It is Fourth-placed Knights’ last home game of the season, which sees them welcome third-placed Cornish Pirates to Castle Park for a winner takes/keeps third place with one further game left.
Can the Knights make it 11 wins on the bounce or can the Pirates make it six wins on the bounce after losing away last March (45-24) to second-placed Bedford Blues?
The Blues also beat the Knights (34-18) at their Goldington Road home.
Both teams have won 13 games and lost seven, the Pirates extra league point is an extra try bonus point.
Last time out the then fourth-placed Pirates welcomed then eighth-placed Ampthill to Penzance and won 38-33, the try-count was five tries to four. Pirate try-scorers were second row Josh King with a brace, back row Jack Forsythe, prop Billy Young and wing/centre Matt McNab. The Knights must be wary of the Pirate’s legendary driving maul; this probably explains why four of the five tries scored were by forwards.
Then fifth-placed Knights travelled to play third-placed Hartpury University at their ALPAS Arena and inflicted Hartpury’s first home defeat of the season with their tenth win on the bounce. The score was Hartpury 35-41 Knights, with a 4-6 try-count this left Pury with two league points; a losing bonus point (BP) for finishing within seven points and a try BP after scoring four (or more) tries.
Knight Winger 0bi Ene (pictured) scored a brace of tries for the Knights plus scrum half Alex Dolly (re-signed for next season), second row Captain Ben Murphy, centre Zach Kerr (re-signed for next season) and substitute scrum half Ollie Fox (re-signed for next season).
The Pirates are the eighth highest points-scorers away with 233 points but the Knights are sixth highest points-scorers at home with 308. Similarly, the Pirates have leaked the seventh fewest points away with 301 points, the Knights have leaked the second fewest points at home with 200. Point scoring and conceding has been in the Knights’ favour so far this season. Hopefully this will continue.
The Pirates are the third best travellers after recording 5 wins but the Knights have the equal-second strongest fortress this season after recording eight wins.
This season to date the Pirates have scored just two more tries than the Knights but conceded 13 more tries.
Matt McNab is their leading try-scorer and equal-fifth in the Championship. Full back Bruce Houston is the Pirate’s leading points-scorer after scoring three more points than our own Russell Bennett.
Last time the teams met was at Mennaye Field, Cornwall when the Pirates narrowly won 19-14. Can the Knights avenge the defeat or can the Pirates do the double over the Knights and end their purple patch?
Games being played across our green and pleasant land:
Friday 23rd May
Nottingham (7) v Hartpury University (5)
Saturday 24th May
Ampthill (8) v Cambridge (12)
Bedford Blues (2) v Chinnor (10)
Doncaster Knights (4) v Cornish Pirates (3)
Ealing Trailfinders (1) v Coventry (6)
London Scottish (8) v Caldy (11)
A Knight Win would see us leapfrog the Pirates to third.
A Knight Loss could see us drop two places to sixth if Hartpury and Coventry win.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…