National Two North Preview: Round 12

After last week’s stunning action on and off the pitch, Round 12 in National Two North looks set to be another enthralling weekend of rugby as Ampthill and District look to return to the top of the table and the race for the top four continues.

Hull Ionians took advantage of Ampthill’s draw with Huddersfield last weekend to go top for the first time in five weeks and on Saturday welcome fourth placed Harrogate to Brantingham Park. The stat keeps getting repeated, but it is outstanding that Ionians have lost just one of their last 21 games at home in this division. However, the last time the two sides met in Hull, it ended  in a 25-25 draw way back in March 2011. Harrogate are on a good run of form themselves which has seen them move into the top four having lost just once in their last ten matches.

Ampthill will be hoping Harrogate can pull off that 25-25 draw again on Humberside this weekend as they host fifth placed Caldy. Ampthill are now two points behind Hull Ionians, but do a nine point lead over third placed Chester. They also have won all six of their matches at home this season whereas Caldy have won just once away. Caldy are on a three game winning streak after coming from behind to beat bottom side Stockport last weekend. The visitors can go into the top four with a win.

Chester had a difficult weekend last time out. Having seen their Director of Rugby Nic Corrigan depart for National One side Cinderford, they then suffered their first defeat in six games against Hull Ionians. They will be looking to hit back immediately as they welcome Leicester Lions to Hare Lane on Saturday. Chester have lost just once at home in their last eight matches and did win this corresponding fixture in February of this year. As for The Lions, they will be buoyed by their superb home win over Otley last Saturday and only find themselves five points off the top four despite being in eighth position.

Speaking of Otley, they slipped down the table after that defeat and are now sixth. They have won one of their last three matches and travel to 15th placed Broadstreet on Saturday. Broadstreet seem to be a side on the up. After missing out on a victory by just two points against Caldy, they pulled of an excellent win against Hull last weekend and are playing with no fear at the minute. With a win they could move up to 13th in the table, but Otley know if they a take the points away from Coventry they could be back in the top four come Saturday evening.

Sedgley Park have had a difficult time of it recently having won just once in their last five matches. They were clearly one of the favourites for promotion at the beginning of the season and they are more than capable of putting a sequence of results to together to climb back up the table starting this weekend against Huddersfield. It’s been a mixed bag Huddersfield over the last two weeks. After being beaten by Stockport, they managed a draw against Ampthill so it will be interesting to see which Huddersfield turns up this weekend.

Into bottom half and surprisingly Stourbridge are still there. After coming so close to promotion last season, it just hasn’t clicked for them this season with only four wins from the first 11 games. They go to a confident Birmingham and Solihull side at the weekend who have put in some superb performances over the last five weeks which has seen them move up to 12th in the table. They are currently unbeaten in two matches with Stourbridge having not won away for home for over a month. All to play for at Portway.

Another side tipped to finish towards the right end of the table was Preston Grasshoppers who find themselves languishing in tenth position. They welcome the Luctonians to Lancashire having lost their last three matches and they will be hoping to score their first try in three games on Saturday. The Luctonians have also lost their last three matches and have won one game on the road this season -  that was at bottom club Stockport.  

Finally, Stockport welcome Hull to Headlands Road on Saturday looking for back to back home wins after beating Huddersfield two weeks ago. It’s clear that Stockport’s home performances have been substantially better than their ones away from home and are going up against a Hull side which has lost their last three matches.  Hull did beat Stockport on both occasions last time the sides met in National Two North.