Sat 25 Oct 2025
Old CrossleyaOld Crossleyans Overcome Early Scare to Thump Doncaster Phoenins 1XV 52 – 17 Doncaster Phoenix
Old Crossleyans 1XV produced a powerful comeback performance to secure a 52–17 home victory over bottom side Doncaster Phoenix, running in seven tries and moving up a place in Regional 2 North East.
After last week’s morale-boosting win at Wetherby, this was a must-win game for the Crocs — and despite a shaky opening 20 minutes, they rose to the challenge. Doncaster capitalised on early errors to take a 12–0 lead, but once the Crocs found their rhythm, they dominated the remainder of the match to seal a comprehensive win.
Doncaster had the first chance to open the scoring with a penalty, but the effort struck the post. Moments later, Crocs suffered a setback when Sbulelo Roji was forced off injured, replaced by James Cooper, who impressed again after his strong showing last week.
The visitors struck first when a blocked grubber kick was punished with a try out wide, before extending their lead to 12–0 following a length-of-the-field counterattack.
It took a spark from Josh Hunt to ignite the Crocs’ response. Carrying strongly from his own 22, he offloaded to Chris Vine, who found fullback Darren Ali-Scott. Ali-Scott outpaced the defence to touch down. Hunt then crossed himself soon after, selling a clever dummy and rounding three defenders for a try.
With momentum now on their side, Crocs began to play with greater confidence. A spell of sustained pressure was rewarded when Tom Rouse scrambled over the line after not being held in the tackle, the conversion giving the hosts a 21–12 lead at the break.
The second half remained competitive, but Crocs began to assert their dominance in key moments. From a Doncaster goal-line dropout, Jacob Pollard drove over for the bonus-point try. Soon after, James Johnson broke clear down the wing and offloaded to Rouse, who finished well for his second score, stretching the lead to 35–12
Doncaster briefly hit back with a try of their own, but Crocs maintained their momentum. A well-placed grubber from Vine forced pressure in the corner, leading to a penalty which Johnson slotted for three more points. Soon after, Dan Smith lifted the supporters with a confident run and a superb dummy, sprinting clear to score another converted try.
Pollard capped off the performance with his second try in the final moments. Winger James Johnson enjoyed a flawless afternoon with the boot, converting all seven tries and adding a penalty for a perfect 17-point haul.
Few would have predicted such a turnaround after the early struggles, but the result lifts Old Crossleyans above Moortown and builds confidence ahead of their next fixture — away at Pontefract RUFC on Saturday, 8th November. The Crocs will enjoy a well-earned week off before that clash and will look to carry their momentum into Pontefract.
