National League Rugby Preview: Round 17 could inspire aspirations as final third of season comes into view
Syston go into a bottom of the table meeting with Loughborough Students in National Two West
©Gareth Lyons
As we race towards the final third of the campaign, title races intensify and survival battles heat up as every point comes under the spotlight.
National One
Another week brought another victory for National One leaders Plymouth Albion (1st), who extended their winning run to seven matches with an impressive Round 16 success.
A solid 47-17 triumph away at bottom-of-the-table Leicester Lions saw Ryan Lamb’s charges move four points clear at the summit, with momentum firmly behind them in the title race.
Albion’s push to become a Champ Rugby side is gathering pace, but Saturday’s visitors, Rosslyn Park (5th), know how to burst a Plymouth bubble.
Last March, Albion were in the promotion conversation before Park arguably brought those hopes to an end with a 30-24 victory at Brickfields.
Steve Neville and Kieran Power’s side now make the trip to Devon buoyed by a return to winning ways after defeating third-placed Blackheath last weekend.
Rosslyn Park are the last team to clinch a victory at Plymouth, but Albion’s eight-match winning sequence at home shows they mean business - a run that includes victories over Rotherham Titans (2nd) and Sale FC (4th).
Park, though, sit nine points adrift of the leaders, with a game in hand, so a repeat of last season’s result could throw the title race wide open.
Rotherham Titans (2nd) supporters may keep a close eye on events in the West Country as their side return to Clifton Lane for the first time in over a month to face Leicester Lions (14th).
Following the festive break and a postponed fixture against Clifton, Harvey Biljon’s men will be eager to build on last week’s hard-fought victory over Bishop’s Stortford.
Leicester’s position at the foot of the table is becoming increasingly perilous, but Gareth Collins’ side may draw some encouragement from the reverse fixture in October, when they led Rotherham heading into the final quarter before eventually succumbing to a 41-25 defeat.
Elsewhere, 10th-placed Dings Crusaders will be hoping to make life difficult once again for Blackheath (3rd) when the sides meet at The Utilita.
Dings pushed ‘Club’ hard in Round Five and arrive in London in improved form, having collected more than half of their league points in their last five matches.
However, Blackheath remain formidable at home, boasting five consecutive victories and the league’s leading try scorer in Billy Harding (31).
Dings’ local and table rivals Clifton (9th) also face a stern test on the road as they travel to Sale FC (4th). Sale continued their strong run of form last Friday night with a gritty 19-14 victory at Leeds Tykes - their seventh success in eight outings - leaving them seven points adrift of leaders Plymouth.
Below Clifton and Dings sit Birmingham Moseley (11th), who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot. The Midlands side will be keen to return to winning ways at the first attempt when they host Tonbridge Juddians (7th).
Meanwhile, Sedgley Park (12th) will be targeting a morale-boosting victory when they welcome Bishop’s Stortford (8th) to the North-West.
The Tigers have slipped into the bottom three following five consecutive defeats, although four of those losses came against sides currently in the top four.
With their next three fixtures coming against teams in the bottom half, Scott Barrow’s troops will be keen to start this crucial run on a positive note.
One of Sedgley Park’s upcoming opponents will be Leeds Tykes (13th) on Friday, 6th February. The Yorkshire side, who are four points behind Sedgley Park and five adrift of Moseley, face a tough assignment this weekend as they travel to sixth-placed Rams.
National Two North
It has been quite the start to 2026 for Hull (12th). After being nilled in their final two matches of last year, Dec Cusack’s side have come out firing and are determined to turn their season around.
Back-to-back victories over Preston Grasshoppers and Fylde have opened up a six-point cushion over the bottom two, and Hull have another opportunity this weekend to further ease any relegation fears.
The Humberside outfit turn their attention to table rivals Billingham (10th), who they face in the North-East. Hull trail their Round 17 opponents by just five points, although Billingham do have a game in hand and will be keen to bounce back.
Despite leading 23-7 at one stage last week, Peter Evans and Dan Finney’s hard-working and youthful side were edged out 45-35 by Darlington Mowden Park. That defeat means Billingham arrive into Saturday’s clash having lost their last four matches.
Almost exactly a year ago, Billingham were enduring a similarly difficult spell when they welcomed Hull to Greenwood Road. On that occasion, the hosts ran out 34-17 winners, so they will be hoping history can repeat itself this weekend.
Looking back towards the relegation battle, Scunthorpe (14th) slipped to the foot of the table in Round 16 following a 13-7 defeat to fellow strugglers Rossendale.
That result would have been a significant blow for The Greens, who now sit eight points adrift of Hull despite having two games in hand. They face a stern test this weekend when they travel to sixth-placed Hull Ionians.
Rossendale (13th), meanwhile, will be buoyed by their first victory since Round Four and will look to build on that when they host third-placed Tynedale. However, that task will be far from straightforward against a side that has conceded just four tries in their last five outings.
Elsewhere, Darlington Mowden Park (4th) head into Yorkshire to face an Otley (11th) team searching for their first win since Round 10.
Both DMP and Tynedale continue to chase the play-off place currently occupied by Macclesfield (2nd), who remain in fine form.
Matt Coleridge and Rhys Davies’ men have rattled off seven successive bonus-point victories, but their next challenge is a tricky trip to fifth-placed Fylde.
The hosts saw their impressive away winning run ended by Hull last week, so they will be eager to rediscover some consistency at Woodlands.
Fylde may take confidence from the reverse fixture back in October, when they edged past Macclesfield 21-19 - one of only two defeats the Cheshire side have suffered all season.
