Fascinating weekend in prospect in National Two South
Round 23 in National Two South has provided us with some intriguing matches at both ends of the table as sides battle for promotion and relegation at this pivotal stage of the campaign.
At the right end of the division, Chinnor currently lead the way but will have their title credentials tested by an in-form Cinderford side this weekend.
It is not only the table toppers that have a tough fixture on their hands as the rest of the top six all go head-to-head this Saturday. Second placed Bishop’s Stortford travel to Taunton Titans who currently occupy fourth spot in the table while third placed Old Elthamians take the trip south to take on fifth placed Redruth.
The drama at the top of the table could well be matched at the wrong end of the league standings as the bottom four clash this weekend. Exmouth will be looking to bounce back from derby day disappointment when they host Barnes while Worthing Raiders will be craving a victory over Barnstaple; who moved out of the relegation places last Saturday.
Elsewhere this weekend, Canterbury are away to Henley Hawks, Redingensians welcome Bury St Edmunds to Old Bath Road and Clifton go to London Irish Wild Geese.
Chinnor v Cinderford
After a defeat to Redruth on the opening weekend of the New Year, Chinnor’s promotion challenge suffered yet another setback, but since then, Matt Williams’ men have shown character and resurgence to keep in control of their own fate this season.
As they prepare to welcome Cinderford to Kingsey Road, Chinnor have won their last five games which leaves them at the summit of National Two South with one game left to play in February. They are aware that second placed Bishop’s Stortford are level on points with them and also have a game in hand, but all the Black and Whites need to do is focus on themselves. They are unbeaten at home this term and an 11th win in front of their own supporters would keep Chinnor in the top two heading into March.
However, it won’t be a straightforward task for the league leaders though. Chinnor’s visitors this weekend are the in-form side in the division as Cinderford head to Oxfordshire on the back of seven straight wins.
After a tricky start to life at this level following relegation from National One last May and a five point deduction during this season, the Gloucestershire side look as though they are back to their best. Cinderford have not lost in over two months and with confidence high, they may fancy their chances of claiming an eighth straight win on Saturday and derailing Chinnor’s title bid.
Taunton Titans v Bishops’s Stortford
Whilst Redruth lost ground in the promotion race last week, Taunton Titans continued to heap pressure on the three sides above them as they extended their winning run after victory over Clifton. In fact, it is just two defeats in 11 for Tony Yapp’s men and the Somerset side are now just seven points off the top two as we approach the penultimate month of the season.
Taunton have been in and around the top two for the majority of the campaign and when it seems like they have finally fallen away from the promotion race, they get back on the horse and produce a solid run. This current run will be tested this weekend when they host Bishop’s Stortford, but they know a sixth home victory of the season could leave them just four points behind the men from Silver Leys.
Bishop’s Stortford will be the first to tell you that even if they were to suffer a defeat at Hyde Park this weekend, they still have a game in hand over their promotion rivals. That fixture comes next week at home to Canterbury, but that isn’t what Andy Long’s men will be thinking about when they take the trip to Somerset tomorrow.
As things stand, Stortford are level on points with league leaders Chinnor after a run of just one defeat in their last nine matches. They are fully aware that two wins to end February will see them begin March on top of the pile, but this won’t be a trouble-free away day for the Hertfordshire outfit. Stortford head to Taunton having won their last four away matches so they will be hoping that their good form on the road continues this Saturday.
Redruth v Old Elthamians
Any hopes Redruth may have had of sneaking into the top two this season were dented last Saturday. After six straight wins, the Reds suffered an away loss to Cinderford which now means they are playing catch-up with the promotion pack. That defeat now leaves them nine points behind the top two with eight games left of the season to play.
It is far from all over for Redruth, but they know that any more slip-ups would more or less end any promotion ambitions they may harbour. It doesn’t get much easier for Marek Churcher’s men as his side host Old Elthamians this weekend as they look to respond immediately to last Saturday’s setback. Redruth have won nine of their 11 matches on home soil this season and have won their last three at The Recreation Ground.
Following two defeats in January, Old Elthamians looked like they were on the ropes. They slipped out of the top two and down to fourth and after being in the promotion places for so much time in the first-half of the season, they now found themselves amongst the chasing pack.
However, they have issued a perfect response. Two straight wins this month has got their season back on track and the OEs head to Cornwall this weekend just six points behind the top two. They also have a game in hand against struggling Worthing Raiders next weekend so it is feasible that the OEs can move their way back into the promotion places heading into March. First on their agenda is this tricky trip to Redruth and Gavin Lach’s men have lost only once on the road this term.
Henley Hawks v Canterbury
The end of 2016 and the beginning of this year saw Henley Hawks manoeuvre themselves away from the relegation fight after a tough time in National Two South following relegation from the third-tier last summer. The Hawks looked like they were getting back to their best at the conclusion of January, but this month hasn’t gone to plan for the men from Dry Leas.
Successive defeats against Old Elthamians and Cinderford has left them in 10th place and now they are only six points clear of the bottom three. However, there are positives Henley Hawks can take into this home fixture with Canterbury. The two aforementioned losses came against two sides in the top six and Henley also have a game in hand next weekend against Barnes who are embroiled in a relegation battle. With that in mind, a win at Dry Leas this Saturday could set them up nicely to end the month strongly.
