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Search forAlbion come through stiff Doncaster test
Monday, November 10, 2008, 07:00
The visitors entered the match five points and one place ahead of Graham Dawe's side and brought with them a physicality not seen at Brickfields so far this season.
With due respect to Moseley and Sedgley Park – teams Albion had beaten in their two previous home matches – Doncaster were a huge step-up in class.
However, despite having to front-up to a side who had pushed leaders Leeds close the previous weekend, Plymouth always looked capable of winning the match.
That, despite the home side struggling to get out of first gear in the opening half.
Somehow Albion, after the Knights had dominated 75 per cent of the first period, led 14-8 at the interval.
That was down to three Kieran Hallett penalties and a try from Jané du Toit in the first minute of added-on time.
Yet, in the second period, the hosts came out a different team.
They looked far more potent going forward and their defensive work – which had been a bit lax in the first half – improved dramatically.
That is not to say that Doncaster did not threaten to ruin what is now Albion's four-match unbeaten run.
They had enough chances and possession of their won to snatch victory.
But Albion's togetherness and willingness to fight for every loose ball and to make every tackle won them the match.
How far this current Plymouth team can go is difficult to judge.
They are now knocking on a place in the top six of the standings and, if results go their way this weekend, they could find themselves sitting in fifth position.
That would be no mean feat when you consider the calibre of players unavailable to chairman of rugby Graham Dawe at the moment.
On the injured list are David Palu, Colin Stewart, Liam Gibson, Geoff Griffiths, James Tideswell, Alex Davies, Jake Childs and Ross Batten.
While Canadian duo Sean-Michael Stephen and Justin Mensah-Coker missed the Doncaster game and will also be absent for the matches against Bedford and Esher due to international commitments.
Credit must therefore go to players such as Wayne Sprangle and Tom Jarvis – who combined for Albion's second try against Doncaster on Saturday – who have stepped up to the plate and brought something positive to the table.
This weekend's trip to Bedford will be an even tougher hurdle for the Brickfields outfit to overcome than the Doncaster clash.
But Albion can head to Goldington Road full of self-belief having turned around their season in the past four weeks.
A win there and the Plymouth express will be well and truly on track.
But even if they are defeated by Bedford, Albion can approach the rest of the season in positive mood.
The more the city outfit plays together, the better it appears to become and that can only be a good thing with still more than half of the term left to play.
It was Albion who scored first in Saturday's encounter courtesy of a Kieran Hallett penalty in the second minute.
The hosts then doubled their advantage on six minutes when, after Sprangle had come close to scoring a try, Doncaster flanker Neil Cochrane was penalised for offside and Hallett kicked the penalty for 6-0.
The Knights had a chance to halve the deficit in the 10th minute after Albion were penalised for offside. But fly-half Ali Warnock saw his kick strike the left-hand post.
However, Doncaster took full advantage of some sloppy Albion play on their own line – which resulted in Ross Allan touching the ball down in the in-goal area to prevent a try after an Albion pass went astray – to score the game's opening try on 12 minutes.
The visitors were awarded a five-metre scrum and Chris Hallam off-loaded to number eight Chris Planchant, who crossed the whitewash.
Warnock's conversion missed, but the gap was down to 6-5.
Then, on 26 minutes, Doncaster went in front for the first time.
Lock Mike Lewis was penalised for leading with the elbow and Warnock sent the resulting penalty through the posts to put the visitors 8-6 ahead.
Twelve minutes later, Albion were back in front, 9-8, thanks to a third Hallett penalty.
Then, in the first minute of added-on time, the hosts registered their first try.
Allan picked up the ball just outside the home side's 22 and made good ground before a series of precise passes carved open Doncaster's defence.
The ball found hooker James Owen and he made his way to the line before passing to prop du Toit who dived over for his first Albion first try.
Hallett failed with the conversion attempt, but Dawe's side headed in at the interval leading 14-8.
That six-point lead soon became a one-point deficit for Albion as Doncaster scored their second try three minutes into the second half. Centre Hudson Tonga'uiha dived over from close-range and with Warnock adding the conversion, the visitors led 15-14.
On 45 minutes, Hallett attempted a drop-goal but his kick missed.
However, seven minutes later, Albion scored their second try.
Doncaster full-back Anthony Carter knocked-on in Albion's half trying to collect a Hallett kick and Sprangle pounced on the ball before passing to Jarvis. The pacey winger ran in from 50 metres, leaving two Knights players in his wake, to score his third try of the season. Hallett added the extras and Albion were 21-15 in front.
Doncaster narrowed the gap to 21-18 on 58 minutes through a Warnock penalty.
The hosts were then awarded a penalty of their own three minutes later when the visitors were penalised for not rolling away. But Hallett saw his kick sail left of the posts.
As the game entered its closing moments, Albion still led by three points.
But they were finding themselves under pressure defensively as Doncaster launched a series of attacks in a bid to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Yet, despite one or two hairy moments, Albion managed to hold on comfortably enough to their narrow lead and claim a superb victory.
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