RFU Championship Preview - It's Play-off Time...

Championship rugby fans are looking forward to the league’s most important round of fixtures this weekend as play-off rugby fever takes over.

The first leg of the semi-finals take place across the country with Rotherham Titans travelling down south to league winners Bristol and their Memorial Ground, whilst London Welsh head north to face Leeds Carnegie at Headingley.

The Championship play-offs, similarly to football, are constructed of two legs for each side, both home and away, with the total score across both games providing the winner.

 

Bristol:

The League’s top side throughout the entire Championship season, finished eight points ahead of their closest rivals London Welsh, with 19 wins and 21 bonus points to their name.

A side who have recruited heavily already for next season, with big-name signings such as Sale’s Dwayne Peel and former Welsh Captain Ryan Jones, look destined for top-flight rugby next season, but will Rotherham be able to spoil the party?

Head Coach Andy Robinson makes eight changes from the side that overcame London Scottish on the final day of the regular campaign.

Auguy Slowik and Luke Eves are selected, while Nicky Robinson and Ruki Tipuna also return.

Rhys Lawrence, Kyle Traynor and Gaston Cortes all come in to form the front row partnership, while Ben Glynn in included in the engine room.

Ross Johnston could make his one-hundredth competitive appearance from the replacements bench.

Bristol: Auguy Slowik; George Watkins, Jack Tovey, Luke Eves, Andy Short; Nicky Robinson, Ruki Tipuna; Kyle Traynor, Rhys Lawrence, Gaston Cortes, Ben Glynn, Mark Sorenson (c), Nick Koster, Ross Rennie, Marco Mama.

Replacements: Ross Johnston, James Hall, Glen Townson, Mitch Eadie, Luke Baldwin, Adrian Jarvis, Adam Hughes.

 

Rotherham Titans:

The Titans are looking forward to their most important game of the season in Bristol this Saturday, with fans dubbing the semi the club’s biggest game in ten years!

However, the Titans do go into the showdown as massive underdogs as they take on the regular season Championship winners. Bristol will no doubt be confident of progression through to the final after beating Rotherham on three separate occasions this term. In fact, the Titans have failed to collect a losing bonus point in each of the three encounters.

But despite all that, Rotherham believe if they perform to their potential they are capable of causing a massive upset and in doing so, set up a huge 2nd leg seven days later at Abbeydale in Sheffield.

Ahead of the game, Rotherham have made six changes to the side that beat basement side Ealing Trailfinders last time out.

Looking ahead to the Titans first-ever Championship semi-final appearance, head coach Lee Blackett explained, "There's no hiding from the fact; this is a massive game for the club and the boys deserve their opportunity to show what they can do at this stage of the season. We'll go down there with no pressure on us whatsoever from the outside; we'll put pressure on ourselves because we believe on our day we are good enough to win this game. We know it's a two-legged affair, but we'll not be thinking about that, we'll be going there to try and win the game.

“They are the best team in the division; the stats don't lie and you only have to look at the league table to see that. But we feel they are beatable and although it's going to take a massive effort we feel we can beat them.”

Bristol are renowned fast starters to a game and Blackett is aware his side will have to be on red alert from the off, "We know they'll race out of the blocks because that's what they do and it's been a successful ploy for them all year. In our two league games against them this season they blitzed us early and we were virtually out of both games by the 20-minute mark. We will obviously put a big emphasis on our start and we'll be aiming to come through that period in good shape and hopefully we'll be ahead by that stage.”

Young scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone, who has signed for Worcester next season, will look to leave the club on a high as he leads the side out at the Memorial Ground this Saturday.

Titans: 15 Sean Scanlon, 14 Jamie Broadley, 13 Joel Gill, 12 Jack Roberts, 11 Michael Keating, 10 Juan Pablo Socino, 9 Charlie Mulchrone (Capt.), 1 Robin Hislop, 2 Tom Cruse, 3 Colin Quigley, 4 Tom Holmes, 5 Josh Thomas-Brown, 6 Alex Rieder, 7 Jack Preece, 8 Alfie To'oala.

Replacements: 16 Ben Morris, 17 Toby Williams, 18 Mark Tampin, 19 Ed Williamson, 20 Jordan Davies, 21 Dan White, 22 Dallan Murphy.

 

London Welsh:

Following this at one o’clock this Sunday, second place London Welsh meet third place Leeds in Yorkshire. The Exiles have made six changes ahead of their first play-off game from the side that defeated Nottingham in the final round last weekend.

In the backs, Alex Davies starts at full back role – a position he made his own in the Exiles' Championship winning season two years ago - with Alan Awcock named on the bench.

 Elsewhere, team captain Tom May comes back into the side at inside centre in place of Hudson Tonga'uiha.

 In the forwards, James Tideswell returns at tighthead while there's some reshuffling in the back row. Carl Kirwan moves from blindside to openside flanker, Daniel Browne takes the number eight jersey, having started at blindside flanker against Nottingham, and Ollie Stedman starts at Number 8.

"This is the business part of the season and it's when things really start to get interesting - it's why we play sport,” said London Welsh head coach Justin Burnell.

 "We're really excited about the prospect of going up to Headingley on Sunday. It's a huge challenge and we know we're facing one of the best teams in the Championship, which they proved once again last week by going down to Bristol and winning. But it's exciting times for London Welsh and we're all really looking forward to it.”

London Welsh: 15. Alex Davies, 14. Seb Stegmann, 13. Tom May* (C), 12. James Tincknell, 11. Nick Scott, 10. Gordon Ross*, 9. Chris Cook, 1. Nathan Trevett, 2. Nathan Vella, 3. James Tideswell, 4. Will Spencer, 5, Matt Corker, 6. Daniel Browne, 7. Carl Kirwan, 8. Ollie Stedman.

 Replacements: 16. Nathan Morris, 17. Tom Bristow, 18. Peter Edwards, 19. Pete Browne, 20. John Quill*, 21, Tyson Keats, 22. Alan Awcock.

 

Leeds Carnegie:

The Yorkshire side know they’re up against it this weekend after losing both of the two side’s previous meetings this season. However, head coach James Lowes insists that his side are at full strength and capable of putting themselves through to a play-off final.

The team shows two changes from the side that won recently at promotion rivals Rotherham Titans with Phil Nilsen at hooker and leading try scorer David Doherty coming into the side that won that game.

 Leeds are taking part in the end of season play-offs for the third consecutive year but will be hoping to make the Final for the first time at the third time of asking.

 Carnegie are without Jon Clarke (shoulder), Oli Goss (calf) and Ben Harris (ankle) through injury.

Leeds: Stevie McColl, Jonah Holmes, Rob Vickerman, Fred Burdon, David Doherty, Glyn Hughes, Craig Hampson; Charlie Beech, Phil Nilsen, Damien Tussac, Richard Beck, Mike Myerscough,  David Sisi, Jacob Rowan (c), Ryan Burrows

Replacements: Joe Graham, Lee Imiolek, Ben Hooper, Calum Green, Chris Walker, James Doherty, Alex Lozowski