Gästeforum » head coach Chris Jones at the helm of the Esk

Momentum is a word that is really overused in rugby but Bristol certainly have it going into the first leg game against Doncaster. After their performances against Bedford where they won 90-35 on aggregate over the two play-off games, it would seem that they have the edge going into this game.They have a few players back from injury, they are a balanced side and have been waiting for this from the first game of the season. We have seen Bristol come close in the last two seasons only to fall at the last hurdle - if they dont do it this year then I dont think they will ever be able to do it. Doncaster are not going to take a backward step, though. You have to give credit to the club for what they have achieved. On a limited budget, Clive Griffith has put together a great squad who could take them into the Premiership.They came into this season with the aim of not getting relegated. They found some form and went on a fantastic run and then found themselves in the play-offs. Now they are in the final and could be the team that deny Bristol once again.I think it will be a close game - if Bristol can come away with a five-point win then that will give them a great buffer for the return leg at home - if Doncaster win then Bristol will really start to sweat ahead of next Wednesdays return leg.I think this will be a real forward battle and have picked out some key battles that will decide the outcome.Props: Colin Quigley v Jack OConnellQuigley is a gnarly old prop who will have a real tussle with Bristols OConnell in the front row. Quigley has spent some time in France and good tight-heads are worth their weight in gold. If he gets it right against OConnell then that will put Doncaster on the front foot.Flankers: Latu Makaafi v Jack Lam Latu Makaafi on the charge for Doncaster Knights A mouth-watering collision from these two back-rowers. Doncaster have a lovely balanced back-row with Makaafi, Michael Hills and Alex Shaw - they have played a lot together and have started all the play-off games. How they deal with the massive Bristol pack - who are bring a huge carrying game - is going to be crucial.Fly-half: Dec Cusack v Callum Sheedy Callum Sheedy nails a conversion for Bristol It has been interesting to see how Sheedy has matured over the season and how he handles the pressure of this game. I dont think he will be asked to do anything dramatic for Bristol - play for the forwards and play the ball back inside. I think Cusack wont be averse to putting the ball high in the air - Doncaster have a good chasing game and he will also kick for the corners.Centre: Will Hurrell v Ben Mosses Will Hurrell of Doncaster Knights Hurrell has played for Leicester and for Rotherham, he is built like the proverbial outhouse who will look to smash down the Doncaster defence, but will be up against Mosses. That inside channel next to the fly-half is going to be crucial.Wings: Tyson Lewis v Tom Varndell Tom Varndell of Bristol runs in for a try If the ball does go wide then Lewis is as fleet of foot as I have ever seen. He will be up against Tom Varndell who is no slouch in the pace department either. Two very quick lads.Watch Doncaster v Bristol, Wed, 7.30pm, Sky Sports 2 HD. Watch on NOW TV for £6.99. No contract. Also See: Sky live: Doncaster v Bristol The PRO12 semi-finals on Sky Follow @SkySportsRugby Fixtures and results Cheap Jerseys From China . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Online . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give. http://www.cheapnfljerseysoutlet.com/ . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. Stitched NFL Jerseys . Johan Franzen had two goals and two assists, Gustav Nyquist a goal and three assists and David Legwand a goal and two assists in the Red Wings 7-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. Wholesale Jerseys Outlet .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday.EDMONTON -- Coach Mike Benevides got a sneak peek at how his team handles adversity on Friday night. Steven Shotts 38-yard field goal with just eight seconds to play was the difference as the B.C. Lions overcame a tough start to defeat the Edmonton Eskimos 14-11 in a CFL pre-season game. "We definitely had to overcome some stuff in this game," Benevides said. "We had some positive plays and some negative plays we needed to rebound from. We had a touchdown at the goal-line in the second quarter and dropped it and had another one on a corner route and didnt exactly get the throw we wanted. We were down the entire game and had to fight that adversity. It was good to see how they handled the final two minutes." Lions quarterback Travis Partridge engineered the comeback and was thrilled to be able to make a difference in his first CFL game. "It was fun," he said. "There were a lot of firsts for me. I had my first bonehead mistake with an interception, my first completion, my first rushing yards and my first TD pass. It was a blast. Even though it was a pre-season game, a win always feels good. I have a lot to learn, as do a lot of us, but it was something I can build on." The Lions finished one spot ahead of Edmonton in the Western Division last season, tied with Saskatchewan at 11-7. The Eskimos are hoping a ton of off-season changes, including bringing in Chris Jones as the new head coach, will help them improve on a disappointing 4-14 record in the 2013 season. "It was a pretty good game," Jones said. "Theres a lot of good things on that film, unfortunately we ended up coming out on the short end of the stick. We talked about it pre-game, we had to hold onto the football, we couldnt take penalties and that ended up being the Achilles heel at the end, but there were some good things." Edmonton started the scoring with 5:45 remaining in the opening quarter as quarterback Mike Reilly capped off a long drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Fred Stamps. B.C. responded with a 37-yard Ricky Schmitt field goal three minutes later to make it 7-3 for Edmonton heading into the second quarter. John Beck replaced Kevin Glenn as the Lions quarterback for the second half. He had a couple of decentt drives fall short as B.dddddddddddd. could only add a punt single to its side of the score column before turning the ball over at the Edmonton nine-yard line on a third down gamble with just under two minutes to play in the first half. Edmonton got a late interception from Dexter McCoil at the Lions 35, leading to a Grant Shaw field goal and a 10-4 lead for the home team at the mid-mark. The slow pace to the game continued into the third quarter as Edmonton got a single point on a missed 37-yard field goal attempt by Zackary Medeiros. It just wasnt Medeiros day as he got a second chance from the 36 late in the third quarter and hit the uprights to keep the score at a humdrum 11-4. The Lions were pressing to tie the game with nine-and-a-half minutes remaining, but a pass from third string QB Partridge was picked off in the end zone by Edmontons Ryan Hinds. B.C. was finally rewarded on one of their drives with just 2:43 remaining in the fourth quarter as Partridge hit Brian Burnham with a 23-yard TD pass into the end zone to tie the game 11-11. The Lions got the ball back at the Edmonton 25 with 47 seconds left on Alex Ellis-Hoffmans recovery of a Mark Dell fumble, leading to the game-winning field goal. Notes: Both teams close out the pre-season with games next Friday as the Eskimos travel to Regina to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Lions head home to host the Calgary Stampeders. The two teams will then face each other again to start the regular season on Saturday, June 28 in Vancouvera The Esks came into the game with losses in their four previous pre-season games and just one win in their last sevena It was the first game for first-year head coach Chris Jones at the helm of the Eskimos after coming to the team following a stint as an assistant with the Toronto Argosa Edmonton quarterback Matt Nichols played in his first game after missing all of last season with a knee injury. He was 9-for-12 passing for 107 yardsa Lions star quarterback Travis Lulay remains on the mend after undergoing shoulder surgery last November and may not be able to return by the start of the regular seasona Among those vying for a spot as QB with the Lions this year is former NFL quarterback John Becka The announced attendance was 25,963. ' ' ' DeMarre Carroll fouled George on an inbounds pass, sending him to the line for the foul shots he would miss. Antic missed on his attempt to tie, so its back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "I think were still a confident group," said Korver. "We let one slip away but we showed we can go and compete in the games (in Indianapolis). Thats what our mindset is now. We have to let this one go and get ready for Monday." Game 6 will be Thursday night in Atlanta. ' ' '