Doncaster Knights: Clive Griffiths has points total in mind to secure survival

Doncaster Knights will be bidding to get back on track following three successive defeats in Saturday ‘sChampionship game against fourth-placed Bedford Blues at Castle Park (2.30pm).
Clive GriffithsClive Griffiths
Clive Griffiths

Having talked about making a challenge for a top-four spot after winning the first three games of 2019, director of rugby Clive Griffiths admits he is again looking over his shoulder at the four teams below Knights.

“I think we need at least another eight points to be safe and if we can’t pick up enough points from our four remaining home games then we would deserve to be back in National One were other results to go against us,” said the Welshman. “I don’t think that will happen but I’m not setting us any targets either. I just want us to finish as high as possible.

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“I’d certainly settle for sixth place at this moment in time being ten points behind Nottingham, who we should have beaten in our last home game.

“We’ve certainly got to play better than we did in the first half at Jersey when we conceded four of the six tries.

“I’ve been embarrassed by some of the tries we’ve conceded in recent games and when I look at the quality of the coaching staff I’ve got around me it has left me scratching my head.

“We are doing nothing different to the seasons when we finished second and fourth but players are going off script and making individual errors.

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“It was a lot better in the second half in Jersey and we showed a bit of steel and we looked something like a rugby team but we’ll have to start where we carried off against Bedford.

“We’ve definitely got our hands full because they score a lot of points – though they also concede a lot as well – and they’ll be fancying their chances after watching footage from our recent games.

"They suffered a late defeat against Yorkshire Carnegie last weekend but that won’t bother them because they are under no pressure whereas we are.”