York 12-0 Doncaster

As our manager has pointed out, for some of us this will be our 8th Season of rugby with our boys, yet in many ways today gave as much a sense of trepidation as when our little angels first strapped on their tag belts at 6 years old or popped in a gum shield a few years later – we were entering the unknown. The steady progress of the team that had seen us cap our years in mini-rugby as indisputably the top side in Yorkshire as winners of the Yorkshire Cup had been a privilege to be a part of, but had only been leading up to today, the day that real 15-a-side, full pitch, rugby was upon us.
In many ways we couldn’t have asked for better opponents for our first foray into the real thing than Doncaster. You know where you are with Donny, a big, well drilled side, always likely to provide a stern test, but ultimately go down fighting by 2 or more tries.
They didn’t let us down, they were big (in one case enormous, where do these sides find these giants? We have a ‘big un’ ourselves, but his lean and athletic physique is dwarfed week in – week out by at least one sturdily built behemoth) and certainly knew their jobs.
However, it was clear from the outset that their jobs were principally going to be ones of containment. As so often proved the case last season, our smaller, more mobile pack was able to secure much of the good possession to be had and also surprised their bigger opponents by comprehensively besting them in the scrum. The only part of Doncasters game that could be said to have worked was their lineout.
Playing into a stiff breeze in the first half, York were able to dominate possession and territory, without really threatening to score, with Doncaster under much pressure in the forwards repeatedly infringing at rucks and justly being regularly penalised for foul play in that area. Inevitably, when they did secure possession it often resulted in them using the boot and the wind to clear the ball deep into Yorks half, from whence the grind up the other end would start again.
For 15 minutes the match was scoreless, but it couldn’t remain so. Doncaster, no doubt had Will Atkins man of the match performance against them in their Yorkshire Cup defeat foremost in the minds when planning to stifle our three-quarters and he was often attended by 2 or 3 opponents when in possession. This would clearly leave space for our wingers and Charlie Pryce was able to open the scoring when Atkin offloaded to him early under pressure, leaving him with a 35 yard dash to the line with only the full-back to beat, accomplished with a neat step inside. The resultant conversion was very difficult from wide on the left and into the wind, Moose Pepper doing well to get as close as he did.
Going behind sparked Doncaster into life and the last few minutes of the half were their best of the match, with sustained pressure on the York line. However, heroic, gritty defence meant that the Doncaster would start the second half scoreless.
The second period continued in much the same vein as the first, York had all the meaningful possession and the game was played almost exclusively in the Doncaster half (with the wind against them, their kicks to relieve pressure barely got over halfway). But for a few handling errors York could easily have gone on to score 3 more tries, as it was only one would follow. Yet another infringement at a ruck was penalised by the referee just outside the 22, with York opting to kick into the corner, rather than take a scrum or tap’n’go, for the first time. Pleasing game awareness as Doncasters giant lock, who until then had dominated the lineout, had just limped off after a bruising mornings efforts, he won’t relish facing Oli Jacques again as this was the second time in as many games he has been battered into early submission. The kick was perfectly placed 3 yards from the goal-line and the lineout won, a few phases later Atkin was able to at last wriggle free of his minders and power over under the posts. Doug Whiter added the extras and for the remaining quarter of the game Doncaster were hanging on to respectability.