REPORT: Bristol Rugby 27-39 Doncaster Knights

Jack Tovey, Will Cliff and Nick Koster touched down at Ashton Gate, but the hosts conceded five tries against the lively Yorkshire outfit.

Bristol made the perfect start when Jack Tovey found an opening in the Doncaster defence to canter over for the first try inside two minutes.

The visitors leveled proceedings soon after, however, as Latu Makaafi muscled his way over from the driving lineout, while Dougie Flockhart added the conversion.

Doncaster turned the game on its head on the quarter hour when Tyson Lewis collected the ball in space to slide over in the corner and put his side 7-14 ahead.

And the Knights stunned the Ashton Gate faithful into silence by adding a third try to go eighteen points clear.

It was Latu Makaafi who was on the end of another well-worked driving lineout to dab down, with Flockhart ably slotting the extras.

In an entertaining first half, replacement Nick Koster crossed from close-range to move Bristol back within seven, but Flockhart’s penalty goal gave Doncaster breathing space at the interval.

Andy Robinson’s men began the second half brightly and reduced the deficit further when Will Cliff scampered between two defenders to slide in under the posts for a converted try.

With the visitors rattled, Latu Makaafi was yellow-carded for a high tackle but despite laying siege to the Doncaster tryline, Bristol couldn’t find a way through a stubborn defensive outfit.

Matthew Morgan’s penalty – his first points of the season since returning from World Cup duty – drew the home side level, but the ever-threatening Dougie Flockhart flew over the whitewash to put the Knights back ahead with time running out.

Flockhart and Morgan traded penalties late on, before replacement Vili Veikoso pounced on an error to dab down and condemn Bristol to a heavy loss.

Bristol Rugby:

Jack Wallace; Tom Varndell, Jack Tovey, Ben Mosses (c), Ryan Edwards; Gavin Henson, Will Cliff; Jack O’Connell, Ross McMillan, Gaston Cortes, Joe Joyce, Glen Townson, James Phillips, Josh Ovens, Rayn Smid.

Replacements: Max Crumpton (for Rayn Smid, 75 mins), Ellis Genge (for Jack O’Connell, 37 mins), Anthony Perenise (for Gaston Cortes, 51 mins), Mark Sorenson (for Glen Townson, 55 mins), Nick Koster (for Josh Ovens, 29 mins), Craig Hampson (for Will Cliff, 77 mins), Matthew Morgan (for Gavin Henson, 55 mins).

Doncaster Knights:

Paul Jarvis; Dougie Flockhart, Mat Clark, Will Hurrell, Tyson Lewis; Declan Cusack, Sam Edgerley; Richard List, Ben Hunter, Colin Quigley, Matt Challinor, Jon Phelan, Latu Makaafi, Michael Hills (c), Alex Shaw.

Replacements: Jack Bergmanas (for Richard List, 64 mins), Vili Veikoso, (for Ben Hunter, 70 mins), WillGriff John (for Colin Quigley, 64 mins), Tyler Hotson, Glen Young, Sam Olver, Brad Field (for Sam Edgerley, 61 mins).

Referee: Dean Richards

Man of the Match: Will Cliff

Attendance: 6,979