Judgement weekend for Henley Hawks

The spotlight in Round 26 of National One is on Henley Hawks as the bottom club in the division could be relegated with a defeat on Saturday if other results go against them.

Henley sit at the foot of the National One and are 19 points from safety and if Hull Ionians, who occupy the final safety spot in the fourth tier of English rugby, pick up two points or more from their fixture this weekend, then it will be all over for the Hawks if they lose to Coventry.

Fellow strugglers Cinderford host Esher, but regardless of their result on Saturday won’t have their relegation confirmed while Wharfedale will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and the safety places when they host league leaders Richmond.

Speaking of Richmond, they lead the way by 10 points with five games to go and they will want to return to winning ways after a draw in their last outing. Hartpury College may still believe promotion is possible as they sit in second place while there will be a scrap for third spot when Ampthill and District host Plymouth Albion.

Elsewhere, Blackheath are Hull Ionians’ opponents while the in-form Darlington Mowden Park welcome Fylde to the north-east and Rosslyn Park host Blaydon.

Wharfedale v Richmond

Richmond are still very much in the driving seat for the National One title despite dropping points against Ampthill and District two weeks ago.

That draw leaves them 10 points clear at the top of the table with five games left to play and their first hurdle to negotiate on their road to the Championship is a trip to Wharfedale this Saturday.

The hosts have shown spirit and fight over the last two months so it won't be easy for the league leaders. However, that grit and determination hasn't been enough for Wharfedale to move out of the danger zone.

Currently 'Dale occupy the final relegation place in National One and are 10 points from safety. Wins are now becoming desperate for the Yorkshire side who know a defeat on Saturday will more or less be the final nail in their coffin. With both sides needing the points for contrasting reasons, it should be an excellent contest in Skipton.

Loughborough Students v Hartpury College

After seeing Richmond drop points 13 days ago, second place Hartpury College will be hoping they are able to close the gap further this weekend when they travel to Loughborough Students.

The hosts have steered themselves away from trouble and are now 12 points clear of the drop zone, but they will have to be at their best to beat College who may still believe they have a shot at the title.

Both of these clubs university sides met in the BUCS Championship three weeks ago with Loughborough edging it with a late penalty. Let's hope for more of the same drama this Saturday.

Ampthill & District v Plymouth Albion

Both of these teams were separated by a division last season, but now they are two of the leading sides in National One as they prepare to do battle at Dillingham Park this weekend.

Another thing which these sides have in common is that they are both in very good form. They now have their sights set on a potential second place finish for this campaign with the winner in Milton Keynes securing a top three finish for the season.

Ampthill have been sensational over the last two years and will hope host advantage will give them the edge this weekend while Albion, who have lost just one of their last 14 games, will be looking to continue their focus on the pitch despite the board announcing last Friday that they are going to appoint an administrator to buy the club.

Blackheath v Hull Ionians

A few weeks ago Blackheath were a side firmly in the promotion hunt, but damaging defeats to rivals Richmond, Hartpury College, Plymouth Albion and Darlington Mowden Park has seen Club fall to fifth in the table.

They are still more than capable of finishing third this season, but need a win against a struggling Hull Ionians side if they are to achieve that aim.

As for the I's, they are currently 10 points clear of the relegation zone and with just two wins in their last 15 matches, they need to find a victory from somewhere to ease their nerves.

Cinderford v Esher

Cinderford currently sit in the relegation zone and face a tough task at home this weekend when they host Esher.

Cinderford have performed admirably in the last few weeks, but they know they must win on Saturday to further their stay in National One as a defeat will more or less mean curtains for them.

Esher's promising promotion challenge evaporated a couple of months ago and now they will be aiming to end the campaign strongly and finish in the top six.

Darlington Mowden Park v Fylde

Darlington Mowden Park maybe seventh in the table, but they have been of the teams of this season in National One. They have won 14 of their last 16 matches and that remarkable run bodes extremely well for them next term.

As for their opponents, Fylde have had a frustratingly inconsistent season which has seen them in mid-table for the majority of the campaign.

They have struggled on the road in their last few outings, so they will want to turn their fortunes around when they take the trip up to the North-East on Saturday.

Rosslyn Park v Blaydon

Since the departure of James Buckland, Rosslyn Park seemed to have turned a corner and are in great shape to end the season strongly.

They have won six of their last 12 games since Buckland left the club in February and they will look to continue that decent run at home to Blaydon on Saturday.

Blaydon have also picked up some vital results in recent weeks which has pushed them away from the bottom three.

The north-east side are 11 points clear of the drop and you suspect that one more win for them would guarantee their National One safety for the 2016/17 season.

Henley Hawks v Coventry

The final game of the weekend could be the final chance Henley Hawks have to keep fighting off relegation.A defeat to Coventry on Saturday would see the Hawks immediately return to National Two South after one season in the third tier of English rugby.

Their visitors, Coventry, ended a losing run of four games last time out when they beat Cinderford but have not won away from home for four months which will give Henley hope at Dry Leas this weekend.