‘Hartpury need to continue their strong position’
Hartpury College Director of Rugby John Barnes feels his side also recruited well in the summer
©Andrew Beachman
Hartpury College want to be in a strong position to challenge for promotion from National One in the New Year, says Director of Rugby John Barnes.
College are currently flying high at the top of the third tier of English rugby after setting a new record of 11 straight bonus point wins and Barnes believes his side need to continue their good form to put them in a good position heading into 2017.
“It's unquestionably been a great start to the season. Being 100 per cent in terms of points is an outstanding achievement,” the former Bristol Academy coach said.
“Our aim now is to be in a position to challenge for promotion in the New Year.”
The rise of Hartpury College has been a remarkable one since their formation back in 2004 and the Gloucestershire side finished in their highest ever position last season as they were runners-up to eventual National One winners Richmond.
Barnes concedes that Hartpury must not rest on their laurels despite having a 12 point gap at the top of National One after 11 rounds of this campaign, but he does feel that the way his side recruited in the summer compared to the other top teams in the division has benefited College so far.
“Credit must go to the coaches, players and support staff for the way we have started. The drive to succeed has been second to none from all. There's been huge buy in from everyone within the set up to what we want to achieve and how we go about it,” said Barnes.
“Having finished second last year we knew we had a chance to challenge the top again. Several teams seemed to recruit well and we only added a couple to a settled squad, which I think has benefitted us.
“We've added a different dimension in how we attack and so far it's paid dividends with bonus points in every game to date.”
Next up for the runaway leaders in National One is a home game against Darlington Mowden Park on Saturday as they look to extend their sensational start to the season. DMP on the other hand, haven’t quite had the same joy as Barnes’ side.
The North-East outfit currently lie 13th in the table and are just two points outside the relegation zone. DMP have won just one of their last seven games with their only away victory coming against Ampthill and District in Round Three.
Granted, they have had their injury problems this season but they need to turn their fortunes around sooner rather than later otherwise some alarm bells could start ringing at The Darlington Arena.
Elsewhere in National One in Round 12, its friends reunited at the Butts Park Arena as Coventry host Cambridge, while Birmingham Moseley will be looking to return to winning ways. Also, the likes of Blackheath, Plymouth Albion, Ampthill and Rosslyn Park will all be aiming to continue their good recent form this weekend.
Macclesfield v Birmingham Moseley
The term ‘bad day at the office’ springs to mind to describe Macclesfield’s performance last weekend against Loughborough Students. After the Blues had secured their second win in some style in Round 10 against Darlington Mowden Park, their hard work was severely undone by a rampant Loughborough side who ran in 11 tries.
Now, the Cheshire outfit must respond when Birmingham Moseley visit Priory Park on Saturday. Giles Heagerty’s side are bottom of National One as things stand, but they are only three points from safety. Both of their victories this season have come on home soil and Heagerty is keen for his side to get the basics right this weekend if they stand any chance of claiming another victory at Priory Park.
As for Birmingham Moseley, if their task to hunt down Hartpury College wasn’t tough enough, it was made even more difficult last weekend as they slipped to their second defeat of the season away at Plymouth Albion.
Kevin Maggs’ side now sit 12 points off top spot which shows just how damaging that loss was. Moseley, who were relegated from the Championship last year, must now pick themselves up and go again on the road this Saturday as they look to return to winning ways in Cheshire. However, they will be wary as both of their defeats this term have come on their travels.
Blackheath v Loughborough Students
Back at home this weekend, Blackheath will be looking to build on last Saturday’s triumph over Darlington Mowden Park as they welcome Loughborough Students to Well Hall.
Loughborough have been performing very well this season in National One as they continue their progression in the third tier of English rugby since their arrival four years ago. In this campaign, Dave Morris’ side currently sit seventh in the table having returned to winning ways in some style last week.
Their 76-30 triumph over Macclesfield was their fifth win of the term, but the Midlands side have not won away from home for over a month. They certainly do possess the quality to come away from London with a victory on Saturday, but it will be a tough challenge against a Blackheath side bang in form.
After a defeat to Rosslyn Park in Round Nine which ended a seven game winning streak, Club have responded magnificently by securing back-to-back victories over the Old Albanian and DMP to keep them third in the table and a point behind Birmingham Moseley. Blackheath have won all five of their matches at their new home thus far this season and they will be hoping to add to that this Saturday.
Blaydon v Plymouth Albion
Plymouth Albion take the 410 mile trip to Crow Trees this weekend to take on Blaydon with both sides in buoyant moods heading into Round 12.
The visitors are fourth in the table and are actually only three points off second place following a superb 27-20 victory over Birmingham Moseley last weekend. Dan Parkes has come into the club and given them great stability leading his side to eight wins from their first 11 matches.
Albion are back on the road this weekend where all three of their defeats have come this season, but they will be confident of avoiding a loss time around as they head north on the back of a three game winning run. Other news from Brickfields this week saw Herbie Stupple sign a new deal with club until 2020.
