Fireworks expected as top two showdown

It is the game the division has been waiting for. Chinnor take on the Old Elthamians this Saturday as both sides put their perfect starts to the season on the line in Oxfordshire.

Only a point separates the early pacesetters in National Two South, but all good things must come to an end and this weekend, one side will not have that winning feeling for the first time this season.

Quite frankly, it is a big game in this early title race which is why third placed Bishops Stortford will be paying close attention to result as they look to capitalise on either Chinnor’s or the OEs’ misfortune.

Elsewhere in National Two South, Redruth and Taunton will be hoping to begin November on the front foot while the Redingensians and Clifton will be aiming to pick up from where they left off in October. At the bottom, there are two crucial matches with each side looking to pick up a result which could prove vital come the end of the season.

Chinnor v Old Elthamians

If you didn’t know already, Chinnor have made a strong start to this National Two South season. The Black and Whites are yet to suffer a defeat having won all nine of their matches so far this campaign, picking up impressive victories over the likes of Redruth, Henley Hawks and Cinderford along the way – can they overcome the only other unbeaten side this weekend to extend their run?

Matt Williams’ squad is full of talent with the likes of ex-Canada international Richard Thorpe, Bevon Armitage (brother of Stefan and Delon) and former Munster and Ireland U20 international Danny Barnes all in the side and with that quality plus an excellent team ethos, it is easy to see why Chinnor are performing so well this season. This fixture with the OE’s is arguably their toughest test yet so can they take a huge early step towards promotion by clinching their 10^th straight win this Saturday?

The Old Elthamians, like their Saturday afternoon opponents, have racked up nine consecutive wins so far this season. After ending the last campaign in eighth place, it has been a remarkable start to this campaign for the OE’s who have continued to impress as he each week passes by in National Two South.

They have already overcome some tough assignments as we near the completion of the first third of the season. In their last six games, they have beaten fellow promotion candidates Bishops Stortford, Taunton Titans and most recently Redruth which suggests that the OE’s are arguably more prepared for this high pressure fixture than Chinnor are. This will be an absolute cracker in Oxfordshire this weekend as the top two put their perfect starts on the line. Something has got to give.

London Irish Wild Geese v Bishops Stortford

The London Irish Wild Geese earned promotion to National Two South following their championship winning season in National Three and life at this level has started OK for the side. Wild Geese knew it would be tough moving up a division and so far they currently occupy 13^th spot in the table – one place and one point above the relegation zone.

Wild Geese have accumulated three wins from their first nine games, two of which have come on home soil. Their last victory came at Hazelwood two weeks ago when they defeated Canterbury so they will be looking for back to back home victories this weekend when they welcome Bishops Stortford to Sunbury-on-Thames.

I think Bishops Stortford will be happy with their start to the season, although it’s clear they are still playing catch-up with the current top two after a slight blip of form earlier in the term. Defeats to the Old Elthamians and Canterbury dented Stortford’s promotion bid, but they have responded by producing four straight victories which leaves them five points behind the pacesetters.

Stortord sit in third place after a superb October and now they know they must continue with that momentum this month if they are to keep the pressure on the top two places. On the road, Andy Long’s men have won four of their five matches this season and because his side playing with a swagger at the moment, they should be favourites to collect another victory on their travels this weekend.

Redruth v Canterbury

Redruth have once again made a decent start to the season in National Two South. The Reds did get off to a mixed beginning as a win against Henley Hawks was followed by a defeat to Chinnor, but since then they’ve been very consistent and were unbeaten in six matches up until last weekend.

They were beaten by promotion rivals the Old Elthamians in Round Nine which would have been tough to take for Marek Churcher’s men who have now lost to both of the top two sides this term. However, they remain fourth in the table and are still having a strong season as they look to return to winning ways when Canterbury visit the Recreation Ground on Saturday. It won’t be easy for the visitors as Redruth have won all five of their matches on home turf thus far.

Canterbury have made a mixed start to the season in National Two South which comes as no surprise. The City Men were very inconsistent last year which led to a bottom-half finish and the failure to string a good run of results together is haunting them again this term as they currently sit eighth in the table.

The Kent-based side picked up their third win of the campaign last week in impressive style against Henley Hawks and now Canterbury will be keen to gain some momentum by securing back to back wins. It will be a tough test for them this Saturday against Redruth, but they will know they can upset the odds as they beat another one of the promotion candidates, Bishops Stortford, earlier in the campaign.

Taunton Titans v Worthing Raiders

Taunton Titans are already slipping behind in the promotion race in National Two South. After nine games, the Titans already find themselves 10 points off the top two places, having lost crucial games against the likes of the Old Elthamians and Bishops Stortford. That said, Andy Yapp’s side do have the quality to turn their fortunes around.

It was certainly an October to forget for the Somerset-based outfit who won just twice and they welcome Worthing Raiders to Hyde Park having lost their last two home matches. Taunton will want to put last month behind them and they’ll be itching to get back to winnings ways in front of their own supporters as they go in search of victory number seven of the season.

