Who will hold their nerve in National One?

After the opening round of 2016 went with the form guide, Week 17 may well follow suit as league leaders Richmond, Blackheath & Hartpury College are all at home.

Down at the bottom, the first crunch match in the second half of the season takes place as Wharfedale take on Blaydon as the pressure mounts at both ends of the table.

Richmond v Fylde

Top of the pile after 16 matches are Richmond & their next task which they have to negotiate is Fylde who have had mixed fortunes this campaign.

You are never quite sure which Fylde side will turn up with inconsistent performances halting there progress, but on their day, they can really challenge the sides towards the top half of the division as seen last weekend against Hartpury.

They will have to be at their very best against a Richmond side which is oozing confidence at the minute.

Blackheath v Henley Hawks

There have been twists and turns in National One so far this year so if Richmond do drop points against Fylde, Blackheath will be looking to take advantage.

Their opposition this weekend is relegation threatened Henley Hawks  who are just a point from safety at the minute. They were much improved in their last game against Darlington Mowden after ending 2015 with a win over Cinderford, but Blackheath go into this encounter as firm favourites to pick up their 14^th win of the season.

Hartpury College v Coventry

Hartpury scraped past Fylde last weekend and they once again face a difficult challenge this Saturday as Coventry are their visitors.

The away side have not matched their early season expectations but will be out for revenge over College after they were narrowly beaten 21-23 earlier on the season.

Loughborough Students v Esher

Esher are currently fourth in National One and they meet a Loughborough Students side who have been dragged back into a relegation fight.

Their defeat to Coventry last week leaves them seven points ahead of the drop zone which is by no means precarious, but still not where Students want to be.

Esher began 2016 with victory over Wharfedale and an away win here would keep then firmly in touch with the top three sides.

Plymouth Albion v Hull Ionians

Plymouth Albion are a team bang in form at the moment as they look to take their winning run up to six matches when they meet Hull Ionians this weekend.

The I's lost their sixth game in a row last weekend which means they have dropped to 11th in the table - nine points clear of the bottom three.

Albion have moved up to fifth in the table - the highest they have been since their relegation from the Championship - and should be too strong this weekend as they aim to move into the top four.

Ampthill & District v Cinderford

Hot on the heels of Plymouth Albion are Ampthill & District who will be looking to keep the pressure on the sides above them as they take on bottom club Cinderford on Saturday.

Cinderford are finding it tough to string results together as they are now five points adrift at the foot of this division. They have also announced the recruitment of Gloucester's Adam Balding as player/coach for the remainder of the season, but Ampthill will fancy their chances of back to back wins to begin the year.

Darlington Mowden Park v Rosslyn Park

Before the start of the season, many may have thought these sides would be at opposite ends of the table but instead only one point separate the teams.

The hosts have won six in a row and will be looking to extend that run against a Park side that lie in seventh place after such a strong start to the campaign.

DMP have been good at home all season and that may give them the edge on Saturday as they look to continue their excellent form.

Wharfedale v Blaydon

Last, but certainly not least, is this relegation battle between Wharfedale and Blaydon. Currently, Dale occupy 15th place in the league and are only two points behind Blaydon who are one place above the drop zone.

Both sides are in desperate need of a victory and a win here could prove vital come the end of the season.