Opportunity knocks for Taunton

After securing an excellent win last weekend against Redruth, Taunton Titans launched themselves firmly back into the promotion hunt in National Two South and they have the chance to continue their quest for a top two spot this weekend.

After three wins in the last four rounds, the Titans are now just five points behind second place, but the only way they can close the gap this weekend is by securing a result against league leaders Chinnor at Hyde Park.

Matt Williams’ men have lost their last two away matches, but they currently sit three points clear at the top of this division as we hit the halfway point of this season. Second placed the Old Elthamians will purely be focused on getting their job done this weekend as they look to keep ahead of a Bishops Stortford side which is ready to pounce.

Elsewhere this weekend, Redruth will be aiming to get their promotion bid back on track while Canterbury go in search of their seventh straight win. Down at the bottom, Barnes will be hoping to get something from their clash with Clifton while an in-form Barnstaple host Henley Hawks in a crucial fixture.

Taunton Titans v Chinnor

Taunton Titans have done well to reignite their promotion ambitions in National Two South given at one stage, it seemed like it was slipping away from them. The Somerset-based side began this season on fire before hitting a run of just three wins in six matches which saw them fall away from the top two spots in the division.

However, three wins from their last four matches has seen the Titans surge back into the race for a top two spot and Tony Yapp’s side now sit five points behind second spot heading into the Christmas break. After arresting that sticky spell of form, Taunton look back to their best and certainly did last weekend when they picked up an excellent and important win over Redruth. Taunton now welcome league leaders Chinnor to Hyde Park this weekend and a fifth home win of the season would certainly signal their intent heading into the New Year.

Chinnor are certainly a side that has been at their best so far this season. The Black and Whites were embroiled in a relegation dogfight last term, but after ending that campaign with seven wins from their last nine matches, they have not looked back and their turnaround over the last 12 months has been staggering.

Matt Williams’ side currently sit top of the tree in National Two South after 14 rounds and lead the way by three points. Chinnor have won 12 games this season, but they have hit a small blip recently which has seen them win just two of their last four matches. Away defeats against Canterbury and more so Bishops Stortford have slightly rocked the boat for Chinnor, but a first victory on the road in three matches against a serious title and promotion rival would certainly steady the ship.

Old Elthamians v Cinderford

The Old Elthamians’ season has been very successful in National Two South so far this term. Gavin Lach’s men are firmly in the hunt for promotion as they sit second in the table after 14 matches and are so far, not cracking under the pressure of being involved in a race for the title. The OE’s did have a wobble a few weeks ago when they suffered consecutive losses against Chinnor and the Redingensians, but they have responded in the best way possible by securing three successive victories.

They welcome Cinderford to Eltham in good form and they will certainly have an eye on the battle between their fellow promotion candidates at Hyde Park. However, their first job must be to clinch their sixth home win of the season to ensure they remain in the top two at the halfway point of the campaign.

Cinderford sit five places behind the Old Elthamians in the National Two South table, but the side relegated from National One in May, look as though they have finally found their feet at this level. Their season has been the complete opposite to their hosts this weekend in that they’ve lacked consistency to push up the table, but recent results suggest that Cinderford have turned a corner.

Following just four wins from their first 10 games, the Gloucestershire side travel to College Meadows tomorrow currently on a four game unbeaten run. The sequence of positive results includes three victories and a draw and it has lifted Cinderford up to seventh in the table. They have won just twice on the road this season, but considering they are going through a purple patch at the moment, they may fancy their chances of getting a result against the OEs this weekend.

Bishops Stortford v Exmouth

Bishops Stortford are beginning to really turn up the heat on the top two teams in this division as we approach the halfway point of the National Two South season. Stortford have been challenging for promotion for the last couple of seasons, but have just not been able to produce the result when it matters most and in this campaign, it looks as though Andy Long’s men are firmly on course for another shot at a top two spot.

Recent form has been superb for Stortford as they have achieved seven wins from their last eight matches. Prior to this, they lost back to back games against the Old Elthamians and Canterbury which derailed their promotion hopes, but they have reacted brilliantly to those losses. Now, third place Stortford sit level on points with the OEs and a sixth home win of the campaign could see them move into the promotion places come Saturday night.

It is fair to say that Exmouth have not coped well with the step up in divisions to National Two South. After promotion from National Three South West, they certainly have been competitive, but have struggled to adapt to life at this level and as a result, Jon Hill’s men currently sit rock bottom of this division heading into the festive period.

Like any newly-promoted side, it is expected to be tough moving up a level and Exmouth have certainly found that out the hard way. The Devonshire side have collected just one win this season and they are eight points from safety as things stand. They face the daunting challenge of taking a trip to Silver Leys tomorrow and Exmouth have lost all six of their away fixtures so far this term.

London Irish Wild Geese v Redruth

London Irish Wild Geese are hoping to avoid an immediate return to National Three this season. Wild Geese had begun their time at this level fairly well, securing three wins from their first eight games but now they are really struggling to find victory number four of the campaign which has resulted in them slipping down the table.

Having gone six games without a win since their positive start, the men from Hazelwood are now firmly in a relegation battle as they sit one point clear of the bottom three at the midway point of this season. They narrowly lost to Henley Hawks last time out and considering two of their three victories have come at Hazelwood this term, they’ll be hoping home advantage spurs them on when Redruth visit Middlesex.

