Craig Hammond’s Archers warmed up for the second half of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign, which begins next month, with victory under Lady Bay’s Friday Night Lights, on Friday gone, following a second half dismantling of Doncaster Knights.

Nottingham, who sit fourth in the Championship, registered what was their seventh win twelve games this season, and are just six points off second place Bedford Blues (leaders Ealing Trailfinders have, at present, a seemingly insurmountable lead at the top).

The Knights, like the Archers, lost their first outing of 2025, registered their last success on 29 December, when home to Hartpury University (Nottingham beat Coventry the day before), both going into this clash looking to make it a statement.

That showed in what was a tight, first half, the Archers going in seven points ahead (19-12) at the interval, the two sides trading tries, the boot of Matthew Arden the difference-maker.

Sebastain Ferreira, following a returned offload to Jack Stapley, crossed early for the Archers, followed ten minutes later by captain, David Williams, after a cross-field boot from Arden, the latter converting both; following each of those, the Knights struck first through Jordan Olowofela, then Ben Murphy, the difference at two after twenty-three minutes.

As the contest moved into the final five of the first half, Hammond’s side struck again, this time Ryan Olowofela with a lovely try as Stapley fends off the challenge of a pair of Knights, Ryan then stepping past his twin, Jordan to cross, and, although the conversion was missed, the hosts had enough to go into the interval with the advantage, this despite a penalty from Morgan Bunting affording the visitors hope.

Bunting started the second as he finished the first, with a penalty, this moving the Knights within a point of their high-flying hosts, after which, it was just one-way traffic, the Archers running in four, unanswered tries, Arden converting the middle two.

Gwyn Parks and Olowofela combined before releasing Williams, who crossed for his second of the game after fifty-three minutes, then Kegan Christian-Gross made it three-in-three for him ten minutes later, on the back of a Nottingham line-out.

Stapley then added the Archers’ sixth try of a blustery night at the Bay, catching a running with an Arden boot up-field, as the game moved through the final ten minutes, before Jacob Wright finished off the seven-try rout at the death.

Nottingham Starting XV – Kai Owen, Harry Clayton, Dan Richardson, Jay Ecclesfield, Sebastian Ferreira, Jacob Wright, Nathan Tweedy, James Cherry, Josh Goodwin, Matthew Arden, Ryan Olowofela, Gwyn Parks, Kegan Christian-Gross, David Williams, Jack Stapley

With the win seeing the Archers in fourth place in the table, just two behind third place Coventry, and six off Bedford Blues in second, they’ll be hoping their next three, Premiership Cup outings, will help feed confidence, and momentum, ahead of a return to league action mid-March, when they travel to third bottom Ampthill (22 March).

Next up for the Archers, it’s an away day to Coventry (1 February), followed by a trip to Leicester Tigers (8 February); Hammond’s side will wrap up their cup campaign with a Valentines Day dance with Northampton Saints, at Lady Bay, on Friday 14 February.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @NottinghamRugby Kegan Christian-Gross running in to score against Doncaster.