Team news: Bristol Rugby vs Doncaster

Posted on Apr 20, 2012 in Bristol, Championship, English Rugby

Liam Middleton shuffles his pack ahead of Bristol’s final Pool A fixture with Doncaster Knights at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday (3pm KO).

The Head Coach makes eight changes from the side that secured a spot in the semi-finals with a 26-20 win over London Welsh last weekend.

George Watkins returns to the starting line up for his first appearance since the 65-3 victory over Brett Davey’s men on the opening day of the play-off campaign.

Jon Goodridge returns in place of Sean Marsden at full-back, while Tom Slater forms a half-back partnership with Matthew Jones.

In the pack, Mark Lilley comes in for his first start in Bristol colours alongside Jason Harris-Wright and Wayne Thompson.

Ben Glynn is named in the second row alongside former Knight Glen Townson, while James Merriman recovers from injury sustained against Nottingham to line up on the flank.

Middleton names a strong replacements bench, with Louis Silver and Will Davis included in the 22-man squad.

Bristol Rugby team to face Doncaster Knights at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday, 21 April (3pm KO):

Jon Goodridge; George Watkins, Fautua Otto, Luke Eves, Will Helu; Matthew Jones, Tom Slater; Mark Lilley, Jason Harris-Wright, Wayne Thompson, Ben Glynn, Glen Townson, Iain Grieve (c), James Merriman, Dan Montagu.
Replacements: Rhys Lawrence, Will Davis, Mariano Sambucetti, Henry Vanderglas, Redford Pennycook, Louis Silver, Matty James.

Patience is key for Green and Whites

Posted on Apr 13, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby, Nottingham

NOTTINGHAM hard man Joe Duffey says the Green and Whites must not be overawed by the must-win situation against Doncaster at Castle Park on Saturday (2.30pm kick-off).

Only a bonus point win will ensure that Nottingham stay in contention to advance to the RFU Championship semi-finals.

While Nottingham have already beaten the Knights four times during the campaign, and notched up record wins against the South Yorkshire side in the process, the hooker isn’t getting carried away.

“We know what to expect and what we need to do, but we really don’t want to get too excited,” Duffey said.

“If we want to play well, we need to have a cool, calm and collected build-up. If we get sucked into getting too hyped up for something like this, then we will end up doing things that we wouldn’t normally do.”

Duffey also warns that focusing too hard on needing a four-try bonus point win invites undue pressure on the side.

“We can do it, we can get the tries, but we can’t get in our head that we need to come up with four tries, because that is only going to get us wound up. And when that happens you are in danger of trying too much stuff.

“We need the tries, we know that, but they don’t all need to come at once.”

According to the experienced campaigner, it is a game of patience that Nottingham will need to rely on.

And when it comes to taking a stronghold of proceedings over 80 minutes, the 29-year-old New Zealander sets the benchmark.

“I’m not there to be pretty, I’m there to do the hard yards,” Duffey said.

“What we’ve noticed with Donny is that they have a tendency to be up at half-time, even against the better teams, and then they seem to run out of puff. Once they are tired we have to strike and play smart.

“If we work them hard in the scrum and in line outs, then they are going to be tired and there will be holes popping up either on the fringes or out wide.”

Nottingham director of rugby Glenn Delaney has made three changes to the side that draw 19-all with Bristol at the Memorial Stadium.

The Green and Whites’ most prolific play-off try scorer Tim Streather comes in at his preferred position of outside centre, replacing the injured Andrew Forsyth.

Matt Parr is promoted to the starting side ahead of loose head prop Michael Holford. Former England international Ayoola Erinle has also recovered from a niggling leg injury to take his place on the bench.

Nottingham Rugby side to take on Doncaster: 1 M Parr 2 J Duffey 3 R Bower 4 C Green 5 N Rouse 6 S Kalamafoni 7 Wilson 8 F Levi 9 S Romans 10 Arlidge 11 A Savage 12 Socino 13 T Streather 14 A Lewington 15 D Jackson.

Replacements from: 16 M Holloway 17 M Holford 18 C Hammond 19 A Shaw 20 F Barnham 21 K Hallett 22 A Erinle.

Championship playoffs set to enter final furlong

Posted on Apr 11, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby

London Welsh are all but certain of a place in the Championship semi- finals after they surged to the top of Pool A thanks to a bonus- point win at Doncaster. On-loan Bath winger Nick Scott raced in for a hat- trick of tries for the Exiles who are now ten points clear of third- placed Nottingham who they meet in the final round of pool games later this month.

Welsh just need a bonus point from their remaining two games to make sure of their place in the last four for the third consecutive season. Doncaster, meanwhile, played their part in an entertaining contest that produced eight tries – three of them to the home side for whom former Newcastle academy player Fred Burdon crossed the line twice.

Bristol stuttered for the second time at home after being held to a 19- all draw against Nottingham. But it could have been worse for the West Country outfit had James Arlidge’s drop goal attempt gone over in the final minute.

A crowd of just over 7,000 turned up at the Memorial Stadium expecting to see Bristol confirm their place in the semi- finals but Liam Middleton’s men were unable to convert the ten-point lead they held at half- time into victory. Nottingham now need to beat Doncaster away and London Welsh at home to have any chance of progressing further in the competition.

Bedford became the first team to officially book their place in the Championship semi- finals after securing their first victory over Leeds at the fourth attempt this season. Leeds did the double over the Blues in the regular season and the sides then drew in the first play- off meeting at Headingley. But on home soil and in front of a large crowd Bedford laid that particular bogey to rest with a 26-20 win at Goldington Road. Tries for Josh Bassett and on- loan Saracens scrum- half Luke Baldwin at the start of the second half proved pivotal to the eventual outcome.

