Macclesfield primed for final stretch in title race

After the postponements of two weeks ago, last Saturday saw all 16 teams back in action in National Two North including table-toppers Macclesfield who lead the way heading into the final third of the season.

Behind them sit Sedgley Park and Stourbridge who both have promotion ambitions with the former, very much believing they are still in a title race while Caldy are just behind the top three. Also, don’t rule out Leicester Lions just yet as they are purring nicely as we head towards the business end of the season.

Down at the bottom, Huddersfield, Luctonians and Broadstreet still have a lot of work to do to dig themselves out of the drop zone while Sale FC and South Leicester are in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.

Elsewhere in the division, Otley, Preston Grasshoppers and Tynedale will be looking to keep their positive runs of results going while Sandal, Chester and Harrogate try to find some consistency.

Macclesfield v Tynedale

Macclesfield are certainly fighting for the title this season. The Blues were tipped to bounce straight back up to National One after relegation last campaign and with the way things have been going, you wouldn’t put it past them to earn promotion as they’re top of the league by 10 points as it stands.

Having lost their opening game of 2016 against Caldy and not playing for two consecutive weeks due to postponements, they returned to action and winning ways with victory over South Leicester last weekend and head into this game confident of keeping their title push going.

It has been all change for Tynedale this week in what has already been a topsy-turvy season for the north-east side. Newcastle Falcons and Scotland hooker Scott Lawson was appointed as their new Head of Rugby on Tuesday after former coach Andy Buist left the club and has now gone to work abroad.

The last seven months have been full of drama for mainly the wrong reasons for Tyne. They suffered their first relegation in their history last term and have really struggled to adjust to life in National Two North. Added to that, the floods which hit the country in December caused huge damage to their club meaning they have had to relocate to Kingston Park.

They will hope the appointment of Lawson will be a fresh start and recent form suggests they are turning a corner. Three wins in their last four matches including a victory last time out against Sale FC has moved Tynedale up to 11^th in the table and eight points clear of the relegation zone. Having said all of this, they will need to be at their very best against the league leaders this Saturday.

Sedgley Park v Sandal

Sedgley Park are slowly finding their consistency once again as they continue to go for the title and a promotion spot. Sedge clearly have the quality to win the title, but as things stand, they still have some catching up to if they are to go ahead of Macclesfield.

Over the last few weeks, the old Sedge have returned. They suffered what is becoming a mandatory blip over the Christmas period but back to back wins over Tynedale and the Luctonians have now re-launched the Tigers’ title bid as we enter the final third of the campaign.

Sandal are a club that seemingly are on the rise. After winning promotion last season, the Yorkshire side occupy seventh place in the table and what’s more, they have showed the quality to starve off relegation from the fourth tier of English rugby.

The men from Milnethrope Green were at one stage in the top four, but just two wins in eight matches saw them slide down the top half. However, they halted that slide last week with a win over Huddersfield and now Sandal will want to push on starting with doing the double of Sedgley this weekend.

Stourbridge v Leicester Lions

Stourbridge may have felt firmly in the race for the National Two North title until last weekend. A defeat away at Preston Grasshoppers saw them lose only their second game in their last 10 matches which now leaves them 11 points off the top having played two games more than Macclesfield.

However, due to that run the Midlands side went on, they are still very much in with a shout of claiming a promotion spot as they look to go one step further than they did two seasons ago. Stour have won seven on their nine games at Stourton Park meaning they are in a strong position heading into this weekend.

Added to Stourbridge’s strong home form is the fact that Leicester Lions have only won twice on their travels this season despite them lying fifth in the table. The Lions are competing hard for a top three spot and their recent form suggests they can achieve that.

I don’t think anyone would have expected to see Leicester towards the top end of the league after finishing 12^th last season, but they have proved everyone wrong and their unbeaten run at home this is a key factor in that. But, they must address their results away from home and if they are to put that right this weekend, there is no reason why the Lions can’t continue to roar up the table.

Caldy v South Leicester

Caldy are enjoying a solid season so far, which was expected. The Wirral side sit fourth in the table as things stand and only six points of a promotion place after achieving 10 wins so far this term.

Having played the majority of their away matches in the first half of the season, Caldy are looking to their home form as a platform to push for a shot at National One, but with five wins from a possible nine games, they really need to improve on that if they are to be serious contenders for promotion.

