Having lost at home earlier in the season a tough match was expected and so it turned out. From the kick off the home team ran the ball and while the visitors made some good tackles, Doncaster’s ball retention was excellent and they went through phase after phase. They eventually won a scrum in the Burton 22 and the centre made a break to score under the posts after 10 minutes. The try was converted.

Burton soon came under pressure again and when a clearance kick failed to find touch the home team ran the ball through a couple of missed tackles to score their second try which was also converted.

After that Burton managed to keep hold of the ball themselves and were able to put pressure on the home team through some direct running. The forwards and backs combined to take the ball towards the line and lock Athenkosi Kethani went over. Will Simpson missed the conversion attempt.

This was to be their only score of the half as Phoenix ran in two more tries through a combination of skilful running by their backs and some mistakes by Burton. The kicker missed both conversion attempts so the score at half time was 24-5.

After the restart the home team scored again when the fly half put in a crosskick for his winger who gathered the ball with ease and evaded an attempted tackle to score under the posts. The kicker added the extra points.

Burton then showed they can also play and after the forwards carried the ball into the Phoenix 22 it came out to Simpson who found a gap to run through and score the visitors’ second try. Simpson converted his own try.

The home team kept trying to run the ball from their own half, so Burton were able to keep them pinned in at times. They eventually won a scrum and the ball came out to fly half Harry Titley who sold a dummy to his opposite number and made a break to score under the posts. Simpson added the extra points.

The home team went further ahead when they recovered the ball, again from a Burton mistake and although Burton scrambled well with a try saving tackle made by scrum half Chaz Bunting, they could not prevent the try being scored from the next phase. The conversion was missed.
Burton went on the attack again and won a scrum. However, the pass was intercepted by the opposition scrum half who outstripped all of the Burton defenders to score under the posts. The try was converted to make the score 43-19.

With the game now won you would have expected the home team to kick the ball deep into the Burton half but they insisted on carrying the ball and Burton were able to maintain good field position. Burton worked hard and were rewarded with three more tries before the end of the match.

The first of these was scored by winger Alex Nesbitt who joined the back line in the centre and perhaps should have passed but managed to get to the line himself, ensuring a try bonus point. The conversion was missed. The second came when Burton were awarded a penalty. From the ensuing line out the forwards drove over the line with hooker James Davies getting the touch down. This time Simpson was able to add the extra points.

The last of these three tries went to the forwards again. After another good drive Kethani got hold of the ball and crashed over for his second try. Simpson converted with the last kick of the game to ensure a losing bonus point.

Burton played well in the second half and came back strongly to earn themselves two bonus points which were unexpected at half time. These may prove to be crucial as we get towards the end of the season. The final score was Doncaster Phoenix 43 Burton 38.