At the top of the table, league leaders Sheffield - who hold a four-point advantage over Macclesfield with a game in hand - make the trip to Preston Grasshoppers (8th).
Anthony Posa’s side will be targeting a remarkable 15 wins from 15, and while their last three visits to Lightfoot Green have all ended in victory, their average winning margin has been just over five points.
Finally, Sheffield’s city rivals, Sheffield Tigers (10th), welcome Wharfedale (7th) to Dore Moor as they look to secure a fourth consecutive home win.
National Two East
Four of National Two East’s top six go head-to-head in Round 17, highlighted by fourth-placed Canterbury hosting fifth-placed Dorking at The Marine Travel Ground.
Since Round 10, Canterbury have been the form side in the division and enter this weekend on a seven-match winning streak.
It is their best run of results since the 2018–19 campaign - the season in which they won a play-off to gain promotion to National One - and while they remain nine points adrift of the current play-off place, momentum is firmly with the City Men.
Dorking, however, will be intent on halting their progress. Armand Roux’s side sit three points behind their hosts and had to settle for a 13-13 draw against Henley last time out.
All five of Dorking’s defeats this season have come against teams in the top six, although a blistering second-half display back in October saw them run out 31-7 winners against Canterbury at The Big Field.
Both sides may also have one eye on second-placed Oundle, who are enjoying an excellent run of form.
The Northamptonshire outfit are unbeaten in eight matches and continue to apply pressure on league leaders Old Albanian.
Oundle travel to the capital this weekend to face sixth-placed Barnes, who they edged 31-26 in Round Five courtesy of Jack Sharpley’s late try.
Another closely fought contest could be in store, particularly with Barnes having suffered just one home defeat all season.
At the summit, Old Albanian (1st) made it four successive victories in Round 16 with a win over Barnes. James Osborn and Dan George’s side now head to second-from-bottom Henley Hawks (13th) as they look to maintain - or extend - their two-point advantage at the top.
Third-placed Bury St Edmunds are also in fine form, underlined by a seven-try victory away at Esher last weekend.
James Shanahan’s men will aim to stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches when they host Sevenoaks (12th), who are being drawn into a relegation scrap after three straight defeats.
Sevenoaks sit just one point above Henley, but Adam Bowman’s side may take encouragement from their most recent visit to the GK IPA Haberden, where they claimed a dramatic 38-36 victory in February 2025.
Oxford Harlequins (14th) remain rooted to the bottom of the table despite coming agonisingly close to a third win of the campaign last time out.
A late try from London Welsh flanker Ben Davies condemned Quins to a 31-28 defeat, leaving them 14 points adrift of Sevenoaks.
This weekend, Pete Davies’ side travel to Guernsey Raiders (10th), while Esher (11th) will be seeking a response to last week’s heavy 47-19 home loss to Bury St Edmunds when they visit London Welsh (8th).
Finally, after back-to-back impressive and crucial victories, Havant (9th) will look to continue climbing up the table when they welcome Westcombe Park (7th) to Hooks Lane.
National Two West
There is a nice symmetry to National Two West this weekend, with the top eight sides all facing one another, while the bottom six also go head-to-head.
At the summit, league leaders Camborne make the trip to eighth-placed Lymm.
The table-toppers showcased a different side of their title credentials last week following a 36-26 victory over Hinckley.
Trailing 26-12 at the break, Tom Kessell’s side regrouped to score 24 unanswered points to maintain their seven-point advantage at the top.
Their first away fixture of 2026 takes them to the North-West to face a Lymm outfit that has won six of its seven home games this term.
After an impressive comeback win over Redruth a fortnight ago, the hosts will want to complete a Cornish double at Crouchley Lane.
Second-placed Luctonians are also on the road in Round 17 as Rob Lewis and George Thomas’ men travel to Hornets (6th).
If Camborne’s resilience was on show last weekend, the same can be said of Luctonians, who have battled hard for recent victories over Old Redcliffians and Exeter University.
They may need to dig deep once again against a Hornets side that boasts a perfect home record this season, having won all eight of their matches at The Nest. However, Lucs arrive having claimed six wins from their seven away fixtures.
Barnstaple’s (3rd) visit to Hinckley (7th) also promises to be an intriguing contest, with the visitors seeking a response after successive defeats to start the calendar year.
Despite an impressive fightback with 14 men to lead against Taunton last week, a late Titans try consigned the Chiefs to a rare home loss.
January once again presents Barnstaple with a stern test against top-half opposition, with Hinckley having stitched together four consecutive home victories at Leicester Road.
While Barum have impressively spent much of this campaign in third place, recent setbacks mean they are now just five points clear of fourth-placed Cinderford.
Cinderford (4th) travel to Taunton (5th) this weekend in a clash between two sides enjoying solid form.
Both have won three of their last four matches, and Taunton’s gradual climb up the table has been fuelled by four straight home victories at the Summerfield Stadium.
At the foot of the table, the bottom two go head-to-head as Syston (14th) host Loughborough Students (13th).
The Students will be buoyed by their 38-24 victory over Lymm in Round 16 and currently sit in the relegation places only because Exeter University (12th) have won one more game.
As for Syston, they remain in the fight, and with 14 points separating the sides, victory at Barkby Road could yet reignite their survival hopes.
Elsewhere, Exeter University (12th) will look to build on encouraging performances against top-four opposition when they host Chester (9th), while Old Redcliffians (11th) entertain Redruth (10th).
Old Reds claimed a 36-29 away win at Chester last time out and will be keen to continue their positive start to 2026 by securing a third home victory in four matches.
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