NEC Harlequins were comprehensive winners of the National One league title as they regained their Premiership status after just a season away.
They won 25 out of their 26 league matches coming unstuck at the County Ground in late February going down 13-8 to Exeter Chiefs.
At home they were unbeaten and started the season with a 19 match unbeaten run.
Winger Simon Keogh set a new club record for tries in a league season with 16 beating the previous record of 15 set by Daren O’Leary back in 1996-97.
Former All Black International Andrew Mehrtens top scored with 189 points including a new club record for conversions in a season, he slotted over 51 beating the previous record of 36 set by John Schuster in 1998-99.
England A winger Ugo Monye set a new club record for tries in a match when he ran in five in the home win over Exeter Chiefs in October.
The Bedford Blues finished second in National One their best finish since being relegated from the Premiership back in the 1999-00 season and having not finished higher than sixth in those five seasons.
In the league they pushed Quins all the way at home but were always playing catch up.
They also reached the final of the Powergen National Trophy losing at Twickenham to Harlequins.
Mark Harris topped the scoring list in his first full season of senior rugby with 204 points.
It was Ali Hepher who broke the club scoring record for a match with 34 against Newbury in the final match of the season with the Blues winning 79-22 against Newbury, which was their highest ever score in a league match and biggest ever winning margin at home. Hepher also broke the record for conversion in that match with nine one more than the previous best of eight set by Mike Rayer back in November 1997.
The Cornish Pirates improved for the third consecutive season in National one with an excellent third place one place higher than the previous season.
Lost just twice in their opening 16 fixtures to the two sides who finished above them in the table, Harlequins and Bedford Blues. But defeats at Nottingham and Sedgley Park saw Bedford Blues pull clear of them to claim second spot.
Fly half Tom Barlow top scored for the Pirates with 140 whilst Lee Jarvis also topped the 100 point mark with 102. Winger Richard Welding was leading try scored in his first season at the club with 15 after joining from Sedgley Park.
Earth Titans improved from eighth to fourth in National One as they continue their recovery after relegation from the Premiership two seasons ago despite having virtually a new first XV starting line up.
Mike Whitehead, a summer signing from London Welsh, topped the scoring with 200 points, the best return for the club in three years.
Scott Donald, who started the season in the back row and finished it on the wing, became the second Rotherham players to reach 20 tries in a season his 20 was two short of the club record of 22 set by Michael Wood back in 2003-04.
Plymouth Albion after finishing third for two consecutive seasons dropped two places to fifth spot. They recovered well after a poor start when they lost four of their opening six matches before putting together a five match winning run.
Nat Saumi top scored with just 106 points, in 12 starts, the lowest total to top the scoring charts since 1998-99 when Richard Thompson managed just 88.
Centre Keni Fisilau was the leading try scorer with 10, again the lowest total to top the charts since the 1998-99 season when three players finished on six tries.
They went out of the Powergen National Trophy at the Quarter final stage to eventual winners Harlequins after beating South West rivals the Cornish Pirates in the previous round.
Exeter Chiefs finished a disappointing sixth after being runners up the season before they have though finished in the top six for eight seasons in a row.
After an indifferent start to the season they finished strongly to climb the table with eight wins in their last 11 matches of the season.
Tony Yapp top scored for a fourth consecutive season despite starting the season at Launceston, his 158 was his lowest season total since joining the club.
He passed Andy Green’s long standing club record for career points and extended his club record for conversions to 249.
They did well in the Powergen National Trophy going out in the semi final at home to Bedford Blues deep into injury time.
Nottingham did really well and finished in the top half of the table four places higher than the previous season’s 11th place and are now looking forward to a third consecutive season of National One rugby. .
They came good after an indifferent start to the season with just three wins in their opening g ten matches. After that they picked up nine wins in 15 matches to climb the table.
Fly half Neil Stenhouse topped scored for the third consecutive season with 166 points. Centre Chris Wyles was leading try scorer with 11 tries.
