National League Rugby: The pause button is about to be pressed - but don't expect any deceleration in Round Eight

Bournville will be looking to return to winning ways in Round Eight in National Two West
©Ian Clark

With one more round to go before the first 'rest weekend' of the season, who can enter November with a spring in their step?

National One

Maybe they should have dominated the National One narrative more this season...

Thinking of what to write for this week's preview, it occurred to me that surprise results, welcome wins and purple patches of form have, more often than not, hogged the spotlight but as we prepare to enter the first break of the term, perhaps table-toppers Rams should take centre stage again.

Those who spend time reading my waffle will know I featured Seb Reynolds' troops last week but the Berkshire club are hunting down an eighth successive victory to begin the campaign.

They last did this in 2022/23 - when they won their first 11 games and took the title race right down to the wire - so to continue their winning start on Saturday might be a sign of things to come.

Of course, Rams will hope for a different ending after being pipped to promotion by Cambridge and following a very professional victory over fourth-placed Birmingham Moseley last time out, success in Round Eight could signal another statement of intent.

The league leaders travel to Brickfields to face Plymouth Albion (5th) and in this corresponding fixture last term, the hosts all but ended the title aspirations of their visitors. Back in April, Rams headed into the fixture just five points behind then table-toppers Chinnor but a 28-22 loss in Devon dented their ambitions.

With that in mind, Rams will be aiming to avoid a repeat whilst Albion come into this contest eager for an immediate reaction after their four-match winning run was halted by 11th-placed Sedgley Park in Round Seven.

Plymouth have won their last three home games so could they spoil Rams' day again?

Like Rams, Richmond (2nd) will be keen to begin November with their unbeaten record still intact. Rob Powell's side have won six of their opening seven matches - which includes a 31-31 draw with Dings Crusaders - and they conclude the first segment of the season by travelling to a buoyant Bishop's Stortford (9th) who arguably recorded the result of Round Seven after beating third-placed Rotherham Titans 45-34 away from home.

As for the Titans, they will be looking to get back on the horse at the first attempt but that will be far from straightforward away at fourth-placed Birmingham Moseley.

Elsewhere, Rosslyn Park (6th) - who are quietly creeping up the table after four successive wins - take on Leicester Lions (13th) and Blackheath (7th) go to Sedgley Park (11th) while Sale FC (8th) host Esher (12th) and Darlington Mowden Park (14th) go in search of their first victory of the season away at Dings Crusaders (10th).

National Two North

Last Friday was a magnificent night for Newcastle Falcons. The full-time scenes at Kingston Park were joyous ones as Steve Diamond's side brought their 25-match losing run to an end against Exeter Chiefs.

The 24-18 result was, obviously, great for Newcastle and also for rugby in the North-East, and National Two North's Tynedale (13th) will be hoping to follow suit this weekend.

After seven games this season, Peter Southern's troops are yet to take a seat in the winners' lounge but they have one more opportunity to put that right against Fylde (4th) before we enter the first rest weekend of the term.

But despite their frustrating start to the campaign, there are reasons to be positive at Tynedale Park.

On the pitch, they have come close to that elusive victory on a couple of occasions.  In Round Three, they were ahead with 10 minutes to go away at Wharfedale (5th), they then drew with sixth-placed Preston Grasshoppers before almost ending the winning start of league leaders Lymm only for the North-West side to snatch a 37-32 triumph right at the death.

Off the field, a new coaching structure is beginning to settle. After former boss Ben Woods had to step down from his role, Southern has pieced together a backroom team which includes former Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons supremo Dean Richards (who had previously worked with Tynedale's second team), ex-Premiership and Top 14 star Carl Fearns as well as current Falcons player Louis Brown.

They have joined Tom Wilkinson and Bill Laidlaw, and Southern knows that his side are on the right path.

Speaking to the National League Rugby Preview Show, he said: "We always knew it would be a difficult start to the season with a new coaching structure in place. We have put, what we think, is a really good structure in place and we have still got the core of the side from last year [which finished in sixth place].

"We quite easily could have won two or three of the games and it is up to us to work hard as a club to get on the right end of a few results.

"I'd love to see us win for the coaches more than anything! They have put so much hard work and effort into what they are trying to do so for them, it would be fantastic."

Southern - who has been at Tynedale for all of his life - knows that the challenge of facing Fylde is never an easy one, especially considering the current form of the Lancashire club.

