Leaders face tough test to stay top

This enthralling title race took another twist last week as Cambridge went back to the summit of National Two South after Old Albanian were defeated for the second time in as many weeks.

The gap at the top is now two points and with 10 games to go, anything is possible especially the way in which this league has shaped up throughout this campaign. I still don’t think you can rule out Bishops Stortford and Taunton who are lurking behind the top two ready with both sides eyeing up a play-off spot.

If it was exciting at the top, the bottom half remains closer than ever. Just seven points separate Worthing in ninth and the Redingensians in 14^th which shows a whole host of teams are still far from safe in National Two South. Expect more changes at both ends of the table, beginning with this weekend.

Taunton Titians v Cambridge

Taunton Titians are still putting up a fight in this promotion race this season. The Titians were top of this division after the first seven matches, but now find themselves fourth in the table, 11 points behind the play-off place with a game in hand.

The Titians appear to be back to their best which is what we saw in the first third of the season. Their hard fought victory over Bury St Edmunds last week means that Taunton are now unbeaten in three games and come into this game with leaders Cambridge having won all nine of their home matches. Confidence is quite clearly high at Hyde Park.

However the rest of this season pans out, it has been a fantastic campaign for Cambridge. The Blood and Sand, who finished seventh last season, have impressed everyone who follows this division and they are now leading the way as we enter the final 10 games of this term.

A massive win in terms of the title race over Old Albanian and a thrashing of Canterbury last week means Cambridge are two points clear at the summit and they have been in the promotion mix all season long. This will be another huge test of their title credentials and if they pass it with flying colours, then Cambridge are certainly in the box seat for the league crown.

Old Albanian v Chinnor

The Old Albanian’s season has been one which I think we expected. Despite not really having the instant impact at the start of the campaign after relegation from National One, the OA’s haven’t looked back since and are certainly title contenders as we begin the final third of the season.

Until two weeks ago, they were top of this division by five points. However, back to back defeats against Cambridge and Bishops Stortford saw that advantage evaporate and now it is the OA’s turn to play catch-up. 16 wins from 20 matches more than proves the quality they have so they will be hoping to get their promotion aims back on track with a win in front of their own supporters this weekend.

Chinnor find themselves fighting for their survival which is not a situation we thought they’d be in heading into this campaign. They finished in a very respectable sixth place last season and may have hoped to build on that in the same way Cambridge have done, but the complete opposite has happened.

As things stand, Chinnor lie 15^th in the table and three points off safety. They are still more than capable of digging themselves out of this hole but they must improve on their five wins this term otherwise it could spell the end for them in National Two. Added to that, they travel to the OA’s who have lost just once on home soil this season – which was their last home match against Cambridge.

 

Canterbury v Bishops Stortford

Canterbury have moved away from the relegation dogfight in recent weeks. Currently, the City Men sit in 10^th place, six points clear of the relegation zone, although a defeat to Bishops Stortford on Saturday could easily see them get dragged back towards the bottom three where they began the New Year.

At the start of 2016, they were in the drop zone, but four straight wins saw them jump up to 10^th in the table in a remarkable change of fortunes as they had won only three games in their previous 11 before that run. However, they were brought back down to earth last week as they left Cambridge with their tails between their legs after a thrashing and they will be hoping to avoid that this Saturday against another promotion candidate.

Bishops Stortford are looking to keep up their excellent form. The club have lost just once in their last 10 matches which includes wins over Cambridge and more recently the Old Albanian which emphasises why Stortford are certainly back in with a shout of a play-off place.

Without this run of form which they have been on since the end of November, Stortford wouldn’t be anywhere near a promotion spot after a patchy start to the season. ‘Patchy’ is the best way to also describe their away form coming into this game as they have won four of their 10 matches on the road this season. If they were to add another victory to that tally, it would go along to keeping them in with a shout of second place.

Old Elthamians v Redingensians

The Old Elthamians come into this fixture against the Redingensians in a rich vein of form. They have started 2016 superbly and are unbeaten in five matches which include four wins and draw.

Their club website has also mentioned that a win on Saturday at the Queen Mary ground will be their longest unbeaten run since gaining promotion in 2014-15. What is noticeable in this run for the OE’s  though, is the close score lines which have cropped up suggesting it hasn’t been all straightforward for the side that sit sixth in the table.

The Redingensians will be hoping to make life difficult for the OE’s again this weekend when they visit the Queen Mary. The Rams currently sit 14^th, but are only four points off 11^th place.

Their win last weekend over Clifton was a real confidence booster as they arrested a four game losing streak and if they were to make it back to back wins this Saturday, they could well be out of the bottom three come Sunday morning.

Clifton v Southend Saxons

For a brief moment, it looked as though Clifton had halted their horrendous run of form. However, defeat to the Redingensians last Saturday confirmed that the South Gloucestershire are not yet out of this rut which they seem to be in. At the start of the season, Clifton were flying high in fourth place but since November 7^th, things haven’t gone according to plan.

From fourth they have slipped down to seventh in those four months and in that time, they have played 11 matches and won just three. Their early good form is just about keeping them in the top half of the table, but if this current run of results continues, it could start to cause them a lot of trouble.

One positive for Clifton is that they have won eight games at home this season and  they welcome a Southend Saxons side also struggling for form. Like Clifton, they have fallen down the table, but for Southend it has seen them drop into the bottom three on one occasion thus far.

That was until last week where they picked up their first win in seven matches as they beat Worthing Raiders and now the Saxons sit one point clear of the drop. Southend have won just three away games this season, but something has got to give between these two sides that are desperate for a result.

Barnes v Launceston

Barnes have been in good form since the turn of the year. They are unbeaten picking up three wins and two draws from their five matches in January. More importantly for the National Three play-off winners, is that they sit eighth in the table and a very comfortable 16 points clear of the drop with 10 games remaining.

They have enjoyed life in the fourth tier of English rugby and they have enjoyed playing in front of their own supporters too as six of their eight victories this season have come at home. They have a brilliant chance to add to that this weekend against a Launceston side devoid of any confidence.

For Launceston, it is safe to say they aren’t coming back from the situation they find themselves in. Currently, they are rock bottom of National Two South having lost 17 of the 18 matches they have played this term. They do have two games in hand, but even that might not be enough to see them pull off  the greatest of escapes.

Launceston sit 28 points from safety and come into this away fixture without a win on the road since in nine matches – which goes back to the end of last season. Their performance last week against the Old Elthamians is arguably their best since their draw to Southend earlier in the campaign so they will take some confidence to Barnes.

Worthing Raiders v Bury St Edmunds

Worthing Raiders’ last 12 months has been a contrast of highs and lows. The Raiders finished last year in a fine fettle and ended the campaign in fifth so to see their form and their current league position for this season is surprising.

Worthing are ninth in the table and seven points clear of the drop zone, which again highlights how close it is in the bottom half of this league. The Raiders have won just two of their last five games, but back to back victories were halted last week by a disappointing defeat away to Southend so Worthing will be itching to get back  to winning ways this weekend.

Bury St Edmunds are another team in the bottom half of the table and a few may have thought they would be in this position at this stage of the season. The club were promoted last term and started life in National Two South quite well, but Bury’s form has dipped recently and they are going through their worst spell of the season so far.

They currently occupy 12^th place in the table and are three points clear of the drop, but they have won only once in their last six matches. They have lost their last four games and they will be hoping to start February like they did January; with a morale boosting victory.

Redruth v Dorking has been postponed this weekend due to current weather conditions and forecast of more heavy rain and high winds. The game has been rescheduled for February 27^th with a kick-off time of 2pm.