Match report: Doncaster 48 Midlands Hurricanes 28

Doncaster 48 Midlands Hurricanes 20

Sunday 27 March 2022, Eco-Power Stadium

By Dave Musson

MIDLANDS HURRICANES head coach Rich Squires was left rueing ill-discipline, as his side kicked off its inaugural Betfred League 1 season with a battling defeat in South Yorkshire.

Two sin-binnings shortly before half time - where there were only four points between the sides - gave Doncaster the sort of numerical advantage they didn’t need offering twice, and they sealed a vice grip on the game with quick-fire scores to break Hurricanes hearts, and resolve.

It meant that despite tries from Benn Hardcastle, Phil Cowburn and Sean Croston, the new franchise returned to the Midlands empty-handed.

Squires said: “We started the game really well and out-enthused Doncaster. Our starting forwards really laid a marker and allowed us to play off the back of it.

“Unfortunately, lack of discipline and allowing Doncaster to have a large percentage of possession early in the second half took its toll.”

The division’s newest side started their first season in sensational fashion, racing to a 10-0 lead inside the first quarter of an hour.

Within two minutes, Doncaster lost possession in the tackle, and Hardcastle dummied to go over from close range. He converted his own score, then added two penalties to give the Hurricanes a dream start.

Five minutes later, though, the hosts had wrestled the lead from their visitors thanks to two tries from Jason Tali. Conor Robinson then added another ten minutes before the interval to give the Dons an 18-10 lead.

In the 31st minute both sides lost a man to the sin-bin - Hardcastle for the Hurricanes and Leon Ruan for Doncaster - but it was the visitors who reacted better, bagging their second try of the afternoon through Cowburn, after a great scoot from dummy half and looping pass from Elliott Windley.

Agonisingly, the conversion attempt hit the post leaving the score at 18-14 to the the hosts. Tyler Walton was then also sent to the sin-bin right on half time, leaving the Hurricanes with a tough start to the second period down to 11 men.

And so it proved. In the opening 15 minutes of the half, Doncaster scored four tries - through Misi Taulapapa, Aaron Ollett-Hobson, Ben Johnston, and Jack Sanderson - to stretch their lead to 42-14.

To their credit, the Hurricanes regrouped and crossed the whitewash again on the hour - Croston going over in the corner and Hardcastle landing the extras to take the visitors to 20 points for the afternoon.

But the Dons had the final say, with Ruan responding immediately after to take the score to 48-20, which it remained until the final whistle.

Far from the dream start the Hurricanes might have hoped for, but plenty of positives to take into this weekend’s first home game against Swinton Lions, which kicks off at 3pm on Sunday 3 April.

Hurricanes Man of the Match: Elliott Windley

Attendance: 786

Half-time score: 18-14

Scoring sequence: 0-6, 0-8, 0-10, 6-10, 12-10, 18-10, 18-14, 24-14, 30-14, 36-14, 42-14, 42-20, 48-20

MATCH STATS

Doncaster: Taulapapa, Corion, Smeaton, Tali, Sanderson, Johnston, Robinson, Roberts, Burns, McConnell, Ollett-Hobson, Ruan, Peterson

Interchange: Foster, Whitmore, Holdstock, York

Doncaster try scorers: Tali (2), Robinson, Taulapapa, Ollett-Hobson, Johnston, Sanderson, Ruan

Conversions: Robinson (8/8)

Sin-bin: Ruan

Hurricanes: Stead, Freeman, L Welham, M Welham, Cowburn, Scott, Hardcastle, Clavering, Windley, Spiers, Boardman, Dawson, Walton

Interchange: Newbound, Bull, Ryan, Croston

Hurricanes try scorers: Hardcastle, Cowburn, Croston

Conversions: Hardcastle (2)

Penalties: Hardcastle (2)

Sin-bin: Hardcastle, Walton

MATCH REPORT: DONCASTER 48 HURRICANES 20