Chris Briers and Alex Loney's men head to Tynedale Park on the back of four straight wins and will now be targeting a third consecutive away success.

Of course, Tynedale will be focused on their own fixture in Round Eight but the two teams either side of them in the table -  Harrogate (12th) and Sheffield Tigers (14th) - face one another this weekend, with the latter aiming for their first victory of the campaign.

At the top, Lymm (1st) will be looking to maintain their perfect record away at Hull (11th) while Leeds Tykes (2nd) will want to keep the pressure on as they target an 18th successive home win against Preston Grasshoppers (6th).

Elsewhere, Sheffield (3rd) will be keen to respond to last week's defeat to Leeds when they visit Billingham (9th) while Wharfedale (5th) entertain Hull Ionians (7th) and Chester (8th) go to Otley (10th).

National Two East

The importance of the next two fixtures for Oxford Harlequins (11th) could be a subject of debate. Yes, we are only eight weeks into the season but it is hard to look past what back-to-back positive results would do for Pete Davies' troops.

Last time out, they achieved their first-ever victory at this level as hooker James Roberts scored four tries to power his side to a 48-22 win over bottom-of-the-table Colchester. Either side of the rest week, Oxford Quins face 12th-placed Worthing on November 9th and Sevenoaks (13th) this coming Saturday so it does feel like an excellent opportunity to build on their Round Seven win.

Of course, the priority for Oxford Quins will be Sevenoaks who come into this clash still without a win, but a first success of the term might not be too far away.

After being left empty-handed in September, recent narrow losses against Old Albanian and Henley Hawks have yielded four bonus points but it could well have been more against the latter. Last weekend, the Kent outfit scored four tries in a 26-20 defeat and failed to add any extras, but that should act as a source of encouragement as Sevenoaks seek their first victory on Saturday.

Worthing will also be out to do the same when they host the aforementioned Henley (9th) while there is another 'bottom half of the table' clash in Round Eight as Havant (10th) take on Old Albanian (8th).

At the summit, Tonbridge Juddians could end the first block of the campaign with their perfect record still in one piece if they can get the desired result against Westcombe Park (7th) while second-placed Guernsey entertain Bury St Edmunds (6th). Elsewhere, fourth meets fifth as Barnes go to Canterbury and Dorking (3rd) will be eyeing up a seventh straight win when they visit Colchester (14th).

National Two West

It would be easy for Bournville (9th) to be downbeat but in truth, that just isn't Matt Price's side.

Last week, The Chocos saw their eight-match winning run at home disintegrate against league leaders Camborne (40-12) but they have an immediate chance to put that right when they host Midlands counterparts Hinckley (12th) in Round Eight.

The expressive nature of Bournville's brand of rugby is also a reason why they won't go into their shell following a disappointing result. Known for playing at pace and with accuracy, they are always aiming to hurt teams, especially on their artificial surface at Avery Fields.

"We are an attacking side," Price told the National League Rugby Preview Show this week. "We like to play with ball in hand. I am a coach that firmly believes you have to have multiple options at the gainline and ask defenders a lot of questions.

"I always say an artificial pitch is a bit like going on a stag-do, though. You feel great when you're on it and you're buzzing around, but for the next two days, you might be crying in your shower.

"It is a lovely place to play, though. We have got great facilities here and it does help us throw the ball around a little bit."

And their attacking intent is likely to be on show against Hinckley, but Chris Campbell's side will take the trip across the M6 in much better spirits after two wins from their last three games, including Round Seven's resounding 55-22 victory over Devonport Services.

Devonport (14th) - along with Macclesfield (13th) - are the two clubs below Hinckley in the standings and the pair meet in Cheshire on Saturday. Nine of Macc's 11 points this term have come on their own patch while Devonport Services will head to Priory Park in search of their first win of the campaign.

At the right end of the table, Camborne (1st) currently hold a six-point advantage at the summit and the Cherry and Whites entertain Exeter University (8th) in Round 8 while there is a mouthwatering prospect at Veritas Park when second-placed Cinderford visit Taunton (5th).

The two clubs who were relegated from National One at the end of last season have begun to click into gear with Cinderford currently on a five-match winning run while Taunton made it four wins on the bounce following an excellent 23-12 triumph away at Luctonians last time out.

Speaking of Luctonians (4th), they go to Loughborough Students (6th) while Old Redcliffians (3rd) take on Hornets (11th) and Clifton (7th) face Redruth (10th).

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