Nervous weekend ahead for relegation candidates

Sheffield Tigers, Harrogate and Scunthorpe head into Round 30 still fighting for survival in National Two North with each side hoping to still be in this division come tomorrow night.

As things stand, Sheffield Tigers are currently one point clear of the drop zone so a bonus-point victory for them against Luctonians tomorrow will keep them in this division while Harrogate and Scunthorpe sweat on other results going in their favour, if they fail to get their respective jobs done.

At the right end of the table, Sale FC can confirm that the National Two play-off will be played at Heywood Road next weekend if they secure a win away at Otley.

Elsewhere in the division, newly crowned champions Caldy will be aiming to maintain their 100 per cent home record when Sedgley Park visit Paton Field while Leicester Lions go to Tynedale, South Leicester host Stourbridge and Preston Grasshoppers welcome Wharfedale to Lancashire.

Caldy v Sedgley Park

Caldy have had a wonderful season. After successive finishes towards the top half of the table, Simon Verbickas’ men have now taken the next step. They clinched the title and promotion to National One with a win over Sale FC two weeks ago and followed that up with a victory over Wharfedale last Saturday.

With the title already sewn up, Caldy will be aiming to continue the superb form which has led them to the third tier of English rugby. The Wirral-based side has not lost a game since the opening day of the season and they are currently on an unbeaten run of 21 matches. Can they keep up their impressive record this Saturday?

The last team to beat Caldy were Sedgley Park who travel to Paton Field after another strong season in National Two North. After being in and around the play-off spot, Sedge will be rueing some patchy form earlier in the term which hampered their chances of another top two finish.

Instead, their focus will now be on ending this season strongly as they can still finish third in the table. A win in Dean Schofield’s final game in charge of the club could be enough to see Sedge leapfrog Leicester Lions as they prepare for life under Matt Bebbington at the beginning of next season. Will they become the first side to beat Caldy at home tomorrow?

Otley v Sale FC

34 weeks ago, Sale FC kicked off the National Two North season at home to Otley, but I don’t think anyone associated with the club would’ve expected the year which they have had thus far. The Manchester-based side were fighting off relegation this time 12 months ago, but they now find themselves in the National Two play-off.

It has been a remarkable turnaround by Jonathan Keep’s side and now they require just a win this weekend to make sure that the play-off match against either Old Elthamians or Chinnor will be at their home ground of Heywood Road. Sale have lost just once in their last 15 games and they are firm favourites to be at home next weekend.

Looking to end another inconsistent season strongly are Otley. Once again, patchy form has halted their progression into the top half of the table and it has meant the Yorkshire side have languished towards the wrong end of the division for the majority of the campaign.

Currently, Otley sit 10th in the league standings and nine of their 10 victories this season have come at home which highlights how hot and cold Peter Clegg’s side have been. Head Coach Mark Luffman left the club two months ago, but things have stayed relatively the same at Cross Green since. The Yorkshire side do possess the quality and they’ll be hoping for a more consistent year next season.

Tynedale v Leicester Lions

Relegated two years ago from National One, Tynedale have slowly re-built from that disappointment. This year’s top six finish is a great stride forward for the Tyne Valley side, after a 12^th placed finish last term.  This year’s success has been attributed to a strong second half of the season.

Tyne have only lost four times since the turn of the year, with five straight wins between February and March being the standout. A win on the final day in front of their home supporters at Corbridge will cap a solid season, with the platform for a strong campaign next year well and truly set.

It’s Status Quo for Leicester Lions this year. Having spent four seasons around mid-table, last year saw them match their third-place finish from 2010/2011. This time around they have pushed hard again and look to be on course for a third top 3 finish in 6 seasons. Their ability to put a streak of wins together as certainly contributed to that.

They visit Tyndale this weekend on the back of three straight victories and will want to complete the double over their hosts, as they beat them 24-20 on the opening day at Westleigh Park. This game does carry extra significance for the Lions too. Their coach Andy Key will take charge of his final game as Head Coach, before his move up North to Rotherham Titians next year. This will undoubtedly give his players extra motivation to seal a victory in the north-east on Saturday.

Chester v Scunthorpe

Scunthorpe travel to Chester tomorrow having handed themselves a lifeline last Saturday. The side promoted into this division last year from National Three Midlands secured a vital win away at Luctonians which gives them a chance of avoiding an immediate relegation on the final day of the season.

As things stand, the men from Heslam Park are three points from safety and they know that realistically, they have to beat Chester tomorrow and hope Harrogate lose away at Hinckley and Luctonians win against Sheffield Tigers if they are to beat the drop. The Greens claimed a 15-13 win on the opening day of the season against Chester so another repeat of that result could be enough to save them from relegation.

Standing in Scunthorpe’s way are Chester. The men from Hare Lane have had a very strong second-half to the campaign which has propelled them up to sixth in the table, but they still have the chance to end this season in the top five.

The Cheshire side have lost just five of their last 14 games which is a stark improvement to their early season form and a 17^th triumph of the term could see them snatch fifth place off Tynedale if the north-east-side fail get a result at home to Stourbridge tomorrow.