Worthing have made a mixed start to the National Two South season and like Taunton, they had a nightmare month in October. The Raiders have picked up four wins from their opening nine games of the campaign and as result sit ninth in the table. However, they only managed to secure one victory last month meaning any early momentum they may have had has now fizzled out.

The men from Rugby Park are now looking to start fresh in November and get to the halfway point of this season in a better position to where they are now. The Raiders travel to Somerset this weekend having won just once on the road this term so they will be eager to double their tally of victories away from home against an out of sorts Taunton side.

Redingensians v Cinderford

The Redingensians have enjoyed a solid start to the season in National Two South. One win and four defeats from the first five league matches of the campaign left the Rams languishing in the bottom half of the table. However, three wins and a draw in October has seen the men from Old Bath Road surge up to sixth in the division and they are currently unbeaten in four matches.

The form they are in now is similar to a spell the Redingensians had last season which was enough for them to secure their status in the division. The Rams are actually only six points from safety as things stand which shows how tight this league already is, but the way Mike Tewkesbury’s side are playing at present, suggests they are more than capable of avoiding the drop once again. Their immediate focus will now be on this fixture with Cinderford as they aim to extend their unbeaten run.

Cinderford may have had thoughts of challenging for promotion in National Two South this season. After relegation from National One, the Gloucestershire side may have hoped for an immediate return to the third tier, but it hasn’t worked out like that so far as they currently sit 10^th in the table after four wins from their first nine matches of the campaign.

To say it has been a mixed term so far for the men from Dockham Road would sum it up nicely. They head to Berkshire this weekend looking for their third win on the road and they do certainly have the quality to achieve that. It has been very stop-start for Cinderford in the first two months of the season so they will be looking to kick on in November, starting with a victory this weekend.

Henley Hawks v Clifton

Henley Hawks may not be as dominant in National Two South this season as they were two years ago. The Hawks deservedly won the title in the 2014/15 campaign following a brilliant term, but after immediate relegation from National One last season, they have struggled to replicate any sort of form that earned them promotion last time they were in this division.

So far this term, the men from Dry Leas find themselves in a disappointing 12^th place and they are currently just a point above the relegation zone as things stand. This is a far cry from the success the club has had in recent times and with just one win from their last five games, they will need to stop the rot sooner rather than later otherwise they could find themselves in further trouble.

Henley’s task to achieve win number four of the season isn’t going to be an easy one as their opponents Clifton are currently in their best form for 13 months. The Lavender and Blacks began the campaign the way they ended last term as they struggled to find a winning formula, but it looks as though Darren Lloyd and his staff have found it once again.

The South Gloucestershire side travel to Dry Leas having won their last three matches – something they haven’t achieved since the beginning of last season. Their recent run of victories leaves them seventh in the table and with confidence high at the moment, Clifton will feel they can extend their winning run with another triumph against an out of form Henley side tomorrow.

Exmouth v Bury St Edmunds

Exmouth are enduring a tough season in National Two South, which is expected for a newly-promoted side. After moving up to this level via the National Three South play-off in May, Exmouth began life in the fourth tier with six straight defeats meaning they sat rock bottom of the table and low on confidence.

Round seven and eight did breathe new life into their season as they gained a late draw away at the Redingensians before securing the bragging rights in the Devon derby by beating rivals Barnstaple. However, a defeat to Barnes (another side in the bottom three) last week was a slight setback for Jon Hill’s men who remain in the relegation zone, but they are only five points adrift of safety. Hill has been quick to point out the positives in recent weeks and his side will be looking to build on those plus points as they go in search of back to back home wins this Saturday.

Bury St Edmunds have also had a difficult start to the National Two South season. After nine matches, Bury sit 11^th in the table, with Gavin Hogg’s men struggling to string a run of positive results together which they were able to do on a few occasions last term which led to them staying in this division.

Worryingly for the Wolfpack though are their recent results. Over the last four games, Bury have the worst form in the league having lost all four of those matches which leaves them just a point clear of the bottom three. Adding to their problems is their away form as they head to Exmouth without a win on the road this season. Something has got to change fast for Bury, otherwise they could be dragged into further trouble.

Barnes v Barnstaple

Barnes have endured a challenging start to this National Two South season. After nine matches, the club find themselves in 14^th place – a point adrift of safety – having won just two games so far this campaign as they head into another huge fixture this weekend when they host Barnstaple.

Last Saturday may well have been a turning point for Barnes though. A home victory over early relegation rivals Exmouth is exactly what the doctor order as Barnes look to move away from the bottom three. This game against Barnstaple provides another chance for Barnes to create some breathing space between themselves and the teams around them and with home advantage once again, they may fancy their chances of doing just that.

It would have been a frustrating weekend for Barnstaple last Saturday. Despite an excellent performance to earn just their second win of the season at home to Worthing Raiders, Barum remained bottom of National Two South due to Barnes’ victory and the fact Exmouth secured two bonus points from that defeat.

Steve Parry would certainly have been pleased with the response his side produced following a defeat to Exmouth in Round Eight and he will be encouraging his squad to continue their winning feeling when they travel to South-West London tomorrow. Barnstaple are seven points away from safety as things stand, but their first ever win on the road at this level could prove vital as they look to avoid an immediate return back down to National Three.