It has been all about home form for Canterbury in 2017. Three wins and one loss from their four fixtures at the Marine Travel Ground has kept the City Men in the top seven of this division, but now the Kent outfit need to translate their home performances into their away fixtures.
In truth, Canterbury have only had one away game since the turn of the year (Losing to Taunton 30-5), but if they have ambitions of finishing in a very credible and well deserved seventh place, they need to improve on their patchy form. They have not won on the road since they beat Barnes at the beginning of December, but a triumph on their travels would be most welcome this weekend ahead of a daunting trip to Bishops Stortford in eight days’ time.
Redingensians v Bury St Edmunds
For the last few previews, I have banged on about Redingensians being inconsistent and whether or not their form is good enough to keep them on course for consecutive top eight finishes in this division. However, the Rams have proven me wrong over the last couple of weeks and they are in high spirits as they prepare to welcome Bury St Edmunds to Old Bath Road this weekend.
Mike Tewkesbury’s men have won their last three matches and now have a nine point gap between themselves and ninth placed Clifton ahead of their final fixture of the month. Redingensians finished in seventh place last term following promotion and another top-half finish would be very satisfactory for the Cornwall-based side. The Rams host Bury this weekend having won five times in front of their own supporters this season.
Bury St Edmunds can only dream of stringing a good run of results together like Redingensians have done. Bury finished a place below their hosts in the table last season, but Gavin Hogg’s side have really struggled to build on that and recapture their impressive form from the 2015/16 campaign.
Currently, Bury are 11th in the league standings and that is down to just one win in their last 10 games. With that in mind, the Wolfpack are only four points clear of the bottom three and 14th placed Barnes also do have a game in hand over them. It is a run that needs stopping sooner rather than later for the Suffolk outfit otherwise the final two months of the season could be very nerve-racking.
London Irish Wild Geese v Clifton
London Irish Wild Geese are one of seven sides in the relegation mix as things stand. Wild Geese were promoted as National Three South East and London champions last May and despite them not really threatening to move out of the bottom-half of this table, the men from Hazlewood keep on doing just enough to avoid slipping into the drop zone.
One of the main reasons for that is their impressive recent home form. Wild Geese have won three of their last four matches in front of their own supporters which has kept them afloat for now, but looking at the wider picture, they have only won one of their last five games. They are also only three points clear of the relegation places, but another strong home display this weekend will once again ease any nerves.
Clifton will be relatively happy with their performance this season. After two campaigns where they have had to fend off relegation, the South Gloucestershire side are now looking up rather than down this time around. The men from Station Road currently occupy ninth place and they will have their sights set on a top-half finish as they look to hunt down Redingensians.
The Lavender and Blacks head to Hazlewood tomorrow on the back of a defeat against Taunton Titans, but they have a real chance of ending the month strongly against a side battling to avoid the drop. Clifton have won their last two away matches and a third win in six games would keep them in contention for a top eight finish.
Worthing Raiders v Barnstaple
Without a win in three months and staring relegation in the face is not the position Worthing Raiders want to be in as we approach the climax of the season. After such a positive start to the campaign, injuries have plagued the Raiders and it has hit them hard on the field.
As things stand, the men from Roundstone Lane are still only six points off safety and that is despite only winning one of their last 15 matches. The Raiders also do have a game in hand at home against promotion chasing Old Elthamians next week, but this fixture with relegation rivals Barnstaple must take priority. Worthing’s last win came in November at home against London Irish Wild Geese and they will be desperate for a repeat performance tomorrow. This has to be a must win for the Raiders.
A late Jake Murphy try last weekend saw Barnstaple snatch what could be a crucial victory for them over relegation and local rivals Exmouth. Barum’s sixth home win of the season lifted them out of the bottom three and they are only outside the drop zone on ‘Games Won’ as they take the trip to Worthing this Saturday.
It is another relegation battle for Steve Perry’s men to contend with and they know a second triumph in as many weeks could well be vital come the end of April. If they are to achieve that this Saturday, the men from Pottingham Road must do something they have never done at this level; win away from home.
Exmouth v Barnes
On the wrong end of the Devon derby last weekend were Exmouth. That narrow and heart-breaking loss to Barnstaple six days ago could well have been the game where Jon Hill’s side stop believing they could survive in this division. However, that is me just speculating as there is a lot of rugby to be played between now and the end of the season and everyone at the Imperial Ground will still believe Exmouth can beat the drop.
As things stand, Exmouth are 13 points from safety with eight games to play and this home fixture against relegation rivals Barnes needs to be a victory for the Devonshire outfit. Hill’s men have won just twice all term with both victories coming at home and they are in desperate need for a third triumph otherwise their stay in the four tier of English rugby could well be coming to an end.
Barnes will probably know that victory on the south-coast this weekend will do their survival chances the world of good. They slipped back into the bottom three last Saturday, but a win tomorrow could rule one of their rivals out of contention to avoid the drop while Barnes continue on the road to recovery.
The London-based side are only in the bottom three because they have won fewer games than Barnstaple, but key for Barnes is that they have a game in hand away at Henley Hawks in eight days’ time. A fifth win of the season coupled with the fact that Barnstaple and Worthing go head-to-head this weekend would put Barnes in a very strong position to beat the drop for a second season in a row.
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