Redruth take the 250-mile trip to Sunbury-On-Thames this weekend looking to get their season back on track. The Reds currently sit in fifth place in National Two South, but any promotion ambitions they may have had suffered a setback last Saturday when they were beaten at home by rivals Taunton Titians.

Marek Churcher’s side are once again having a strong campaign, but that loss six days ago means they are now eight points off second place. It is certainly far from over for the Cornwell-based outfit who head into this fixture having won three of their last five games and they have also won four matches on the road this term. Redruth may see this has the perfect opportunity to respond to last weekend’s disappointment when they face a side short on confidence.

Canterbury v Bury St Edmunds

Canterbury are now enjoying a solid campaign as they look to continue their excellent recent form this weekend when they host Bury St Edmunds. After a mixed start to the term, which saw the City Men win just two of their first eight matches, Canterbury are currently on a six game winning streak which leaves them in sixth place heading into this weekend.

It has been a superb turnaround for the Kent-based side who have surged up the table thanks to victories over the likes of Redruth and Chinnor which means they come into this particular match oozing confidence. A seventh successive triumph is certainly on the cards and with them sitting just five points behind Redruth, a top five position is now certainly not out of the question for Canterbury this term.

Bury St Edmunds’ season hasn’t been the most consistent so far. After finishing sixth last year following promotion in 2015, the Wolfpack may have been hoping to build on that brilliant achievement, but that hasn’t been the case as their patchy form so far this term leaves them sitting in 10^th position after 14 matches.

In their last two games however, Bury have performed very well and after a narrow loss against Cinderford, they ran the Old Elthamians close last weekend. Prior to those two defeats, they were on a three match winning streak so can Bury recapture that form and apply it to this game to record their seventh victory of the season?

Clifton v Barnes

Clifton may finally be thinking that they can establish themselves as a top half club in National Two South following two seasons where they have been fighting off relegation. After 14 matches this term, the Lavender and Blacks find themselves eighth in the table and they’re playing some excellent rugby too as they look to cement their position in the top eight.

After starting the season with just one win from their first six matches, the South Gloucestershire side are currently on a run of six victories from their last eight games which has completely revitalised their campaign. Clifton welcome Barnes to Station Road looking to extend this excellent recent form and they can do that by securing their fifth home win of the season.

Barnes had a fairly good season last year following promotion into National Two South. The South-West London club ended the campaign 11 points clear of the relegation zone, but they have certainly struggled to match their achievements this time around as they currently languish in the bottom three.

Barnes actually failed to win any of their last seven matches at the back end of last season and if you factor in the 14 games played so far in this term, Barnes have won just two of their last 21 games. As a result, they sit 15^th in the current league standings, but they are only a point from safety as they travel to Gloucestershire this Saturday. Barnes have not won away from home since January, but can they earn an unlikely victory here?

Worthing Raiders v Redingensians

Worthing Raiders may well be desperate to end this year with two consecutive victories under their belts as the Sussex-based side are currently going through a tough spell in National Two South.  The Raiders find themselves 12^th in the table and just four points clear of the relegation zone which has been caused by a run of just one win from their last eight matches.

Worthing had begun the campaign with four wins from their first six games and it seemed as though they were back to their best, but injuries and other factors have perhaps been the reason for them slipping back down the table. Worthing are back at home this weekend where their last victory came against London Irish Wild Geese just under a month ago and they’ll be hoping they can halt their slide down the division in this fixture against the Redingensians.

The Redingensians’ season has been something of a mixed bag so far. It seems as though when the Rams’ campaign is set to ignite, a run of tough results quickly follows but they do have the quality to stamp that habit out of their season as we approach the second-half of the campaign.

The men from Old Bath Road have fallen to ninth in the table following three successive defeats, but prior to that, they were on an unbeaten run of six matches which is perfect indication of just how unpredictable the Rams can be. However, they may fancy their chances of ending their losing run this weekend against a Worthing side struggling to find form.

Barnstaple v Henley Hawks

Barnstaple are currently going through their best spell of form this season. The Devonshire side were promoted to this division for the first time in the club’s history in May and the step-up into National Two South looked as though it was affecting them early on in the campaign, but that now seems to be a distant memory for Barum.

After winning just one of their first eight matches, things were looking bleak for Steve Perry’s side but a run of three victories from their last six games has been exactly what the doctor ordered for Barnstaple. They may still be in the relegation zone following a defeat against the Redingensians six days ago, but Barum are only a point from safety. They are back at Pottingham Road this Saturday where they have won their last three matches.

Henley Hawks’ struggles didn’t go unnoticed in the early stages of the campaign. A long list of injuries meant that the side relegated from National One in May were staring at a surprising and potential relegation battle, particularly as they won just three of their opening 10 matches of the season.

However, the Hawks have enjoyed an upturn in form in recent weeks and they have secured crucial wins too. A home win over Worthing Raiders was swiftly followed by another victory at Dry Leas against London Irish Wild Geese and as a result, Henley have moved out of the bottom three and up to 11^th in the table. They travel to Devon this weekend looking for only their second away victory of the season, but with confidence seemingly at a good level, can they earn another win here to continue their recent positive run?