Report: Cardiff Blues Select XV 27 Doncaster Knights 42

Doncaster Knights completed back-to-back British and Irish Cup wins over Cardiff Blues Premiership Select with a 42-27 victory at Sardis Road.
Curtis Wilson scored two tries in the Knights' win over Cardiff BluesCurtis Wilson scored two tries in the Knights' win over Cardiff Blues
Curtis Wilson scored two tries in the Knights' win over Cardiff Blues

Although not as impressive as in the 70-12 win at Castle Park a week earlier, Knights achieved their aim of a bonus point win.

The Welsh side, who were always behind in the game at Castle Park, took just three minutes to claim the lead with unconverted try by Lewis Jones.

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But the Knights took a lead they rarely looked like surrendering when wing Curtis Wilson touched down in the corner to claim his third try in as many games.

Fly-half Declan Cusack celebrated his return to the starting line-up when converting the touchline conversion to make it 7-5.

Knights were held up over the line during a forward drive but it only proved a stay of execution for the Welsh side as full-back Paul Jarvis celebrated his first game for three months after latching on to a pass which bounced off the floor close to the line.

The Knights went close to a third try two minutes later from a grubber kick which Kyle Evans struggled to deal with.

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And they almost gifted their opponents a try with some sloppy handling prior to stretching their lead to 21-5 on the half-hour with a third converted touchdown by speedy scrum-half Tom James, who backed up a good break by second-rower Morgan Eames.

The Select side, just as they had done at Castle Park, claimed a second first half try to cut the Doncaster lead to 21-10.

Hooker Dave Nelson thought he had scored on his return to action only to have his ‘try’ disallowed for a forward pass.

The Knights gave the scoreline a more representative look five minutes after the restart when centre Will Owen used his strength to score a bonus point try when there didn’t look to be a great deal on, having little room in which to work and surrounded by defenders. Cusack added the extras to make it 28-10.

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Knights extended their lead on 50 minutes with the try of the game.

James made the initial break before finding last week’s two-try hero Jason Hill in support. Centre Mat Clark kept the move going and took play to within metres of the line before being checked and finding the fit-again Charlie Foley.

Despite trailing 35-10 the home side were not about to throw in the towel and a brace of tries by Millard put them within 13 points of Knights with just over ten minutes of normal time remaining.

But for a try-saving tackle by Bulumakau the home side could have been within a converted try of victory.

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The Knights put paid to Cardiff’s hopes of a famous victory when Wilson capitalised on good work by Jack Bergmanas and Michael Heaney in the build-up to claim a sixth converted try.

And Millard completed his hat-trick at the death.

Knights: Jarvis, Wilson, Clark, Owen, J Bulumakau, Cusack, James: Evans, Nelson, Sproston, Challinor, Eames, Shaw, Ram, Hill. Rep: Bergmanas, List, Quigley, Batt, Jones, Heaney, Foley.