DONCASTER 120 NORTH WALES CRUSADERS 0
STEVE HOSSACK, Club Doncaster Sports Village, Sunday

IN-FORM Doncaster boosted their hopes of a top-four finish when storming to their seventh win in their last eight games and significantly boosting their points difference, which could prove crucial come the end of the regular campaign.

Having ended Oldham’s long unbeaten run in emphatic fashion last time out, struggling Crusaders were not expected to pose many problems for Richard Horne’s side and so it proved on a day when club records tumbled.

The winning margin and the number of tries and goals were all new club records.

Even though the Dons, who showed six changes to their starting line-up, as did the visitors, clearly had an eye on Wednesday’s trip to Cumbria to face Barrow, they still had far too much firepower for a willing, but outclassed Crusaders side.

The visitors had no answer to the strong running of such as Pauli Pauli and Gadwin Springer or the pace and power of their back division.

The Dons opened the scoring in the third minute following an excellent break by fullback Harvey Horne. Scrum-half Connor Robinson kicked the first of his nine first-half conversions.

Gadwin Springer celebrated his return to action following an injury lay-off when crashing over from close range in the ninth minute for another converted try.

Crusaders enjoyed a brief spell on attack prior to finding themselves 18-0 down after just 15 minutes when Robinson weaved his way over from close range.

The one-way traffic continued, centre Mitieli Vulikijapani crashing through Lewis Holgate’s tackle to cross out wide. Robinson added the goal to give his side a 24-0 lead after just 20 minutes. No sooner had the cheers died down than halfback Tom Whitehead was racing in for another converted try.

A neat offload by Pauli Pauli led to a rare try for hard-working prop Brad Knowles. Hooker Isaac Misky finished off a move started by Reece Lyne on the half-hour as the Dons continued to score more than a point a minute.

Fans’ favourite Pauli kept the scoreboard ticking over when scoring an eighth converted try on 32 minutes. Whitehead bagged his second on 35 minutes following more good work by Lyne and Robinson’s conversion gave his side a 54-0 interval lead.

Hooker Connor Jones weaved his way over for the first try of the second half on 44 minutes.

The Crusaders enjoyed their best attacking spell of the game following a high kick by Ben Fisher, which Horne spilled, but they fell further behind when Jones latched on to a dropped ball and raced 40 metres to score on 51 minutes.

Robinson again added the conversion to reach a career milestone of 2000 career points. He was also on target after Vulikijapani had raced in – a score quickly followed by Horne’s second following more good work by Jones.

Lyne capped a useful comeback game on the hour with a try after good work by Springer and Jones.

Horne and Jones both went on to claim hat-tricks with Brad Hey and Loui McConnell and Sam Smeaton, who both scored in the club’s 2023 League One play-off final success, also claiming late tries after the Crusaders had gone close from a loose ball.

GAMESTAR: Doncaster’s Connor Robinson who set a new club record and passed several career milestones.

GAMEBREAKER: Doncaster started as they meant to go on and never relaxed their grip.

MATCHFACTS

DONCASTER
30 Harvey Horne
2 Bureta Faraimo
4 Reece Lyne
26 Mitieli Vulikijapani
31 Mikaele Ravalawa
29 Tom Whitehead
7 Connor Robinson
8 Brad Knowles
20 Isaac Misky
25 Gadwin Springer
11 Sam Smeaton
12 Alex Sutcliffe
13 Loui McConnell
Subs (all used)
3 Brad Hey
16 Pauli Pauli
19 Connor Jones
21 Tyla Hepi

Tries: Horne (3, 57, 64), Springer (9), Robinson (15), Vulikijapani (20, 54), Whitehead (23, 35, 78), Knowles (27), Misky (30), Pauli (32), Jones (44, 50, 69), Lyne (60), McConnell (72), Hey (75), Smeaton (80)
Goals: Robinson 20/20

CRUSADERS
1 Will Lever
15 Lewis Holgate
3 Lewis Fairhurst
4 Matty Welham
5 Joe Bradley
14 Joe Hickey
7 Ben Fisher
8 Connor Terrill
9 Trent Ruddy
10 James Shields
11 Jordan Cella
2 Sam Littler
12 Ralph Wood
Subs (all used)
18 Matty Bailey
20 Evan Rowlands
22 Jamie Billsborough
33 Levy Nzoungou

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 18-0, 24-0, 30-0, 36-0, 42-0, 48-0, 54-0, 60-0, 66-0, 72-0, 78-0, 84-0, 90-0, 96-0, 102-0, 108-0, 114-0, 120-0

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Doncaster: Connor Robinson; Crusaders: Connor Terrill

Penalty count: 8-1
Half-time: 54-0
Referee: Lucas Seal