Nottingham 15-0 Doncaster (RFU Championship Cup Quarter Final) 21.02.20

Nottingham Rugby are through to the last four of the Championship Cup after a shutout victory over Doncaster at Lady Bay last night.

A cracking performance in tough conditions ensures that the Green and Whites will face a semi-final against either Ealing or Jersey who play their game today.

The swirling wind didn’t help during a tense first half but a penalty just after the half hour was kicked home by Shane O’Leary for the first points of the night in what was a tense encounter.

With a slender 3-0 lead at half time Nottingham Coach asked for more of his players at the break and got an immediate reward when Will Simmonds went over just two minutes into the second half. O’Leary’s conversion was good enough to put the home side 10-0 up and just before the hour Will Owen went over to mean that Nottingham would lead by at least two scores going into the final twenty minutes.

The home defence, impeccable on many occasions this season held out once again for a third clean sheet of the season with Coach Neil Fowkes after the game delighted by the outcome. “The defence was cracking. I don’t usually single people out but I thought Oisin Heffernan was outstanding tonight. He played 80 minutes at tight-head with three or four turn-overs, he was really good tonight.”

Fowkes said after the match “I’m really pleased and proud of the boys that they came out on the right side of that because I’m sure Doncaster would have been rubbing their hands after looking at the forecast.”

One dampener on the evening was an injury to scrum half Alex Dolly who was substituted at half time with what looks to be a hamstring injury but a positive was in the performance of Alex Crocker who replaced him with his Coach stating “Alex was fantastic when he came on. It was tough conditions for a nine, never mind a nine that played 80 minutes on Wednesday night for Nottingham Trent Uni. He equipped himself very well and that pass for Will Simonds’ try was a very good one, so I’m really pleased for him.”

Next up for Nottingham is a trip to Cornish Pirates in league action a week on Sunday.

Starting Team: Sean Scanlon, David Williams, Luke Peters, Will Simonds, Jack Spittle, Shane O’Leary, Alex Dolly, Aniseko Sio, Luke Cole, Oisin Heffernan, Llewelyn Jones, Danny Qualter, Seb Cecil, Will Owen, Josh Poullet.

Replacements: Jake Farnworth, Tom Hill, Jamie Jack, Ollie Chessum, Tui Uru, Alex Crocker, Harry Strong, Ben Foley.

*Main image @NottinghamRugby Nottingham will now face an exciting semi final match ahead.