An away trip to Doncaster always looked a tough challenge and Richmond did well to hold a 15-19 lead at half time. However, an impressive Doncaster side pulled away in the second half, before Richmond countered in the final action of the game to claim a fourth try and bonus point. After three games, two of them lengthy away trips, Richmond are tenth in the table with four points.

Richmond had nine changes in their match-day 23. Already missing two of their locks, Jake Monson had to pull out late on, resulting in a start for Myles Scott and a debut bench position for Ted Johnson. Scott was making his 50th first team appearance and duly led the team out.

Courtesy of a lone bugler and then a small local brass band, the mourning period for the Queen was fittingly observed before the kick off. The Knights were clearly not distracted, as they opened the scoring in the second minute. Richmond had kicked off and established a reasonable territorial position before coughing up line out possession with a crooked throw in. Doncaster ran the ball from the scrum and a simple miss move at pace provided an overlap for Maliq Holden to touch down wide out.

When Richmond lost possession at the next line out, flanker Sam Hudson made an ominously incisive break. Doncaster looked full of running but Richmond held on. However, at the set scrum, a good shove was undone by an offside decision. Doncaster had a penalty in front and opted to kick for goal, Sam Olver extending the lead to eight points after eight minutes.

At this stage, it was looking likely to be a long afternoon, but Bill Johnston’s well placed kick off was knocked on by Hudson, giving Richmond a prime position for the set scrum. With Jimmy Litchfield to the fore, the pack won good ball, which was switched wide to Alex O’Meara and Paul Kiernan in a rehearsed move. The backs made vital yards before the forwards battered away at the line, Miles Wakeling crashing over to achieve his first score. Johnston added the conversion.

The game remained full of incident. When the Knights kicked off, their winger jumped for the ball and referee Mike Hudson, with help from his linesman, decided there had been contact in the air. Whatever the rights and wrongs of that decision, Jimmy Litchfield, who was given a yellow card, was clearly a victim of misidentification. Shorn of their tight head prop, Richmond were then unable to stop the inevitable forward dive which followed the penalty. Hooker George Roberts got the touch down and Olver’s conversion restored the eight point lead after thirteen minutes.

If they had been under the cosh, Richmond now raised their game and asserted themselves. Skipper Mark Bright secured good line out ball and Stephen Kerins spotted a gap on the blindside. The scrum half put in a neat grubber deep in the 22 but was then taken out by a blatant late tackle. Was it a penalty try? Mr Hudson decided not, on the basis the cover might have got there first, but yellow carded full back Harry Davey.

The opportunity from the five metre line out was then tantalisingly lost when a player joined in front of the ball. The unfortunate Scott now departed injured, eventually replaced by the versatile David Massey who turned in another muscular performance. With Litchfield restored, Richmond were now looking threatening with their maul, but the next opportunity came to the Knights. Their pacey backs looked full of running and seemed to have created another overlap under the posts, when Kerrins neatly ‘picked a pocket’ and booted the ball upfield to half way. Following up well, he forced a Doncaster knock on to turn defence into attack.

From the scrum, Richmond attacked down the blindside and, after two short range line outs, skipper Bright was wheeling away with his trademark signal for a try. Johnson converted well and Richmond were just a point behind. Ill discipline from Doncaster lock John Kelly now provided a helping hand with a yellow card, and Richmond took full advantage. Sam Collingridge, who contributed well all afternoon, secured the line out ball, the backs joined in the drive and this time it was Conor Maguire who earned the touch down. With the conversion just shading wide, the half time score was a very creditable 15-19.

Within three minutes of the second half, Doncaster had scored twice to transform the game. First a lovely cross field kick was perfectly judged to send Holden clear for his second try and then George Simpson scored a superb solo try. The winger was recruited by Doncaster after impressing for Hartpury last year at full back. This time, he accelerated away, weaved and dodged his way to the line, starting on his own 22.

Richmond held on for a while and looked in the ascendancy in the scrums, whilst the half backs both probed skilfully. However, they could not convert their opportunities and it was the Knights who broke the deadlock after 59 minutes, Holden running clear after the Richmond defence was finally battered into submission. Two more tries were to follow after Richmond were reduced to fourteen men following a yellow card for Alex O'Meara. Both were slightly soft tries, as first a Richmond pass into space sent Robbie Smith clear for an easy run in, and then the classy Simpson escaped his marker to run in from forty metres.

However, Richmond creditably stuck at the task and fully merited their point at the end of the game. After several minutes of pressure, Doncaster were steadily reduced to twelve men as yellow cards were brandished. Richmond stayed patient, pulling in the forwards before sending the ball wide to Owain James to touch down in the corner for a welcome fourth try and a final score of 48-24.

Tries: Wakeling, Bright, Maguire, James

Conversions: Johnston (2)

Team: T. Landray, A.O’Meara, P.Case, P.Kiernan, T.Mills (O.James), B.Johnston, S.Kerins (C. Watson), C.Maguire ( G.Cave), C.Torpey (V.Bentley), J.Litchfield (N.Mpiko), M.Scott (D.Massey), M.Wakeling (T.Johnson), E.Benson, M.Bright(c).