South Leicester v Stourbridge

South Leicester will be pleased with how the National Two North campaign has gone for them. Having secured a 12^th placed finish last term, South have built on that and established themselves as a solid National Two North outfit this time around.

Eight consecutive home wins, stretching back to 10^th December, has certainly attributed to a fine season culminating in a top half finish. Currently 8^th in the table and too far ahead of 9^th placed Hinckley, they will want to finish this season as high as possible. A win at Welford Road over this weekend’s opponents, who incidentally are directly above them in the table, will do just that.

Stourbridge will want to avoid being pipped to 7^th by their Leicestershire counterparts on Saturday. This Midlands derby brings about an opportunity for Stour to end a “topsy turvy” season on a high.

Having won six games on the spin between December and January and seemingly on course for a shot at promotion, Neil Mitchell’s side have only won two games in their last ten, stretching back to 28^th January. This has seen them slide down the league, with a mid-table finish the outcome this year. Stour will want a positive reaction after last week’s defeat to Tynedale and lay foundations for the 17/18 campaign.

Hinckley v Harrogate

Harrogate come into this weekend with their fate out of their hands. The Yorkshire side fell to a derby defeat against Otley last Saturday which has left David Doherty’s men inside the relegation zone heading into the final weekend of the season.

The men from Rudding Lane know that they must pick up a positive result tomorrow against Hinckley and hope Sheffield Tigers lose away against Luctonians if they are to stay in this division. Harrogate had won four matches between January and February but since their best spell of the season, Gate have won just twice in the league. That record has to be improved upon tomorrow otherwise it could be curtains for Harrogate.

On the flip side, Hinckley come into tomorrow’s clash with Harrogate without any worries whatsoever. The side promoted via the National Three North play-off last May have performed superbly this season and a flurry of seven victories before the end of last year has been the foundations for their success.

I think it is fair to say that the Midlands side have exceeded expectations by securing a ninth place finish, but even though they have nothing to play for tomorrow, they will be doing everything to seal a victory at Leicester Road. The visit of Harrogate is Paul Walsh’s final game as Director of Rugby for so they’ll want to end his tenure in a positive fashion.

Preston Grasshoppers v Wharfedale

It’s been a season to forget for Preston. Hoppers were relegated three weeks ago after a defeat to Harrogate at home which confirmed that they will not be playing National Two North rugby for the first time since the 2009/2010 campaign.

They will want to end this season on a high note, not only because of the disappointment of relegation, but also as their coach, Garth Dew,  is moving on and being replaced by Fylde’s Paul Arnold next season. A win in front of their own fans at Lightfoot Green will be a silver lining for The Hoppers and give Dew the send-off he deserves as they look to a new start next season.

Wharfedale have enjoyed a somewhat mixed year. Relegated from National One last season, the North Yorkshire outfit would have hoped to challenge for an immediate return to the third tier. However, a season marred by injuries as well as no wins on the road all year, has hampered their ambitions.

One positive to take is an impressive home record. Dale have won eight of their last nine fixtures at The Avenue which has protected them from a relegation battle. They will want to avenge a 12-20 defeat on the opening day to Preston Grasshoppers this weekend and pick up their first points on their travels.

Luctonians v Sheffield Tigers

The great escape is nearly complete. After a run of no wins in 12 midway through the season, Sheffield Tigers looked as though they were sliding towards the trapdoor but a run of four wins from their last five matches has totally turned their season around.

The men from Dore Moor have been superb over the last two months and now they find themselves outside the bottom three and a point clear of relegation ahead of tomorrow. The Tigers require just a bonus-point win to seal their safety in this division and with confidence high, they may well achieve that feat in Herefordshire this weekend.

Gaining a maximum point win is easier said than done for Sheffield because Luctonians will be hoping for a reaction after a loss against Scunthorpe six days ago. A run of four wins in their last seven matches has secured the Lucts’ safety after a tough season following a sixth placed finish last term.

Alex Davidson’s men have suffered a long list of injuries this season which has kept them in the bottom half of the table, but he and the side will be hoping to end this campaign with a victory at Mortimer Park. This will be Davidson’s final game in charge of Luctonians before Ryan Watkins takes over the reins next season, so the home side will doing everything possible to give Davidson the perfect send off.

Sheffield Tigers Coach Robin Hislop: "It's been a very challenging season with some ups and downs but I think as group we have learned a massive amount and are in a much stronger place for it. We probably relied on individual brilliance last season to win us a lot of games and that simply isn't enough to win games in National Two.

"It's been amazing the last 8 weeks or so. We have cleared up a few system errors and we have every on the same page. We've changed a couple of cultural things but the biggest one for me is we are enjoying each other's company. So we are rocking up to training with a smile on our face, improving and having a good time while doing it and I think that has had the biggest impact on the pitch. 

"It's a big game but to be fair every game for the last 6 weeks has been big. We are a delighted that it's in our own control, but on the other hand we are fully aware of the quality of Luctonians and they are an impressive out fit. But hopefully if we stick to our processes/systems it will be enough to see us home."