South Africa, enjoying great success. He also steered Wasps to Premiership and European Cup glory.

I remember McGeechan being the guest of honour at a Doncaster school’s rugby dinner many years ago.

The teacher who had the job of introducing the man sat next to him had one of those moments, which can happen to anyone, when his mind went blank and he forgot McGeechan’s name.

He rambled on for a couple of minutes in the hope that the name of the man who was known throughout world rugby would come to him and that no-one would guess what was happening. The longer he spoke the less hope of that being the case.

I think the teacher possibly had two names in mind but unfortunately for him he chose the wrong man.

McGeechan remained outwardly composed through it all and made no reference to being wrongly named when standing up and giving his prepared speech.

I was looking forward to listening to what he had to say but unfortunately, I didn’t hear much of it neither did a handful of the young players.

The staff photographer covering the job was late getting to the function and was in a customary bad mood when he arrived just as the speech started and basically told me that he wasn’t going to hang around because he had another job to do and if I wanted a picture of the various school captains I then I would have to get them out of the room sharpish which resulted in me crawling under the tables during the speech to ask the team captain sat nearest to me to do the same and get the others to the room where the photographer was.

I felt more embarrassed than the teacher must have felt earlier.

As part of the backroom changes following Steve’s departure, the popular Glenn Kenworthy makes a welcome return as forwards coach – a position he held for a number of years under Clive Griffiths before taking on a new role within the development programme.

*Doncaster RLFC head coach Richard Horne will be putting the final touches to the Dons preparations for their opening Betfred Championship campaign in eight years over the next week.

Whereas many other clubs would have looked to ring the changes after Horne failed to deliver an early promotion after taking over from Gary Thornton midway through the 2017 campaign, CEO Carl Hall stuck by the former Hull FC legend when some fans were wanting a change.

They were decisions that I supported at the time and Hall’s loyalty to his head coach paid dividends when Horne finally managed to get the Dons over the line after the heartbreak of successive play-off final defeats.

Given the bond the two men have developed over the years, Horne knows Hall will have his back this season irrespective of how the club’s Championship campaign turns out.

Had Hall sacked Horne at any time during his time in charge then his future coaching career at senior level may well have suffered a fatal blow.

But thanks to Hall, the support of Club Doncaster and his own backroom staff, Horne has the chance to make his mark in the competitive second tier and should he do so who is to say that he wouldn’t be head-hunted by Hull at some stage in the future.

*It was pleasing to see Great Britain athletes finishing among the medals last weekend in the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow – though I wish the GB officials would do something about the kit which I feel is one of the worst out there and nothing like the traditional kit of the Coe, Cram, Elliott, Wells era.

With athletics being my main sport as a sportsman for many years, I always enjoy watching it although I much prefer the outdoor meetings even though today’s indoor stadiums are a million miles away from the days when the best we could offer in the UK was RAF Cosford.

I still find it strange watching athletes run two laps in a 400m race indoors.

Having said that I remember, as will no doubt some former Doncaster athletes of a certain age, running a lap and a half in 200m races at the annual mid-summer Winterton Sports contested on a tiny grass track.