National Two South: Taunton looking to stretch their lead

Taunton Titians made it five wins from five last weekend and there is no sign of this form stopping any time soon. 

They are sitting pretty, five points clear at the top while the likes of Bishop’s Stortford, Clifton, Cambridge and the Old Albanian jostle for positon below.

At the other end of the table, with Barnes and the Redingensians claiming their first wins last week, Launceston are now the only side without a victory to their name. Will that change this weekend?

Here is a preview of all the action from Round Six in National Two South.

Taunton v Bury St Edmunds

After finishing third last season, Taunton knew that good start to this campaign was crucial if they were going to challenge for promotion to National One and that’s exactly what they have done.

Five bonus point wins from five is just the start they wanted and already they top this table by five points which is a real statement of intent from the Titans. Taunton have actually lost just once in their last 14 competitive matches and have won their last six at home.  

They welcome Bury St Edmunds to Hyde Park this Saturday, who will come into this match feeling positive. The newly promoted side beat Canterbury last weekend and have already beaten Chinnor on their travels this season which is Bury’s only away game so far. Bury have won nine of their last 14 on the road, but if they were to win this weekend, it would be an outstanding result.

Old Albanian v Bishop’s Stortford

Last week, I reckon Taunton would have been pleased to see the teams below them all taking on each other and this week has served up another one of those encounters.

For the neutral, this will be the fixture of the weekend as fifth placed Old Albanian entertain second placed Bishop’s Stortford with the sides being separated by just a point.

The OA’s were beaten by Cambridge last weekend which was their first defeat of the season, but their home record since relegation from National One has been flawless.

Stortford go into this fixture with four wins from five,  with their only defeat coming away at Dorking. Stortford have lost just two of their last eight away from home and if they are to win this Saturday, they really would be laying down a marker for the rest of the season.

Clifton v Redingensians

Clifton have gone about their business very well so far this season. After finishing 12^th last season, they have flown out the blocks this campaign and now sit third in the table. Clifton have won four of their five fixtures so far with three of them coming at home. This seems remarkable considering Clifton won just two of their last 11 matches last season.

They host the Redingensians this weekend who, last Saturday, picked up their first win of the season and their maiden victory since being promoted into this division. That win came against a strong Worthing Raiders side and The Rams will be hoping to claim another scalp this weekend.

Canterbury v Cambridge

Currently, there seems to be no stopping Cambridge as this ever improving side continues to put in performances every week. Their win over the Old Albanian last Saturday highlighted the progress the team is making and they travel to Canterbury this Saturday.

After winning their first three games of the season, Canterbury have lost their last two matches and find themselves mid-table. This will be the City Men’s third home game of the season and they will be hoping for revenge over Cambridge who beat them 58-49 in the penultimate game of last season.

Redruth v Chinnor

Like Canterbury, Redruth have also lost their last two matches after three straight wins to start the season.  The Reds have played twice at the Recreation Ground this season and have a 50 per cent record their so far with that win being against Southend. The last time they played Chinnor at home, they lost 7-31.

As for Chinnor, their disappointing season continued last weekend away at Dorking and they have now lost five games in a row – the first time that’s happened since March 2014. They lie 15^th in the table, but have picked up four bonus points so far this term. However, it is a surprise to see the side that finished so strongly last campaign, struggling so badly this year.

Worthing Raiders v Southend Saxons

After three straight wins, all Worthing’s momentum seemed to evaporate last weekend when they were beaten by the Redingensians. Worthing started slowly last campaign and even they admitted it cost them a shot of promotion so they will want to avoid a repeat of that this season.

Worthing have actually won both of their home games and have only lost four of their last 17 on home soil.

In terms of Southend, they have done well in the last couple of weeks with a win against Canterbury and a draw with the Old Albanian. They were even ahead against Taunton last week and it shows that even though the Saxons have had some tricky fixtures of late, they are putting in some good performances.

This will be Southend’s third away game of the season with their only victory on the road coming against Canterbury. Their record on their travels doesn’t make for good reading as they have won just 23 per cent of their last 17 away matches and did lose this fixture 31-11 last season.

Old Elthamians v Launceston

Back to back wins seemed to have kick-started the Old Elthamians season, but they took another step back last week when they were beaten by an impressive Barnes side. The OE’s lie 10^th in the table, but do have a 100 per cent home record so far this season – the only team in the bottom half to do so.

A victory is something Launceston are craving for at the moment. No wins and no points this season leaves them rock bottom of National Two South. In fact, they have not won in their last seven competitive matches.

Their last win was an away victory over Canterbury and they also beat the OE’s twice last year with this fixture ending in 18-20 triumph.

Barnes v Dorking

Barnes picked up their first win of the season last week against the Old Elthamians and they deserved that after the positive performances they have put in since winning the National Three South play-off last season. Barnes will be looking for back to back home wins this weekend and their 13^th victory on home soil in their last 16 matches.

In terms of Dorking, their recent home form has helped them turn their season around with wins over Bishop’s Stortford and Chinnor, but now they must put that into an away performance. Dorking have lost just four times on the road in 17 matches, but are yet to win on their travels this campaign.