Cornish Pirates are strong favourites to join Bedford in the last four after repeating their home and away victories over Rotherham in the regular season in the play- offs. The Pirates are seven points clear of Leeds, who they meet at Headingley in the final round of fixtures, following their 17-14 success at Clifton Lane. Four penalties from Rob Cook and a try from flanker Phil Burgess were enough to see off the Titans who are bottom of the pool.

Leeds’s hopes of returning to the Premiership at the first attempt are now hanging by a thread after a four- game winless run in the play- offs. A record of two draws and two defeats means that victories in their remaining two games are vital if they are to stand any chance of beating Pirates to the second semi- final qualification play- off spot.

Plymouth will live to fight another day in the Championship after securing their third straight win in the play- offs. On Sunday Albion completed the double over London Scottish with an 11-6 victory at the Athletic Ground to ensure that a troubled season on and off the field has a happy ending.

Aaron Carpenter’s try in the 56th minute proved crucial to the eventual outcome with all the other points in a tight game coming from the boots of Dan Mugford and James Love with two penalties apiece. Love has been integral to Plymouth’s survival bid with 51 points in the play- offs to add to the 187 he managed in the regular season – not a bad return for his inaugural Championship campaign.

Neither Plymouth nor Moseley can be caught at the top of the Pool C table. Both sides are safe having accumulated 19 points – 13 more than bottom side Esher with two games remaining. Moseley secured their future in the second tier with a 25-13 win at Esher, Brad Davies and David Lyons scoring their tries with Ollie Thomas contributing 10 points from the kicking tee.

Esher are effectively down and out unless they can pick up maximum points from their remaining two fixtures and London Scottish fail to claim a single bonus point in theirs. Esher are at home to Plymouth on April 14 before making the short trip to London Scottish a week later.

Jones demands more pride in the Welsh jersey

Posted on Mar 26, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby, London Welsh, London Welsh

In the wake of the Exiles’ 34-24 win over Doncaster Knights at Old Deer Park on Saturday, head coach Lyn Jones has demanded his players show more pride in the London Welsh jersey.

Welsh were nearly made to pay for a below-par first half performance which saw them trial Doncaster three tries to nil at half-time, although by only seven points on the scoreboard thanks to the accurate boot of full back Alex Davies.

Second half tries from Dan George, Nick Scott and Hudson Tonga’uiha, along with the sin-binnings of Matt Challinor and Chris Planchant, saw the Exiles take control with victory moving them a step closer to a place in the semi-finals, although they can ill afford a similar first half display when they make the return trip to Castle Park next Saturday.

“We just need to make sure that we face Doncaster’s challenge with a little bit more pride for the red shirt,” said Jones.

“We’re disappointed to concede 24 points and four tries, and the manner of the points scored was very careless.

“I think Bristol took so much out of us mentally that we weren’t able to raise ourselves today – we suffered in the first half.

“We kicked badly, we kicked long, we didn’t play enough first half and at the end of the day Doncaster wanted it a bit more than we did.”

Jones’ half-time pep-talk seemed to have the desired effect, however, and it was a different London Welsh side that emerged after the break.

“We reflected on the rugby we played first half and that took about four seconds. So it was just a matter of time before we put a bit of rugby together,” he added.

“Early discipline cost us territory and we just couldn’t get out of our own half.

“Between manipulating the scoreline we were just letting Doncaster through for well taken tries I must say – they did well to score those tries.

“But at the same time I want to be critical of my players for not wanting to get across and put tackles in.”

While unable to claim a bonus-point, the win maintains the Exiles’ unbeaten start in Pool A after three rounds.

“We haven’t lost yet; we’re pleased with where we are and we’re delighted with our four points from the match today,” said Jones.

“Today was about the result not the performance, but we need to raise our performance if we’re going to get a result next week.

London Welsh team news

Posted on Mar 23, 2012 in Championship, English Rugby, London Welsh

London Welsh will be keen to ensure that their hard earned draw at Bristol last weekend doesn’t go to waste when they welcome Doncaster Knights to Old Deer Park on Saturday (kick-of 2:30pm) for their round 3 Championship Play-off Pool A fixture.

The Exiles completed the double over the Knights in the regular season, when they followed up their 21-10 win at Castle Park with a 37-14 mid-week victory at Old Deer Park last month. Jack Moates scoring the pick of the Exiles’ five tries.

That mid-week win extended Welsh’s winning run over the Knights to seven matches, and gave the Exiles their third consecutive win over Doncaster at Old Deer Park. The Exiles came out on top 29-24 last season and recorded a 26-10 victory in the sides 2009/10 play-off meeting.

Doncaster’s last win at Old Deer Park in October 2009 was also their last victory over the Exiles in any competition. The Knights coming out on top 20-9.

Welsh go into the game a point adrift of Bristol in Pool A, with Doncaster still searching for their first points after defeats to Bristol and Nottingham.

London Welsh: 15. Edd Thrower, 14. Nick Scott, 13. James Lewis, 12. Hudson Tonga’uiha*, 11. Ashley Smith, 10. Alex Davies, 9. Jack Moates, 1. Shawn Pittman*, 2. Saul Nelson, 3. Greg Bateman, 4. Adam Brown, 5. Gary Johnson, 6. Lee Beach ©, 7. Michael Hills, 8. Ed Jackson.

Replacements: 16. Dan George, 17. Tom French 18. Matt Corker, 19. Ben Russell, 20. Ben Stevenson, 21. Gordon Ross*, 22. Will Hurrell.

* Denotes full international