Anthony Carter

Bristol kicked off with a high ball that was well chased by Dan Norton.  They maintained the pressure, edging Doncaster back.  Tom Arscott tried to set Luke Eves free but he was quickly shut down.  Doncaster finally got hold of the ball but could only kick to touch and Bristol performed the catch and drive from the lineout and took play into the Doncaster 22.  Sadly control was lacking and Bristol knocked-on and Doncaster kicked the ball a long way upfield.  Norton took a quick throw and fed Luke Arscott who put in an excellent kick to take play back to the five metre line.

Doncaster were awarded a penalty which should have relieved the pressure but Dan Montague stole the ball at the lineout.  Doncaster were penalised and Bristol went for touch.  They mauled the ball on from the lineout down to the five metre line and Ross Johnston saw a gap open up in front of him and he sprinted over for an unconverted try to take Bristol to a deserved 0 - 5 lead.  Bristol attacked right from the restart and Larscott again put in a good kick to take play into the hosts' half.  Another steal allowed Jack Adams to get into the 22 and Doncaster were penalised and Adrian Jarvis was on target for a 0 - 8 lead with just 8 minutes played.

Bristol then, as so often after scoring, gave away a penalty virtually from the restart and, despite the ball falling from the tee and having to be reset; Warnock narrowed the gap to 3 - 8.  Bristol took play back to Doncaster with a good kick from Jarvis and Doncaster attempted to kick back upfield, only for Bristol to return the ball with interest.  A kicking duel now ensued with Bristol proving the more accurate.  Larscott, good throughout, put in a neat grubber kick that was just too strong for Norton.  Doncaster gave away a free kick at the scrum and Bristol chose to scrum again but turned over possession.  The Doncaster kick was sliced to touch but Bristol turned over possession at the lineout to allow a dramatic break down the wing.  Norton showed impressive tenacity in tracking down his man, at first it appeared that a try had been scored, but the referee belatedly called play back for a forward pass.

Bristol tried to take advantage of the let off via Montague and James Phillips but gave away a penalty that Doncaster again sliced to touch, allowing Bristol to maintain pressure on the 22.  Doncaster were penalised after a good Larscott run and Bristol went for touch.  They kept the ball in the forwards before coughing up possession to allow Doncaster back into the game.  Good play from Doncaster forced Bristol to give away a penalty.  Doncaster went for touch and won their lineout.  Appalling Bristol defence allowed a crucial break and the ball went rapidly on to Warnock who just did enough to cross the line for a converted try that took them to a 10 - 8 lead which reflected how the balance of play had altered in the second quarter.  Despite the greater confidence shown by Doncaster, Larscott made good ground with a kick.  Doncaster made some progress via the forwards before kicking the ball straight to Larscott who then fed Tarscott who made his way right up to the Doncaster 22 before he was stopped.  Support was lacking and he was penalised for holding on.

Bristol promptly stole another lineout and Doncaster gave away a penalty right in front of the posts on the 10 metre line.  Jarvis was unerring and Bristol edged into a 10 - 11 lead.  He was not so unerring from the restart and launched a kick that was much too strong and went dead, to hand Doncaster the territorial advantage.  Bristol were penalised and, with the ball supported after again falling from the tee, restored the lead to 13 - 11.

Doncaster had their tails up now and the Bristol defence was again found wanting when Hallam took the ball at speed from a neat pass from Kettle and lanced through for a converted try, a 20 - 11 lead as half time loomed.

Early second half action saw Tarscott make a neat break and Bristol keep hold of possession and go through several phases of play before knocking-on after successive poor passes.  Doncaster caught the bug by knocking-on themselves.  It was also their chance to hand territory to the opposition by kicking out on the full when the ball was passed back into the 22.  They came up offside at the lineout and Jarvis was able to chip away at the lead, landing his kick to bring the score to 20 - 14 with six minutes played.

Play was disrupted by a nasty looking injury to the impressive Johnston.  Bristol's concentration slipped and they committed the same kicking mistake as Doncaster to hand them the territorial advantage.  They took advantage and attacked well to set up a well struck drop goal, 23 - 14, and Jarvis's penalty swiftly negated.  Bristol attempted a response and Larscott came in to the line to disrupt the Doncaster defence.  The ball went back across the Bristol backs and it looked for an instant that Norton might score, but the Doncaster defence was up to the task.  Illegally, and Jarvis punished them for a 23 - 17 scoreline.  Doncaster were undeterred and the Doncaster fullback launched a prodigious drop goal from near halfway to extend the lead to 26 - 17 with an hour played.

Bristol tried to up the pace but Doncaster were easily able to step up to the mark.  Larscott ran well but the danger was cleared by a fine kick back into the Bristol 22 which looked very dangerous before Doncaster were penalised.  Still the pressure remained on Bristol but, despite good driving play from the forwards, slow ball prevented the visitors from building any momentum, and Bristol seemed stuck in their half.    It was only a turnover from Doncaster that permitted Bristol to get in to the Doncaster half.  It seemed that a Doncaster kick had halted any move but Larscott took a quick throw that allowed Bristol back on the attack.  Bristol kept hold of the ball for several phases before an error permitted Doncaster to kick a long way downfield and Larscott could only kick for safety.  Doncaster tried to attack but were penalised.  A quick tap from Larscott released Norton and play went swiftly from one 22 to the other.  With time running out, Bristol tried to maintain control of the ball but made little impression on the determined defence.  However, with the clock on 80 minutes, Norton received a fine pass from Larscott and he showed his pace and skill with a fantastic try down the wing.  Jarvis failed with the difficult conversion at the close of normal time, but it was 26 - 22 to Bristol.

There was a lot of stoppage time though, and Bristol strove for an unlikely win.  Bristol looked the fitter side and Doncaster flagged.  Despite this, Bristol failed to keep the ball in hand and kicked far too often, perhaps hoping for a fatigue-born error.  When they did keep hold of possession, movement was far too lateral.  Replacement Junior Fatiolafa straightened play by breaking a couple of tired tackles, but still the defence held on.  With the award of a free kick deep into injury time Bristol tried one last thrust and James Merriman took play to the 22.  Adams went down the wing before Larscott took the ball on.  Doncaster were penalised and Robbie Shaw, on for captain Jason Spice, took a quick tap and made good ground.  Merriman took the ball close to the line but, perhaps with try line fever, overlooked an overlap and the final chance was gone.

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