National Two South Preview: Round 10

It’s a top of the table clash in National Two South this weekend as league leaders Henley Hawks take on one of their nearest challengers for the title, Taunton.

It is a 4pm kick-off in Oxfordshire due to the beginning of the Autumn Internationals as two giants of world rugby - England & New Zealand - meet at Twickenham. We expect fireworks in that one, and at Dry Leas.

Henley will go in search of their tenth straight victory on Saturday and will look to increase their six-point lead at the top with victory over third placed Taunton.

Level on points with Taunton, is second placed Dorking who host Canterbury this weekend. The home side will be looking to extend their winning run to eight matches and close the gap on Henley. As for Canterbury, they were beaten by Henley last week so it doesn’t get much easier for them this weekend. Currently in 12th position and without an away win all season, the odds seem stacked against the visitors.

Fourth placed Bishops’s Stortford will be hoping to continue their winning run after beating Shelford 30-21 last Saturday. They travel to bottom side Dings Crusaders this weekend, but Bishop’s Stortford have lost their last two away matches. 

The hosts, who have had a very tough season so far, will take confidence into Saturday knowing that they did the double of Bishop’s Stortford last season as they go in search for only their second win of this campaign.  

Like in National Two North last weekend, its fifth v sixth this time out in National Two South as Chinnor welcome Old Elthamians to Thame. The hosts are one of the form sides in the division having won their last four matches. For the Old Elthamians, two back to back defeats has seen them slip down the table and now have Redruth and Worthing Raiders breathing down their necks.

Speaking of Redruth, they are on the road this weekend as they prepare to face Shelford. The Reds were beaten narrowly by Worthing Raiders last Saturday and will want to find their first away win since the opening day of the season.

Their opponents Shelford lost their local derby last Saturday to Bishop’s Stortford to make it four games without a win. They were unbeaten against Redruth last season winning the corresponding fixture 37-15.

Worthing Raiders take the 402-mile round trip to Cornwall on Saturday as they play the Cornish All Blacks. The home side are on a five game winless run which is the worst form in the league and haven’t tasted victory since the 27th of September. The visitors aren’t in great form themselves, but they did win on their last trip to Cornwell in April 2013.

On the cusp of the top half are Clifton who travel to Lydney where they won 6-13 last time they were there. However, Clifton have lost their last three games. As for Lydney, they were taught a lesson by Cambridge last Saturday and will want to put that behind them as they search for their fourth home win of the season.

The only game on Sunday this weekend is Southend Saxons v Cambridge. Southend are on a good run at the minute having won their last three games having only won once in six matches before that.

They host Cambridge, showed exactly why they were one of the strongest sides in this league last season after they beating Lydney 52-20 last weekend. They hope that victory was the turning point in their season.