Caldy set for tough test of promotion credentials

League leaders Caldy could make a huge statement in the promotion race as they take on Stourbridge this weekend looking to maintain their stay at the top of National Two North.

The Wirral side are unbeaten in nine matches, but have not played a side currently in the top five of the division since their defeat to Sedgley Park on the opening day of the season.

Stourbridge travel to Paton Fields this weekend and this is arguably Caldy’s toughest assignment since their last and only defeat of the term while the Midlands club look to get back amongst the promotion hunt. Leicester Lions and Chester also do battle in an early promotion clash while Sedgley Park will be aiming to return to winning ways.

Elsewhere in the division, two of the in-form sides in National Two North, Hinckley and South Leicester, go head-to-head while the likes of Preston Grasshoppers and Tynedale have ambitions of claiming a much needed win from their fixtures this Saturday.

Caldy v Stourbridge

Caldy have really performed well in National Two North so far this season. Their fifth place finish in the last campaign seems to have been a springboard for this term and despite not getting off to the best of starts, the Wirral side currently sit top of this division after 10 matches.

Their only minor blip this year was their opening day defeat to Sedgley Park, but since then they have gone on a nine game unbeaten run which includes eight wins. Caldy have not played any of the current top five sides since that loss to Sedge so this home fixture against Stourbridge could be Caldy’s toughest test since Round One. Simon Verbickas’ men have won all three of their matches at Paton Fields and if they were to add to that tally tomorrow; their promotion charge will be boosted even further.

Stourbridge are enjoying a relatively strong season in National Two North. Last season, the Midlands side finished one place and two points ahead of Caldy, but despite some good performances in victories over the likes of Chester and South Leicester, Stour still seem to be off the pace in terms of a challenge for promotion as they currently sit in fifth place.

The reason for this is very clear. Stour have lost three of their last six matches and all three of those defeats have come against promotion rivals away from home. Their win over Chester last week was a much needed boost for Neil Mitchell’s men who are now six points outside the top two but know full well they can’t really afford to lose to another side challenging for a top two spot this weekend.

Wharfedale v Sale FC

Wharfedale suffered a damaging defeat last weekend at the hands of Harrogate at Rudding Lane. The division’s bottom club had Director of Rugby and full-back David Doherty to thanks as his 20 points meant Dale were unable to move themselves away from danger as they remain in 15^th place and five points adrift of safety.

Although Wharfedale have had their moments since relegation from National One, including home wins over Hinckley and South Leicester, it’s fair to say injuries have scuppered the plans of the Skipton side this season so far. They have only won twice all term and they are desperate for another victory at The Avenue this weekend to try and begin digging themselves out of trouble.

When Sale FC stayed in National Two North on the final day of last season, not many people who follow this division could have imagined the turnaround in fortunes for the Manchester-based club. A string of wins at the start of the season was all well and good for the men at Heywood Road, but now a third of the season has now been completed , Sale are still in the top two places as things stand.

It is certainly no fluke either. Eight wins from their first 10 games sees them just two points behind Caldy and their home record has played a major part in that. Five of their eight victories have come in front of their own supporters and now Sale will be looking to improve their form on the road. Jonathan Keep’s side have lost two of their last three matches on their travels, but they may fancy their chances against out-of-form Wharfedale side this Saturday.

Chester v Leicester Lions

Chester’s season in National Two North looks like it is now going according to plan after a miserable start. The men from Hare Lane suffered three defeats in their first four games of the season including losses against Caldy, Otley and newly-promoted side Scunthorpe.

However, Chester’s campaign now has a very different look to it. During October, the Cheshire outfit won all five of their matches which saw them surge up the table into fifth and firmly in touching distance of a top two place. A defeat last week to Stourbridge may have tempered their expectations slightly as they are now sixth in the table and seven points behind Sale FC, but confidence will still be high at Hare Lane. Chester now take on another side in the promotion hunt and they will be keen to claim their fifth straight home victory to launch themselves back into contention for a top two spot.

Leicester Lions still appear to be picking up from where they left off from last season. The Lions finished in a superb third place which they thoroughly deserved after taking the division by storm and they are once again in the pot for another shot at a top two place this time around.

The men from Westleigh Park currently sit third in the table and just three points behind Sale following eight wins from their first 10 matches of the season. The Lions got the upper hand over fellow promotion candidates Sedgley Park last week and they will be looking to do the same to Chester as they aim for their fourth straight win.   

Sedgley Park v Harrogate

Sedgley Park are enjoying a decent season and once again are looking good to challenge for a top two position in National Two North. Over the last two years, Sedge have been so close to cracking the code to get them into the third tier of English rugby, but this campaign could be their best chance for a while to take that next step up to National One.

They are certainly well in the mix for a top two position as things stand. Sedge are sitting in fourth place having already beaten the likes of Caldy and Stourbridge, but a defeat against Leicester Lions last Saturday just stopped Sedge in their tracks. The men from Park Lane have actually won just two of their last six games, but they are only five points behind Sale FC. With them being back at home this weekend - where they are unbeaten this season - and against the division’s bottom club, they will feel they can returned to winning ways tomorrow.

