National Two North: Sedgley searching for six

Once again, we are heading into another National Two North round of rugby and Sedgley Park are still yet to drop a point. Their impressive start sees them top the league and they will be aiming for a sixth win in a row this Saturday.

Macclesfield will be waiting in the wings if Sedgley do slip up when the Blues travel to old foes Tynedale, while Leicester Lions and Caldy will be hoping to maintain their solid starts to the season.

Elsewhere, Harrogate will want their poor recent home record to come to an end this weekend, while Otley, Preston Grasshoppers and Sale will be looking for back to back wins. Here is a preview of what is to come this Saturday.

Sandal v Sedgley Park

Sedgley Park couldn’t have asked for a better start to this season. After finishing third last campaign, they have begun this year like an express train picking up five bonus point wins from five.

It leaves them five points clear at the top of the table and they are still the only unbeaten side in National Two North. Sedge have lost just once in their last 11 competitive matches and have won both of their away fixtures so far this season – those wins coming against South Leicester and Otley.

As for Sandal, they certainly have surprised many followers of National Two North rugby. After winning the National Three North play-off , they won their first four matches of this season, but their unbeaten start came to an end last weekend away at Huddersfield. The hosts have won 24 of their last 25 home matches – a run which stretches back to November 2013. This will certainly be a tough test for Sedgley.

Tynedale v Macclesfield

Both of these sides were relegated from National One last season, but both have had contrasting fortunes so far.  Even though it is only early days, Tynedale have won just once this season and sit in the relegation places whereas Macclesfield have won their last four matches after a defeat to Stourbridge on the opening day.

The Blues now sit second in the table hoping to make it five wins in a row. They lost 24-60 to Tyne at home last season, but did win this fixture 20-22 back in January.

Leicester Lions v Stourbridge

After a defeat to Sandal which ended their unbeaten start to this season, Leicester Lions bounced back with an excellent home win over Harrogate last weekend and they are looking to continue their good form at Westleigh Park on Saturday.

The Lions have won all three of their opening home matches and sit third in the table, which might come as a surprise to people after their 11^th placed finish last term.

As for their opponents Stourbridge, they have begun this season in an inconsistent manner and this maybe because they are still waiting for their new summer recruits to gel with the squad and start to click.

Stour have won two of their opening five matches with one of those victories coming away at Harrogate. Stour lost both games against Leicester Lions last season with this fixture ending in 42-17 win for the Lions.

 South Leicester v Caldy

Caldy are making their fifth away trip in six weeks this Saturday as they travel to South Leicester. Caldy have played four of their opening five games on the road and have not done too badly.

Wins against Sale FC, Stourbridge and Preston Grasshoppers have seen the side move up to fourth in the table and those victories were backed up with a home triumph over Broadstreet last Saturday. The Wirral side won just four games on the road last season and can match that total with a win in the Midlands this weekend.

As for South, they must be satisfied with the start they have made since promotion last season. Two wins from five games and 12 points to their name is not bad going at all. Their one win at home was against Sale FC which is in fact their only game at Welford Road this season. South have won 13 of their last 15 matches on home soil.

Luctonians v Chester

After two back to back wins for Chester, they have hit an early sticky spell as two defeats in their last three, has seen them move down to sixth in the table.

Both of those losses came at home and Chester will be looking to their 100 per cent away record to help inspire them this weekend. Chester are the only side, along with Sedgley, to have not being beaten on their travels this season.

They go to 15^th placed Luctonians this Saturday who have won just once so far this season. That victory for the Lucts came at home against Huddersfield two weeks ago and that is their only home fixture thus far.

The Luctonians are unbeaten in their last four home fixtures which includes a 10-10 draw with Chester at the back end of last season.

Otley v Sale FC

Otley began this season with two straight defeats, but in the last three weeks, their performances have improved and they have picked up two wins in that time. Victories against Huddersfield and Chester away would have boosted their morale and they were unlucky to lose to Sedgley Park last time they were at Cross Green.

Otley won eight of their home matches last season, but have been unable to achieve a win on home soil this term so far. In fact, they have only won one of their last eight at Cross Green.

They welcome a Sale FC side who are starting to find their feet in National Two North. They beat Broadstreet and then stunned Tynedale last week, but both of those wins have been at home. Will this be the weekend Sale clinch their first away win?

Harrogate v Huddersfield

I think Harrogate would be the first to admit that their recent home form has not been up to the standards they are capable of. With just two wins in their last nine matches on home soil, ‘Gate have struggled to make real progress. They finished fourth last season and surely would’ve had thoughts of promotion this campaign, but their home results have let them down so far.

Overall, Harrogate have also lost their last three games and will be hoping their home woes and their bad run of results ends this Saturday when they welcome Huddersfield to Rudding Lane.

Huddersfield picked up a confidence boosting win last weekend when they halted Sandal’s unbeaten start to the season, but will now want that to be a catalyst for their first away win of the campaign this Saturday.

‘Field have lost both of their opening away matches and have only won four of their last 17 on the road. They also lost this fixture 29-13 last year.

Broadstreet v Preston Grasshoppers

Preston Grasshoppers picked up an excellent victory away at Stourbridge last week and they are once again on the road this Saturday with another trip to the Midlands to play Broadstreet.

The Grasshoppers go to the Ivor Preece Field searching for their first ever win in five visits with their best result being a 10-10 draw back in 2009.

In terms of the hosts, they are bottom of the table, still without a win and with just one bonus point to their name. To be fair to ‘Street, four of their five fixtures so far have been against sides in the top six including Sedgley Park and Macclesfield.

Their home results were a key element in them finishing seventh last season and Broadstreet will want to recapture that form sooner rather than later.