January 30, 2008
Doncaster Knights take on the toughest assignment in Round Five if the EDF Energy National Trophy on Saturday (February 2, 2008) when they entertain unbeaten National Division One leaders Northampton at Castle Park.
The game is the first of back-to-back cup and league tests against the strongest side in the division – a challenge that will tell coach Lynn Howells more about his team.
"On Saturday we don’t have to worry about league and bonus points, it’s all about winning and losing and getting into the next round," says Howells. "In a cup game anything can happen and that adds extra spice.
"The playing staff were excited when we heard we had drawn Northampton. It gives us a chance to measure how close the squad is to the standard we want. Northampton are a side who can break you down and score from anywhere, so everyone has to be on top of their game."
The Saints team boss Jim Mallinder is observing traditional caution in the build-up to the game and talking in the terms normally favoured by coaches who know that their side ought to win if they play to form.
"Doncaster is another tough challenge for us," he says. "Although they lost last week it was only by a couple of points and they will be a different proposition in a different competition in front of their own supporters. Winning the EDF Energy National Trophy is very important to us and we are giving the Knights plenty of attention and respect."
The two sides could hardly be preparing for the game from different standpoint. The Saints wracked up a 90-point haul against Sedgley Park last weekend, whereas the Knights suffered a shock defeat when they were beaten 22-20 by next-to-bottom Pertemps Bees.
If the Knights were under any misconceptions about the need to be fully focussed this weekend, they were surely removed by a display that fell well below the standards that had put them in fourth place in the table and which provoked a shoal of apologies to travelling supporters.
The fact that the Knights slumped to defeat after a fine start driven by a try after 21 seconds must be a source of concern to the management, yet in a perverse sort of way last weekend’s events may give the underdogs hope. This week they are cast in much the same role as Pertemps Bees seven days ago, when the formbook was shredded by the underdogs.
The prospect of facing the Saints twice in successive weeks is a daunting one for any of their Division One rivals, but this is a ‘shot to nothing’ game for the Yorkshiremen in front of their own supporters. Last weekend’s blip should not have damaged the buzz of expectation they have been feeling since Northampton came out of the EDF Trophy hat.
Doncaster are one of five Northern sides hoping to advance on Twickenham on Saturday, Sedgley Park being another. They face the challenge of throwing off the trauma of that massive reverse at the hands of Northampton when they travel to Bedford Blues, who underlined their threat with a good win at Division Two leaders Otley in the previous round.
Blaydon from National Division Two also step up a level and face a long journey into the bargain when they visit Esher.
The Surrey side also go into the game looking for an improvement on their performance against Rotherham last weekend, but they will still be strongly fancied to reach the last eight.
However coach Mike Schmid, a former Rotherham hero, remains circumspect. "This is a massive mental challenge for us, coming off a poor league performance at home to Rotherham. Just because Blaydon are from a division below doesn’t mean they’re not capable of good rugby. We hear they are tough up front with a couple of speedy backs and we will be prepared."
The clash between Rotherham and Manchester at Clifton Lane is another inter-divisional clash, with the Division Two Lancashire side needing to raise their game a level.
Manchester have been enjoying a good run this season and are currently third in the table and still very much in the promotion race.
Rotherham, in contrast, badly needed a win at Esher last weekend to end a depressing sequence of results and started this week by losing prop Phil Boulton to a three-week ban from an RFU Disciplinary Committee.
Coach Craig West is hoping to sign a replacement before Saturday, but this still looks like a game that will go to the side that finds its form on the day.
Elsewhere on the EDF Energy competition front, the lure of Twickenham will be even stronger for the survivors in the Senior and Junior Vase competitions.
The beauty of these tournaments is that every entrant has a chance to reach the showpiece given the marginal difference in quality between the majority of the sides and having reached Rounds Six and Seven respectively, the buzz in all the clubs ‘going to post’ on Saturday will be every bit as intense as that felt by their Trophy counterparts.
EDF Energy National Trophy Round Five: Exeter v Coventry, Doncaster v Northampton Saints, Rotherham Titans v Manchester, Bedford v Sedgley Park, Esher v Blaydon, Nottingham v London Welsh, Birmingham Solihull v Plymouth Albion, Launceston v Blackheath.
EDF Energy Senior Vase, Round Six: North/Midlands - Spalding v Old Brodleians, Sutton Coldfield v Old Halesonians, Wheatley Hills v Billingham, Horden v Blackburn.
Ties to be played on February 2
EDF Energy Junior Vase, Round Seven: North/Midlands - Doncaster Phoenix v Nottingham Casuals, Castleford v Barnsley, West Leeds v Market Harborough.
Ties to be played on February 2 |