Harrogate have endured a torrid start to the season. Prior to last weekend, ‘Gate had lost eight of their first nine matches which left them rock bottom of the National Two North table which was a surprise to followers of this league considering the Yorkshire side have finished in the top half in each of the last two campaigns.

However, have Harrogate now turned a corner? Led by full-back and Director of Rugby David Doherty, they secured a crucial win over Wharfedale last weekend to leave them five points from safety meaning morale will certainly be higher as they take the trip to Manchester this weekend. Harrogate are yet to win away this season, but victory at Park Lane could certainly be a catalyst to kick-start their revival.

Hinckley v South Leicester

Hinckley are really starting to enjoy life in National Two North this season following a difficult start to their time in this division after promotion in May. The Midlands side advanced into this league following a play-off win over the Wirral and did begin with just one win from their first seven matches which left the men from Leicester Road languishing in the bottom three.

However, the tide has now turned for Hinckley. Three straight wins over Tynedale, Scunthorpe and Otley has seen them climb up to 12^th in the division and now they are five points clear of danger. The talent they have in their squad is clear for all to see with the likes of Jacob Umaga, Ehize Ehizode and Connor Eastgate all plying their trade at this level whilst part of Wasps’ academy. With all this in mind, Hinckley certainly do have the tools to continue their winning streak this weekend.

It won’t be straight forward though, given South Leicester’s excellent recent form. After going down 38-32 to Wharfedale at the start of last month, South have enjoyed a decent run of results over the last five weeks as they have earned draws against Sedgley Park and Caldy before beating Preston Grasshoppers and Otley.

They head to Leicester Road this weekend currently on a three match unbeaten run and they will believe they can maintain this positive feeling around the club. South flirted with relegation last season but are now seventh in the table and 16 points clear of the drop zone. Another performance like the ones we have witnessed over the last month would certainly give South a great chance of extending their unbeaten sequence of results tomorrow.

Otley v Luctonians

Otley look as though they might have turned a corner in recent weeks following a very inconsistent start to the season in National Two North. Peter Clegg stated before the start of the campaign that his side could challenge towards the summit of this division but that hasn’t been the case for Otley so far this term.

The Yorkshire side currently occupy ninth place in the division having picked up just four wins from their first 10 matches. They are back at Cross Green this weekend - following a narrow but valiant defeat against South Leicester - where all four of their victories have come this season so home advantage could play a part in them clinching another triumph this Saturday.

The Luctonians have struggled somewhat over the last month or so in National Two North. After victory over Wharefdale at the beginning of October, the Lucts lost three games on the spin against Sedgley Park, Chester and Caldy seeing them drop into the bottom half of the table.

Granted, those three defeats came against sides challenging for promotion this season and sure enough Alex Davidson’s men responded to those losses by beating Preston Grasshoppers last weekend to move them up to eighth in the league standings. The Lucts now travel to Yorkshire six points clear of Otley and they will be aiming for sixth win of the season this Saturday.

Scunthorpe v Tynedale

Scunthorpe it seems are going to be battling hard to avoid the drop this season, but they have shown the league what they are capable of as their quality has been highlighted on more than one occasion thus far. They’ve already picked up four wins in their opening 10 games and as a result sit in 13^th place and four points clear of the relegation zone.

Three of those four victories have come on home territory at Heslam Park. The Green have looked strong in front of their own supporters and will be looking put in a performance once again this weekend as they look to bounce back from two straight defeats.

Tynedale’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far. After such a troubled season on and off the pitch in the last campaign, plus a change of coaches, Tyne were expected to have a much stronger and more settling term this year but that hasn’t been the case as the north-east outfit sit in 10^th place after 10 games.

Scott Lawson’s men have managed just one league win in their last six outings, going down in defeats to Hinckley and Otley after being thrashed by Caldy at Paton Fields. Even though we are still in the early stages of this season, Tyne could do with a win in this match but if they are to achieve this, they must claim their first victory of the season on the road.

Preston Grasshoppers v Sheffield Tigers

Preston Grasshoppers are beginning to look like a side which is running out of answers. The club seem to have performed well over the last few matches, but they have suffered frustrating and narrow defeats which leaves them languishing in the bottom three as things stand.

Garth Dew’s side welcome Sheffield Tigers to Lancashire this Saturday on the back of three straight defeats and the Hoppers have won just two of their 10 matches played this season. Their last victory did come on home soil against Hinckley in Round Seven so the Lightfoot Green faithful will be hoping for a similar performance if they are to pick up a victory from this game.

Sheffield Tigers have made a fairly solid start to the season. The Tigers were promoted as champions of National Three North in May and have eased their supporters’ worries about being in a relegation battle in the opening third of this campaign as they currently sit 11^th in the table and six points clear of the drop.

Having said this, it has been a tough couple of weeks for the men from Dore Moor. After back to back victories against Wharfedale and Sedgley Park, they were beaten away at Chester before losing at home to Caldy last time out. They were tough fixtures for the Tigers so they may feel like they have more of a chance of getting a result this weekend against a Preston side struggling for confidence.