Hartpury raring to get going once again

If 2016 was a positive year for Hartpury College, then 2017 could certainly top that. The current National One leaders are running away with the title as things stand and promotion to the Championship is a very realistic possibility.

As things stand, College have won 16 straight games this term and have dropped just a single point. With that in mind, they lead the way in this division by 22 points and already have one hand on the National One title.

Their first assignment is a home fixture against Esher whilst the teams below them are all competing for the silver medal spot unless Hartpury capitulate.

In terms of those sides Birmingham Moseley are strong favourites against Hull Ionians but it won’t be straight forward for Plymouth Albion and Ampthill who both face testing away-days. Down at the bottom, Macclesfield will be aiming to begin the great escape at home to Coventry whilst Blaydon travel to Loughborugh Students.

Hartpury College v Esher

After the Christmas break, Hartpury College will know that 2017 is the year that they could make history. Records have already tumbled this term, but they will be fully aware that if they continue their remarkable season which they are having, then promotion to the second-tier of English rugby will be achieved.

College begin the New Year with 16 successive wins under their belts which unsurprisingly leaves them top of the table as things stand. They head into this fixture with Esher 22 points clear at the summit and they will be confident about getting 2017 off to positive start. They ended 2016 with a gritty win over Plymouth Albion which showed all the credentials needed for promotion and they must continue that approach over the next few weeks.

In contrast, Esher have struggled to find any real momentum this season especially away from home. The Surrey-based side have secured five victories this season and all five wins have come at Moseley Road whilst they have lost all seven of their away fixtures so far this term.

With that in mind, Esher currently sit one place above the relegation zone and four points clear of danger, but they have been handed the toughest fixture to kick-off the New Year. The odds are stacked against them and a fifth defeat in their last six matches could see them drop into the bottom three.

Rosslyn Park v Plymouth Albion

2016 was an unsettled year for Plymouth Albion. A positive second-half of last season saw Albion move towards the top places in the division, but a change in management and administration meant that Plymouth finished mid-table last term.

Dan Parkes took over the reins at Brickfields at the beginning of this campaign and despite Albion winning 10 of their first 14 games; he too had to leave the club. Kieran Hallett is now in charge of Plymouth and the change in coaches doesn’t seem to have affected the south coast side as they currently sit second in the table at the beginning of 2017.

They did end 2016 with fixtures against three of the other sides currently in the top five and now they must continue what has been a positive season on the pitch, despite them being 22 points behind Hartpury. Their first assignment of 2017 is an away trip to Rosslyn Park and Albion have won five times on the road this term.

It will be a testing away day for Plymouth against a Rosslyn Park side who have been in fantastic form of late. Park had begun their season with just one win in their first seven games which left them languishing towards the relegation zone, but they were able to turn their fortunes around.

Currently the London-based side are on a run of seven wins in their last nine matches which has propelled them up to seventh in the table and just a point behind the top six. They are slowly getting back to their best and they can really lay down a marker for the rest of the season if they were to achieve their fifth straight victory at the Rock this weekend.

Darlington Mowden Park v Ampthill and District

Darlington Mowden Park welcome Ampthill and District to the Arena this weekend looking to begin moving away from the relegation battle in National One. This time last year, DMP were on a seven game winning run and were aiming to cement a position in the top-half of the table, but 12 months on things are very different in the north-east.

This season, Darlington have won on just six occasions and it has led to them currently sitting just four points clear of the relegation zone in 12^th place. Injuries have played a huge part in why DMP have struggled this term, but shoots of recovery were certainly on display at the end of last year as the hosts head into this game with Ampthill having lost just one of their last four matches.

As for Ampthill, they may not have wanted the Christmas break to come. Their home win over the Old Albanian in their final game of 2016 means that the A’s begin this year on a six game winning streak which has pushed them up to third in the table.

Their last defeat came on Bonfire Night away at Fylde and they have actually only lost four games overall this term. Despite some impressive statistics, Ampthill are 23 points behind runaway leaders Hartpury, but they are just a point behind Plymouth Albion.  Ampthill were beaten at home by DMP earlier in the season so they will be eager to avenge that defeat as well continue their quest for second spot in this division.

Birmingham Moseley v Hull Ionians

Birmingham Moseley will be hoping to begin the New Year on the front foot after seeing out 2016 with a bit of a whimper. Having being the closest challenger to Hartpury College, Moseley slipped down to fourth in the table after defeats against Coventry and College themselves.

They do remain just a point behind Plymouth Albion, but the side relegated from National One last May could already be planning for another season at this level. Their first fixture of 2017 is at home against Hull Ionians who they narrowly edged out 24-22 at Brantingham Park earlier in the season. Moseley have won all seven of their matches at Billesley Common this term and are firm favourites to add to that this weekend against a side embroiled in a relegation battle.

