National 3 Review and Playoffs

With three clubs gaining automatic promotion, and four teams with playoff games to come, there is plenty to talk about the in National 3 Leagues.

National Three North

All the way through this season, it was always shaping up to be a final day showdown between Sale FC and Sandal for the league title. Both sides met in Sale last weekend and it was the hosts who clinched the title and automatic promotion to National Two next season.

Sale won 31-22 against a Sandal side that were reduced to 12 men for the final 10 minutes of the match and they had led 3-22 early in the second half.  Both teams ended the season with identical home records; 12 wins and one defeat, but it was this victory over Sandal, which proved the most important for Sale this season who won the league by three points.

It means Sandal have to settle for a playoff against Hinckley from National Three Midlands to see who else will join Sale in National Two North next season.

At the other end of the National Three North table, Morley, Westoe and Beverley have been relegated to their regional leagues next season. All three sides were relegated before the final day of the season with Westoe and Beverley only picking up 35 points and three wins between them all season. Morley finished seven points adrift of Burnage.

National Three Midlands

Unlike in the North, the National Three Midlands title was decided way back at the start of March when South Leicester picked up a bonus point win over Sandbach. South Leicester have been utterly dominant in this league this season accumulating 119 points, 19 bonus points and they only lost once all season - a 21-23 defeat to Scunthorpe at the end of November.

South Leicester will join Sale FC in National Two North next season and it will be Hinckley who will go into the play-off with Sandal. Hinckley knew a draw against third place Peterborough Lions on the final day of the season would have been enough to secure that play-off spot, but they secured it style with a 42-10 victory over the Lions.  Just one defeat in their last 10 matches has presented them with a shot at National Two rugby for next season.

In terms of relegation, Bournville, Burton and Dudley Kingswinford were all relegated quite a while ago with Bournville finishing 25 points from safety which shows how far back the bottom three were from the rest of the pack this season.

Northern Play-Off: Sandal v Hinckley

It will be Sandal v Hinckley for a place in National Two next season. Sandal lost just three times all season and ended the campaign with 110 points and 22 out of a possible 24 victories to their name. The standout thing for Sandal is that they lost twice when it came to the big occasions against Sale FC this season so can they hold their nerve this Saturday against Hinckley and end five straight seasons in National Three?

As for Hinckley, they managed to channel the pressure against Peterborough Lions into an excellent performance and they need to do the same this weekend. Hinckley finished on 95 points and lost six times this season which would suggest that Sandal were favourites for promotion.

National Three London & South East

Bury St Edmunds were promoted to National Two South for the first time in clubs history as they were crowned champions of this division. A superb 61-10 victory over ninth placed Gravesend secured automatic promotion and league title last weekend.

Bury St Edmunds had sealed a play-off place three weeks ago, but when they lost to second place Barnes on April 11^th, it meant they had to beat Gravesend to make sure they would go up automatically. They did just that and in the end Barnes’ 8-7 defeat to 11^th placed Westcliff didn’t matter, but it certainly mattered to third place London Irish Wild Geese.

London Irish Wild Geese did their job as they beat fifth place Chichester 28-19 but that losing bonus point for Barnes secured them a playoff spot and another chance to play in National Two South next season. London Irish Wild Geese missed out by a point.

It was even more exciting at the bottom of the table as four teams battle it out to maintain their national rugby status for next season.

CS Rugby 1863 had already filled one of the relegation spots, but it was between Amersham & Chiltern, Tring, Westcliff and Guernsey to see who joined them back in the regional leagues. All four of those sides won last weekend which meant Amersham & Chiltern and Tring were relegated with Tring going down on points difference.

National Three South West

The Redingensians will be joining Bury St Edmunds in National Two South next season. They won the league by a comfortable nine points with 22 wins to their name this season. Exmouth will be Barnes’ opponents this weekend in the National Three South play-off as they finished second; 12 points clear of third place Bracknell. 

At the bottom, Weston-Super-Mare, Oxford Harlequins and Chard were all relegated with bottom club Chard picking up just 14 points all season. Weston-Super-Mare finished 11 points off safety. It’s safe to say, National Three South West was the most straight forward in terms of promotion and relegation than any of the other National Three leagues.

National Three South Play-Off: Exmouth v Barnes

So this Saturday we will see Exmouth v Barnes for a place in National Two South. Exmouth won 21 matches this season and lost just once at home throughout the campaign meaning it will be a tough test for Barnes this weekend. That defeat came just before Christmas against the title winners Redingensians, but currently Exmouth are on a run of four wins in their last five and have won their last seven matches on home soil.

As for Barnes, they will have to put their shock defeat to Westcliff to the back of their minds this weekend and try and get themselves back on track. Before that defeat, they were on a 12 match winning run so they will want to find that form quickly ahead of this weekend.

Exmouth will be looking for an immediate return back to tier four of English rugby whilst if Barnes are victorious, this will be their first season back in National Two for four years.