Blaydon will be hoping Stupple’s first game of his new contract ends in defeat and over the last few matches, it seems as though the north-east side have turned a corner. The Crows have been languishing in the bottom three for all of this season to date, but two wins and an encouraging display against Coventry over the last three weeks has given Blaydon cause for optimism.
Their victories against Fylde and Hull Ionians have both come at home and it leaves Blaydon just two points from safety. They have performed much better at Crow Trees than on their travels, but they will have to be at their very best to earn a third straight victory in front of their own supporters.
Hull Ionians v Ampthill and District
Fifth placed Ampthill and District take the trip to their old friends Hull Ionians this weekend with both sides suffering contrasting fortunes this season.
Both of these clubs were promoted from National Two North in 2015, but it was the then champions Hull Ionians, that struggled to adapt to life in National One. Last year, they flirted with relegation and did well to survive the drop but they are very much in the thick of the bottom three this term.
The I’s are currently lying in 14th place and are two points off safety. The reason behind this is simple; the men from Brantingham Park have won just one of their last seven matches which has led to them slipping down the table. Now they must try and mount a revival, starting with this weekend, otherwise it could start to become a fatal situation for Hull Ionians.
On the other hand, Ampthill and District enjoyed an exceptionally good season last year finishing in third spot, leading to a few followers of National One tipping them to challenge for the title this time around. So far, it hasn’t quite worked out like that, but the A’s are once again having a strong campaign.
As things stand, they sit fifth in the table following seven wins from their first 11 matches. Ampthill had won just one of their last four matches prior to last weekend’s home win against Coventry and now they must end a two game losing streak on the road when they travel to East Yorkshire tomorrow.
Coventry v Cambridge
Coventry against Cambridge this weekend will see friends reuniting before and after kick-off, but during the match, expect an excellent contest at the Butts Park Arena.
Current Coventry Director of Rugby Rowland Winter moved to the Midlands from Cambridge in the summer after guiding the Blood and Sand to the title in National Two South last year. With him from Volac Park, he also brought Brendan Burke, James Stokes, Brett Daynes and Corey Hircock.
It’s fair to say Cov went through a period of transition in the summer, but it doesn’t look as though it has done them any harm. They currently occupy sixth place in the table, but a five game winning run came to an end last week as they fell to a narrow defeat away at Ampthill & District. They are back at home this weekend where they have lost just once all term so they will be aiming to keep the Butts Park Arena a fortress this Saturday.
As for Cambridge, Ross Stewart took over the role of Director of Rugby from Rowland Winter and so far they are holding their own back in National One. Last weekend’s 36-0 win over Fylde was certainly Cambridge’s highlight of the season so far and that victory leaves them ninth in the table and eight points clear of the relegation zone.
The Blood and Sand travel to the Midlands this weekend having won four games in total this season, but only one of them has come on the road. Stewart and his side will be keen to put that right as they look to get a result against some old friends this weekend.
Esher v Old Albanian
Esher and the Old Albanian do battle in Surrey this weekend with the home side looking to continue their excellent record at Molesey Road.
Esher have had a chequered season which has resulted in them currently occupying eighth place in table having accumulated four wins from their first 11 games. All four of those victories have come at home, with three of them occurring in a row, so Esher will be eager to stretch their winning run in front of their own supporters this weekend.
In terms of the Old Albanian, having spoken to coach James Shanahan earlier in the season, there sole aim is to maintain their presence in National One this season following promotion via the National Two play-off in May.
The OA’s bounced immediately back into the third tier of English rugby after relegation in 2015 and so far, it has been quite a mixed season for the side. They have the same record of four wins and seven defeats as Esher do, but the OA’s sit in 12th place and two points behind their opponents on Saturday. Worryingly for the men from Woolams is that they have won just one of their last five matches, but a victory in Surrey this weekend could take them into the top half of the division.
Fylde v Rosslyn Park
Like Esher, Fylde are another side that have been firing on all cylinders when it comes to getting results on home soil. The Lancashire sides’ recent upturn in form is largely down to their performances at Woodlands and they will be hoping that continues when Rosslyn Park visit on Saturday.
Paul Arnold’s side have won just four games all season, but all of those victories have come in their last four games at home which has seen them move up to 11th in the table. For now, their away form takes a back seat as they go in search of win number five to continue moving further away from the drop zone.
A side that seems to be edging themselves clear of the bottom three are Rosslyn Park. After a torrid start to the season for Park, they have well and truly turned a corner in recent weeks and the London-based side are now showing signs of what they are really capable of in National One.
Park began the season with just a win and a draw from their first seven matches leaving them lumbered in the bottom three, but now they head to the north-west having won three of their last four games. That run of results has left them sitting 10th in the table and level on points with Fylde ahead of their clash this weekend. Both sides are in decent form so something will have to give this weekend at Woodlands.
