NATIONAL TWO
Esher v Wharfedale
Leaders Esher entertain 5th placed Wharfedale this Saturday looking to get back to winning ways after a draw at Waterloo last Saturday.
Esher lost their 100% start to the season when they fought out a 16 all draw last Saturday at Blundellsands against Waterloo.
At home they have a 100% record with four wins out of four having played six times on the road this season so far. They have picked up the four try bonus point in three of their home wins with only Moseley stopping them making it a full house.
Wharfedale are up to fifth spot with three wins and two draws in their last five matches. Last Saturday they were narrow winners away at Barking their second successive away win after winning at Blackheath the time before. Overall on the road they are their only wins on the road having lost three and drawing one of their other four matches away from Threshfields.
Wharfedale were winners at Esher last season 20-8 but did not do the double over them as Esher won 33-32 at Threshfields.
PREDICTION: Esher to return to winning ways with eight point win.
Halifax v Launceston
Second bottom Halifax entertain seventh placed Launceston looking to build on an improved performance last Saturday at Moseley although they were beaten.
Halifax have managed two wins this season and one of them has come at home with a 26-8 win over Redruth. They have lost their other four home fixtures but two of them were by one and three point margins.
Launceston are one of the form sides in the division with three straight wins behind them which has seen them climb to seventh in the league table.
On the road they have done reasonably well with two wins and a draw from their five road trips. The wins were at Blackheath and Harrogate and they got a draw against Wharfedale.
PREDICTION: Home success by four points.
Harrogate v Waterloo
Bottom of the table Harrogate entertain third placed Waterloo still looking for that first elusive win of the season in National Two.
Harrogate have lost six times already at Claro Road this season claiming a losing bonus point in four of those matches.
They can score points scoring more points than the five sides immediately above them in the league table but they do have the worst defensive record in the division.
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Waterloo have now drawn their last two as prior to last Saturday’s 16 all draw with Esher they drew 22 all at draw specialists Wharfedale.
They are unbeaten on the road this season with five wins and a draw from their six road trips.
Waterloo were 26-15 winners at Claro Road last season but later in the season Harrogate went to Blundellsands and pulled out a 39-28 win.
PREDICTION: Waterloo to win at Claro Road by 10 points.
Henley Hawks v Stourbridge
Eighth placed Henley Hawks entertain 10th placed Stourbridge at Dry Leas looking to get back to winning ways.
The Hawks are looking to return to winning ways after back to back defeats at Manchester and Moseley losing both close matches by one point and three points on the road.
Stourbridge have an amazing away record with five wins in six matches with only Launceston stopping them making it six out of six. They have managed just one four try bonus point all season.
These two sides met for the only times in the 2002/03 season when the Hawks won both encounters including a thumping 74-24 win at Dry leas.
PREDICTION: Tough call with Stourbridge’s away record but will go Hawks by five.
Moseley v Barking
Second placed Moseley entertain fourth placed Barking looking for a fifth straight win.
Moseley are playing a third straight home match in the league having recently beaten Henley Hawks (22-19) and Halifax (18-9) and scoring just one try in those two wins.
At home this season they have won all six of their matches picking up a four try bonus point in the first four of those wins.
Barking were losers at home last Saturday to Wharfedale and have now lost three of their last four matches in the league. Away from home this season they have already won three times from five road trips. .
First ever league meeting between the two sides.
PREDICTION: Moseley to win by eight points.
Orrell v Manchester
12th placed Orrell entertain 9th placed Manchester at Edge Hall Road on Saturday looking for their fourth league win of the season.
All of Orrell’s three wins have come at home this season winning three out of five.
They were beaten last Saturday at Launceston and have lost three of their last four matches.
Manchester were narrow home winners over Henley Hawks last Saturday and go to Edge Hall Road looking to make it a hat trick of league win and a place in the top half of the National Two league table.
The sides have met four times at Edge Hall Road with Orrell winning all four matches. The last was in April 2004 when they were 75-22 victors.
PREDICTION: Away win for Manchester at Edge Hall Road by eight points.
Redruth v Blackheath
Sixth placed Redruth are at home to 11th placed Blackheath this Saturday looking for back to back wins.
Redruth were 25-6 winners at Stourbridge last Saturday to end a three match losing run. At home this season they have won four out of five with only Moseley leaving with a win this season in the league.
Blackheath ended a seven match losing run on Saturday with a home success over bottom of the table Harrogate and picked up a four try bonus point along the way. They won at Orrell in their first away match of the season but since then have lost four on the bounce away from home.
Redruth were 28-13 winners when they last played host to Blackheath in the league back in February 2004. In the four meetings at Redruth the Cornish side have won three out of four with Blackheath’s only win a 27-13 success in August 2002 in the season opener.
PREDICTION: Redruth to win at home by nine points. |