In the Powergen National Trophy they reached the semi final before going out to Harlequins 24-10 at Beeston.
Coventry failed to finish in the top half of the table for just the second time in their 10 year stay in the division and down on their sixth place the season before.
Started and finished the season badly but did pick up six wins in 11 matches mid season.
Winger James Moore, a summer signing from Sale Sharks, topped the divisions scoring with 251 points the best return by a Cov player since Steve Gough scored 266 back in 1999-00.
Kurt Johnson was again leading try scorer for the seventh successive season and extended his club record to 83 since joining the club back in 1999.
Otley dropped down the table to ninth place after two seasons finishing in fifth spot in a season that never really got going.
Simon Binns topped scored for a fifth consecutive season and took his Otley career total in the league to 1242.
Hooker Mark Luffman topped the try scoring with nine tries, the first forward to do this since Lafaele Filipo back in 1999-00 when he scored 15.
In the Powergen National Trophy they went out at home in the Quarter finals to Bedford Blues in a closely fought match 14-13.
Doncaster managed a highly creditable 10th place in their first ever season of National One league rugby.
They relied heavily on their home form to stay out of the relegation zone although late in the season they managed away wins at Newbury and the Pertemps Bees and finished the season with five wins in their last seven matches.
Rob Liley overtook his brother as all time leading points scorer for the club passing the 1,000 mark late in the season and finishing on 1013, 84 more than Jon’s record. He finished top scorer for a fourth consecutive season one more than his brother managed.
They also equalled the record for their worst away defeat losing 45-0 at Harlequins; the previous 45 point defeat was against Nuneaton back in 200 when they lost 50-5.
Newbury achieved their objective of staying in National One with an 11th placed finish thanks to some great early season form.
Four wins in their opening six matches gave them a promising start to the season, including an excellent 51-42 away success against Plymouth Albion, but they finished it badly with ten defeats in their last 12 matches to slip down the table.
Blair Feeney was top points scorer with 225 after joining from fellow National One side Sedgley Park.
Back row forward Chris Cracknell was the leading try scorer with 10, the first forward to top the try scoring list since Craig Davies back in 1997-98.
They picked up just one losing bonus point in their 16 defeats.
London Welsh finished 12th for the second consecutive season having spent nearly all of the previous seven seasons in the top six.
They made a dreadful start to the season losing 10 of their opening 13 matches before improving at the turn of the year.
After that they put together a run of six wins in nine matches to climb up the table.
Lee Cholewa in his first season at the club after joining from Harrogate topped scored with just 76 points in a season cut back by injury managing just eight starts.
Full back Gareth Swales was leading try scorer with 11 the first Welsh player to reach double figures in four seasons.
In the Powergen National Trophy they made the semi final before going out to Nottingham 34-3.
Sedgley Park slipped three places in their second season of rugby at this level to 13th spot but with the league increasing in size next season were spared relegation.
One win in 13 matches mid season saw them slip to the bottom of the table before they rallied late thanks to excellent home wins over the Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs and a draw against Rotherham.
Phil Jones in his first season at the club after returning to Rugby Union after a spell in Rugby League top scored for the club with 219 points, the fifth different player to top the scoring chart for the club in the last five years.
Winger Jon Feeley topped the try scoring list for a second successive season with 15, two more than he managed the previous season and three off the club record of 18 in a season set by Mike Wilcock in the 2000-01 season.
The Pertemps Bees finished bottom of the table but with no relegation were saved from dropping down a division. Since getting into National One they have finished around the middle of the table most of the time and were ninth the season before.
They finished the season poorly losing their last six matches; they lacked consistency all season only once managing back to back wins.
In the Powergen National Trophy they went out to fellow National One side Otley at home 29-22.
Winger Nick Baxter topped the try scoring list for the fourth time in five seasons and took his club record career total to 62. Late in the season they conceded a record 68 points at home losing to Bedford Blues. |