Caldy have shown what they can do at Paton Field with a recent victory over league leaders Macclesfield so their opposition South Leicester will still be aware of the tough challenge that awaits them this weekend.

Currently, the Midlands side find themselves 12^th in the table and the newly promoted team are having a dip in form at just the wrong moment.

South have picked up just two wins in their last eight matches and are now eight points clear of the drop zone so they can’t afford to lose out again this weekend otherwise they could really start to get embroiled in an unwanted relegation scrap.

Sale FC v Otley

Sale FC are fighting against the drop this season after promotion into National Two North last term, but their battle to avoid relegation has only come about recently. As things stand, Sale sit eight points above the bottom three, but with Broadstreet and the Luctonians starting to pick up points, they may well be starting to feel a little worried.

The Manchester based side have haven’t won in their last four matches, but at home Sale seem to be a different proposition.  Five of their six wins have come at Heywood Road this season and a welcome sixth victory of the campaign on Saturday, would ease any worries Sale maybe having.

Before Christmas, Otley were struggling to find any consistency. They lost three games in the run up to the New Year after four consecutive victories, but now they seem to have found their winning touch once more.

Triumphs against Sandal, Huddersfield and Chester leaves Otley in a comfortable sixth position in the table, but all of those wins came at home. The Yorkshire side’s last victory on the road was on 21^st November against South Leicester so they will be eager to put that right on Saturday.

Chester v Luctonians

Chester’s season hasn’t really gone as they may have expected. After the club finished fifth last season, some may have predicted another strong campaign for the Cheshire side, but they have been incredibly inconsistent this year which highlights why they are eighth in the table.

That being said, recent form has seen a slight change in fortunes for Chester. They achieved back to back wins against Broadstreet and South Leicester and were edged out by a point against Otley last weekend. A win over the Luctonians this Saturday will certainly strengthen their position in the top half.

The Luctonians’ season has not gone the way they would’ve liked it to either. Following a 13^th place finish last season and fighting off relegation  on the final day of the campaign, the Lucts were hoping to move away from another battle for survival, but it hasn’t gone to plan  for them thus far.

After playing just 16 games due to postponements, the Herefordshire team are once again in the relegation zone. That said, they are nine points from safety having won three of their last five games and they do have those three games in hand. Chester have been far from great at Hare Lane this season so the Lucts may fancy their chances of inflicting a seventh home defeat on the Cheshire outfit.

Huddersfield v Harrogate

Harrogate are fighting hard to move up the table in what has being a difficult and inconsistent season for the side. Despite finishing fourth last term, ‘Gate have been performing below par for their standard this season and their ambitions for the near future now have to be on a top half finish.

Having earned a very good victory away at Sandal at start of January, Harrogate have slipped back into their unpredictable ways after back to back defeats against Stourbridge and Leicester Lions. However, they may be confident heading into this clash against the leagues bottom club.

Huddersfield are enduring a tough season. Sitting rock bottom of the league, the men from Lockwood Park are in need of victories sooner rather than later in the second half of the campaign if they are to overhaul a 10 point gap between themselves and Sale FC who are in the final safety spot at this stage.

But following a much improved performance against Sandal last week, Huddersfield may not be consigned to the bottom three this term. They do need to halt a run of one win in their last five games if they are to achieve that and they must also make Lockwood Park a fortress once again.

Preston Grasshoppers v Broadstreet

Preston Grasshoppers have worked hard in recent weeks to move away from the bottom three and they have been rewarded with some great results. The Lancashire club battled against the drop last term and avoided it on the final day of the season, but they now sit 10^th in the table, and 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Hoppers have lost just one of their last eight games including a terrific and dominant win over Stourbridge last weekend so they’ll be desperate to keep this purple patch of form going as they go in search of their eighth win of the season this weekend when Broadstreet come to Lightfoot Green.

Last season, Broadstreet went on a similar run to what Preston are currently experiencing, but this term, ‘Street are a team now fighting to stay in the division. Currently they sit 14^th in the table having won five of their 18 games so far and worryingly just one of those victories have come away from home.

That triumph for the Midlands side came against Sandal on November 28^th and they need to put right this form on their travels as soon as possible otherwise they will be heading back to National Three after just a year in the fourth tier of English rugby.