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Doncaster Knights 36–27 Worcester Warriors
The First Real Test — And a Warning We Must Heed
There was always something different about this trip to Castle Park. Six wins from six had given Worcester Warriors the perfect start to the Championship campaign, but Saturday's visit to Doncaster was widely regarded as the first real examination of our credentials. Here was a side among last season's leading teams, a club that had passed the entry criteria for promotion to the Premiership, and one that had already beaten us on its own ground last season.
Could we make it seven from seven, or
would another Yorkshire club bring our winning run to an end?
Sadly, the answer was the latter. Doncaster Knights deserved their 36–27 victory, and while there were moments when Warriors showed the attacking ability that has made such an impressive start to the season, there was too much that fell short of the standard required. The result was disappointing, but perhaps more concerning was the manner of the defeat.
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A Difficult Opening
Doncaster Take Control
From the opening minutes it was apparent that Doncaster had arrived with a clear purpose. They looked sharper, more organised and more committed to the contest, while Warriors appeared to be second best in too many departments.
The difference was particularly noticeable among the forwards. Doncaster were quicker in support, sharper around the breakdown and, for much of the afternoon, matched us and at times dominated us at the set piece. They were winning the little battles that provide the foundation for everything else, while our own support was too often arriving a fraction too late.
Behind that forward platform, their backs looked dangerous. They had greater pace, ran better lines and combined that movement with the power and acceleration of two outstanding wingers. It was a potent combination, and one that repeatedly asked questions of our defensive organisation.
Doncaster opened the scoring in the 14th minute through Sugars, but Warriors responded almost immediately. Will Biggs crossed in the 20th minute to bring us back to 7–5, showing that we were not prepared to let the home side dictate the afternoon without a fight.
Doncaster struck again through Tagutu, extending their advantage to 14–5, but Biggs had other ideas. Five minutes after his first try, he crossed again, this time in the corner, to bring the score back to 14–10.
It was an important response, and Biggs had given Warriors a foothold in a game that had threatened to get away from us. The fightback was beginning to take shape.
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Warriors Take the Lead
Garside crossed in the 28th minute, with the conversion successful,
However, Doncaster were not going to allow the game to slip away. Tagutu crossed for his second try in the 31st minute to bring the scores back to 19–17, before Tim Anstee restored Warriors' advantage with another try in the 36th minute. The lead was short-lived, though, as Curtis landed a penalty in the 39th minute to bring the scores level.
At half-time it was 22–22.
After the early collapse and the remarkable response that followed, it was probably a fair reflection of a first half that had swung dramatically from one side to the other.
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The Second Half
Doncaster Find Another Gear
If the first half had offered excitement, attacking rugby and a remarkable Warriors recovery, the second was a much more difficult watch. The game became a rather turgid affair, with neither side consistently producing the fluency we had seen during that extraordinary six-minute spell.
Doncaster, however, came out with greater purpose. Kerr crossed in the 47th minute to put the Knights back in front at 29–22, and Warriors were once again chasing the game.
We did respond. Bassett's try in the 61st minute brought us back within two points at 29–27, leaving the contest finely balanced and giving us an opportunity to turn the afternoon around. But the breakthrough we needed never came.
Instead, Doncaster continued to apply pressure, and with Warriors attempting to wrestle their way back into the match, Veainu crossed in the 78th minute to put the result beyond doubt. The final score was 36–27.
The second half had belonged to the home side.
They scored twice to our one, managed the contest more effectively and ultimately earned a well-deserved victory. |
Eight Points Left on the Field
There is another aspect of this performance that cannot be overlooked: our goal-kicking. Reed had a difficult afternoon with the boot, converting just one of our five tries. That meant eight valuable points were left on the field, and in a match decided by nine, it is impossible not to consider what might have been.
Of course, we cannot say that every successful conversion would automatically have changed the result. Rugby rarely works quite so neatly. But those eight points could have transformed the closing stages of this match.
Had we taken those opportunities, the scoreboard could have told a very different story. Rather than chasing a winning score in the final minutes, we might have found ourselves protecting a lead. The emphasis would then have been on defensive discipline, possession and controlling the game, rather than committing ourselves to all-out attack in search of a way back.
That is the fine margin between winning and losing at this level.
Tries are vital, but the points from the tee matter just as much. We cannot afford to leave so many points behind when facing the strongest sides in the division. |
The Honest Assessment
We Have Work to Do
There is no point dressing this one up. Doncaster were the better team, and they deserved to win. They fought harder, played smarter and took advantage of weaknesses in our performance that stronger opponents will punish just as ruthlessly.
