National 3 - The Halfway Report

It seems like yesterday when the sounds of the first whistles were blasted up and down the country to begin the 2014/15 Rugby season. Now 97 days later we have reached the halfway stage of this campaign and Talking Rugby Union takes a look at the current standings in the National Three leagues.

National Three North

Sandal may have feared the worst on the opening day of the season as they were beaten 13-30 at home by Sale FC, but since then it has been more than comfortable for the Wakefield based side as they top the tree heading into the Christmas period. They are on 12 match winning streak and have only lost one of their last 21 competitive matches. They currently lead the way by four points in this division and are unbeaten away from home.

Second placed Sale FC began their season in fine fettle when they dispatched National Two North side Stockport in the first round of the Cheshire Cup and since then they have lost just once in 13 games and they have a 100 per cent home record.  It was first blood to Sale when they played Sandal earlier in the season, and the return fixture could prove to be vital in the race for promotion and the league title.

Sheffield Tigers are seven points behind Sale and have performed much better on the road this season than at Dore Moor. They have won five of their six away matches, but have won just four games at home. Nevertheless they are third and currently on a four match winning streak. I’m sure there is plenty more still to come from The Tigers.

Firwood Waterloo currently occupy fourth spot in the league, but have had a difficult time of it recently. They have won just once in their last four and lost to league rivals Rossendale last week who are now just a point behind them in the table as the race for the top four hot’s up.

Behind Firwood and Rossendale are an in-form Cleckheaton side who have won their last three matches. Along with Sale FC, Cleckheaton have the only other 100 per cent home record in the league which has put them in a good position heading into the Christmas break. They are six points off the top four.

Seventh placed Billingham are heading into the New Year in good spirits. After losing three in a row they have now won their last two matches and things are looking more positive in the North East. One of those wins came against eighth placed Huddersfield Y.M.C.A who also ended a losing streak last weekend. Huddersfield have accumulated the most bonus points this season (14) which sees them just outside the top half of the table.

Further down the league, are Burnage who are seven points behind Huddersfield Y.M.C.A. They have won just two of their last seven matches and find themselves leading the way in the bottom half.

Between Burnage and 13^th placed Westoe, there is just ten points with Lymm, Morley and Wirral sandwiched in-between with all of them having lost their last match.  Then rooted to the bottom is Beverley who have won just once all season and are six points adrift with the Christmas break upon us.

National Three Midlands

There is a runaway leader at the half way point of the season as South Leicester are top by ten points having lost just one game all season. They are also unbeaten away from home and are in a commanding position heading into 2015.

Second placed Nuneaton have won four of their last five and are two points clear of third placed Old Halesonians who have won their last four matches. Both of these sides have been neck and neck all season and I wouldn’t bet against them being there at the end of the season.

Peterborough Lions are fourth and four points behind Old Halesonians, but they do have reason to be cautious. Even though they have picked up the joint highest bonus points total this season so far (9), they are only five points clear of ninth place Linchfield. Without those bonus points The Lions would be in the bottom half.

So the teams who are in-between Peterborough and  Linchfield are Hinckley, Sandbach, Bromsgrove and Scunthorpe who all have ambitions of being in the top four or maybe higher at the end of this campaign. But with just those five points separating the sides, it can all change in just one week.

Into the bottom half, Sutton Coldfield and Longton are in a mini battle of their own for 10^th and 11^th position with just  four points separating the sides. Between them they have only won three of their last ten matches but are still in very safe positions for now.

Bournville are in 12^th place with just three wins all season, but a win last weekend moves them further away from Dudley Kingswinford and Burton who are grounded to the bottom of this league. Dudley have seven points whilst Burton have just three. Between the sides they have picked up just one win all season.  This is certainly a division which shows stark contrasts.

National Three London and South East

Christmas has come early for London Irish Wild Geese as they lead the way by five points in this division. They have lost just twice all season and have won their last five matches.

Second placed East Grinstead will be taking a look at their away form as the reason why they are not top of this league. They have won all seven of their home matches, but have lost three of their five on the road which has hindered their title push so far.

There is only four points separating East Grinstead and fourth placed Westcombe Park with Bury St Edmunds nestled in-between.

The rest of the top half is a tight with fifth placed Chichester just a point behind Westcombe and six points clear of the bottom half. Hertford, Barnes and Tonbridge Juddians are the rest of the teams in the mid-table positions, with Hertford having the joint best current form in the league alongside London Irish Wild Geese.

If we thought the top half was tight, the bottom half is even closer. Ninth placed CS Rugby 1863 are on 23 points and that’s just six clear of 13^th placed Tring which means the bottom half can change in an instant. Gravesend are two points behind CS Rugby 1863 with Amersham & Chiltern and Westcliff on the same points as Tring. Guernsey, despite being quite a wealthy club in this division, are finding life tough at the minute as they are nine points behind the rest of the field at the bottom of the league. Maybe the New Year will bring some more luck to them.

National Three (South West)

Out of all of the divisions, this is the closest in terms of the race for the title as there are just two points between table toppers Redingensians and Exmouth. They will not be focused on the Christmas break just yet with both sides having lost just once all season and more importantly they face each other this weekend. I’m sure no  early Christmas gifts will be exchange on Saturday afternoon between the sides.

The Hornets are watching this battle unfold from afar as they are seven points behind the leaders and are probably more determined to stay in third with Brexham breathing down their necks as they are just a point behind.

Further down, just a win and a bonus point separate fifth placed Newton Abbot and seventh placed Old Centralians to round off the top half. Then there is a nine point gap between Old Centralians and Oxford Harlequins who are currently in eight spot.

Like National Three London and South East the bottom half is extremely close and once again just six points separate eighth and 13^th placed Old Redcliffians with Bournemouth, Old Patesians, Barnstaple and Weston-Super-Mare crammed in-between. 

And as for bottom club Chard, there is no Christmas cheer for the Somerset side as they have picked up just two points this season; the lowest in any of the regional divisions and are 15 points behind the rest of the pack.