Hull Ionians reignited their season in December and have now given themselves a very realistic chance of manoeuvring their way out of the bottom three. Two home victories against Rosslyn Park and Loughborough Students either side of a narrow defeat against the Old Albanian leaves the I’s just four points from safety as things stand.

They will head to the Midlands with some renewed confidence, but the challenge now for Hull Ionians is to translate their home victories into their away performances. The Yorkshire outfit have picked up just one win on the road this season – that coming against Macclesfield back in September – and a triumph against the odds here would be a sensational start to the New Year.

Blackheath v Fylde

Blackheath begin 2017 with a home fixture against Fylde looking to stay on the coattails of second placed Plymouth Albion. Club ended 2016 with a victory away at Esher have a patchy run of results, but they are only three points behind second spot despite just two wins in their last five matches.

Blackheath have been very impressive at their new home this season having already secured seven victories from their nine matches and they will certainly fancy their chances of adding another win to that list this weekend.

The visitors to Well Hall this Saturday, Fylde, have been incredibly inconsistent this season with all six of their victories coming at home. They currently sit 11^th in the table and seven points clear of the relegation zone, but Paul Arnold’s men know they must put an end to their away day woes.

Fylde travel to Blackheath this weekend having won just one of their last 21 away matches in this division – a run that stretches back to October 2015 when they beat Coventry. So far, their wretched away form hasn’t caused too much damage because they have been very good at home over the last couple of seasons, but it is certainly something Fylde will want to put right, starting with this fixture with Blackheath.

Macclesfield v Coventry

After three weeks off, Coventry’s first game of 2017 sees them make the trip north to Cheshire to take on bottom of the table Macclesfield at Priory Park. The hosts have certainly found life tough since promotion back into National One and they entered the festive period 14 points adrift of safety having won just twice so far this term.

Giles Heagerty and his side do possess the quality to compete at this level – as shown by their narrow defeat against Birmingham Moseley in November – so they can still dig themselves out of trouble. It won’t be easy though and a defeat to Fylde just before Christmas would’ve been tough to take. They welcome Coventry this weekend hoping to capitalise on the visitors’ shaky away form.

Cov currently lie sixth in the table after securing nine wins from their 16 matches thus far. Rowland Winter has guided the Midlands club back towards the top spots in the division, but his next task could well be helping his side find some positive consistency on their travels.

The men from the Butts Park Arena have won just once on the road all term which is why they have not really threatened the top four places in the league table. They do travel to Macc having lost just one of their last five games so confidence should be high and they will feel that they can double their away victories for this season this weekend.

Loughborough Students v Blaydon

It is fair to say that Loughborough Students would have been very pleased with the work they did in the first-half of this season. Having been involved in a relegation battle at times in the last campaign, Students have really kicked on since then and enter 2017 eighth in the table and 13 points clear of the bottom three.

Dave Morris and his coaching staff are doing a fine job in the Midlands and they are currently on course for their highest ever finish at this level. Loughborough get the New Year underway with a home fixture against Blaydon and the hosts have won four times at Epinal Way this term.

As for Blaydon, they suffered a setback just before Christmas. They fell to defeat against fellow north-east side Darlington Mowden Park which leaves them 12 points adrift of safety at the beginning of 2017.

The signs don’t look too positive for Blaydon who have won just twice all season long, but they have shown glimpses that they can dig themselves out of trouble especially against Coventry, Cambridge and even DMP three weeks ago. The Crows have lost all seven of their away fixtures this term and the odds of them breaking that duck this weekend are slim, but Blaydon will certainly give it their all.

Old Albanian v Cambridge

Last season, Cambridge and the Old Albanian were battling it out for the National Two South title right up until the very last day of the campaign. In the end, Cambridge prevailed and earnt automatic promotion to National One, but the OA’s joined them in the third tier following their play-off win against Sedgley Park.

Now, both sides seem to be holding their own at this level and are only separated by a place in this division. The hosts, the Old Albanian, have won seven of their 16 matches this season and head into this fixture with Cambridge having won three of their last five games which leaves them ninth in the table and 12 points clear of the drop zone.

As for Cambridge, Ross Stewart has steered them to 10^th in the table, but they are five points behind the OAs. The Blood and Sand ended 2016 with two straight defeats so they will be aiming to begin the New Year in positive fashion by securing their third away win of the term. Cambridge will be looking to also avenge their 36-34 defeat earlier this season, but who will come out on top at Woolams in another intriguing fixture between these two sides?