INTERVIEW | Horne reacts to Whitehaven draw

Doncaster coach Richard Horne rued his side’s error count during Sunday’s thrilling 25-25 draw with Whitehaven and believes the Dons had plenty of chances to win the contest but could land a knockout blow.

Trailing 18-4 at the break, Horne was pleased with the way the hosts reacted in the second half but stated some uncharacteristic plays and going away from the game plan hurt the Dons at times. 

However, Horne and his players are well aware of what’s needed moving forward. Proud of the way his players managed to get back into the contest, the Dons boss spoke after the nail-biting affair, giving his lowdown from the Eco-Power.

“It was a rollercoaster “, said Horne. “Both teams tried everything not to win it. The errors from us in the second half made us lose even more hair than we have. It's frustrating because if we'd have knocked off some more sets and completed better, it was there for the taking. We could have won it, but those basic errors around the ruck and play the balls hurt us. 

"We invited Whitehaven in, we were good to go but we didn't perform. I thought that even being behind at the break we were in control. We were soft in defence and they hit us at the ruck. That's not good enough for us. We had plenty of ball but let them back in. It's a tough one to take because that's this league. If you allow teams in, you'll be stood under the sticks. 

"It was a see-saw score line. We led at the end, conceded a penalty and they took the draw. 


With a week off ahead, Horne explained what the next period looks like for the Dons before we travel to France to take on Toulouse Olympique. “Watson Boas we will assess in the week but it looks like his hamstring. We've given the lads some time off, and some have played big minutes for us. They'll rest us, some will have sessions to catch up within the week. We are a bit busted injury-wise, so we will go from there."