The difference was not simply a matter of missed passes or individual errors. Doncaster's forwards were more effective in support, more alert at the breakdown and at least the equal of our pack in the set piece for much of the game. Their backs then made the most of that platform, using superior pace and intelligent running lines, with their two wingers providing a particularly dangerous combination of power and speed.
Our attacking game still has the potential to cause real problems. The three tries in six minutes demonstrated what we can do when the ball is handled accurately, the support is in place and the tempo is right. But attacking rugby is built on foundations, and those foundations were not secure enough at Castle Park.
DEFENCE, DEFENCE, DEFENCE
The dropped passes, the errors in possession, the slow clear-outs and the missed conversions were costly, but it is our defence that concerns me most. The Warriors' defensive performance needs a long, hard look at itself. At the moment it is falling well short of the standard required if we are serious about retaining the Championship title. |
The Travelling Support
We Never Gave Up
If there was one area in which Warriors could take real pride from Saturday, it was the supporters who made the journey to Castle Park.
The travelling fans were in excellent voice throughout the afternoon. Even when the team was struggling, even when Doncaster had raced into that early 14-point lead, and even when the second-half performance became a difficult watch, the support never faded. The noise continued, the encouragement never stopped, and time and again the crowd tried desperately hard to lift the players with passionate, wholehearted backing.
There is something special about that commitment. We travel the length and breadth of the country to follow our team, through the good days and the difficult ones. We celebrate the victories, share the disappointments and keep singing when the scoreboard is not going our way.
On Saturday, the players may not have delivered the performance we wanted, but the supporters certainly delivered theirs. They deserved more from the team, and they should know that their loyalty and encouragement did not go unnoticed.
That is what being a Warriors supporter means. We stand together, we sing
together and we keep believing, even when the afternoon is not going to plan. |
A Setback
Not a Season Defined
Six wins from six had created a very positive start to the campaign, and one defeat does not suddenly make this a poor team. But this result should serve as a timely reminder that there is a great deal of hard work ahead. The Championship is unforgiving, particularly when we come up against teams with genuine ambitions of their own.
The challenge now is how we respond. The coaches and players need to take an honest look at what went wrong, address the defensive problems, sharpen the accuracy that deserted us at important moments and make sure we take the points on offer.
We have seen what this team can achieve when everything clicks. We have also seen at Castle Park what happens when the basics are not right.
The unbeaten run is over. The ambition remains.
And now, more than ever, we need to get behind our Warriors. The season is a marathon, not a sprint, and there is plenty of rugby still to be played. The response starts with the next match.
Come on you Warriors! |
Next Stop
Ampthill Come to Fortress Sixways
There is little time to dwell on the disappointment of Castle Park. Next Sunday afternoon, we return to Sixways for a 4pm kick-off against Ampthill, a side that will arrive with a point to prove and a little recent history between the clubs.
Those who remember the pre-season build-up will recall that Ampthill got the better of us in our friendly encounter. Of course, pre-season rugby is a different proposition from Championship competition, but it is a reminder that this is a side perfectly capable of causing us problems.
They have made a decent start to their league campaign, winning four of their first seven matches, with victories over Richmond, Nottingham, Hartpury and Caldy. They have shown that they can score tries and play an adventurous brand of rugby, although their recent defeat against Ealing will have been a reminder of the demands of this division. They scored three tries against Trailfinders but ultimately went down 50–19.
We should not read too much into that one result. Ampthill have already demonstrated that they can be dangerous opponents, and they will be looking to put that defeat behind them when they arrive at Sixways.
For Warriors, this is an important opportunity to respond to the setback at Doncaster. The unbeaten record has gone, and there is no point pretending otherwise, but the bigger test now is how the squad reacts. We need to rediscover the accuracy, intensity and organisation that characterised our best performances earlier in the season.
The forwards must be quicker to support, sharper at the breakdown and more competitive at the set piece. Our backs need to find their rhythm, and we must take every available point from the tee. Above all, our defensive organisation needs to improve considerably. Ampthill will not need many invitations if we give them the space and opportunities we gave Doncaster.
But this is Sixways. This is our home, our ground and the place where we want to make life as uncomfortable as possible for visiting teams. The players owe the supporters a response, and the supporters will be there to provide the backing that has carried this club through so much.
So let's put Castle Park behind us, get down to Sixways on Sunday afternoon and make ourselves heard. Let's get behind the team from the first whistle, fill the ground with noise and remind Ampthill what it means to face Warriors at Fortress Sixways.
Come on you Warriors! |
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