NATIONAL TWO REVIEW OF THE SEASON
Esher took the National Two title quite comfortably with a 19 point lead. This ended their seven year stay in the division. They were beaten just twice all season and easily ended the season as the divisions leading scorers and picked up more try bonus points than any other side with 19, four more than anyone else. In both their defeat they did pick up losing bonus points as well.
Neil Hallett led the way with an amazing 398 points which is a record for the division in a 26 match campaign as the record for the division set by Fylde’s Steve Gough in 1996/97 was a 30 match league campaign. He broke the Esher record for points in a season and ended the season as leading scorer for a third consecutive season. His 398 points was 47 more than the Esher record for a season set back in the 1999/00 season by Jonathan Gregory. Hallett also broke Gregory’s record of 78 conversions in a season with 80.
Matt Moore with 23 was the clubs leading try score, one fewer than his club record set the previous season, and is now the clubs leading try scorer in league rugby with 55.
Mark Butterworth took his club record for appearances to a new level as he became the first Esher player to top 200 league matches.
Cornish All Blacks took the runners up spot and climbed out of the division after just three seasons since returning to the division after spending one season in the division back in 2002/03.
They wrapped up second place in the penultimate week of the season
Sam Young led the way with 254 points, the third highest total for the club in a league season. The leading try scorer was back row forward Wayne Sprangle with 13 some way off the club record of 20 set by centre Mark Fatialofa back in 2001/02.
They set a new record for their biggest win on the road with a 62-0 win at Harrogate November and that equalled their record points total away from home.
Full back Andy Birkett set a new record for appearances by a back as he overtook Eddie Nancekivell and finished the season with 115 (8) whilst in the forwards Dave Risdon took the club record to 141 (21).
Henley Hawks missed out on a return to National One when they were beaten at Esher and the Cornish All Blacks were home winners over in the penultimate week of the season. They actually won more matches than the Cornish All Blacks, 20 to 19, but failed to pick up enough bonus points. They managed 15 and missed out by a point to return to National One.
Mitch Burton was the leading points scorer for a second successive season with 194 points. He put over a new club record seven drop goals in a season beating the old record of five set by Phil Osman back in 1998/99 and equalled Osman’s record of eight career drop goals. He also equalled the club record of two drop goals in a match twice during the season.
Barry Reeves added 13 points to his all time club record of 760 points and nudged his records for conversions and penalties to 131 and 130 respectively.
The leading try scorer was hooker Liam Wordley and became the first forward to top the clubs try scoring list since Mark Venner back in 1997-98.
Redruth finished in fourth place, just three points behind Henley Hawks and just four points off second place and promotion, their highest ever finish in the National Leagues, all this after losing four of their opening five league matches.
Fly half Michael Hook led the way with a new club record of 271 points in his debut season in National League rugby.
He set new record for conversions and penalties in a season with 56 and 47 respectively.
The leading try scorer was their New Zealand No 8 Mark Bright with 21, two more than the previous record in a league season set by Nathan Pedley two seasons ago. Bright also set a new record for tries in a match with four against Barking late in the season.
Hook set a new record for conversions in a match with nine against Bradford & Bingley when the club recorded it highest ever score in league rugby when they were 78-3 winners at home to Bradford & Bingley.
Craig Bonds extended his own record of appearances for a back to 144 whilst in the forwards John Navin extended his forwards record to 114 (24).
Blackheath finished fifth an improvement of four places on last season, their best finish in the last eight seasons of league rugby.
England U21 Full back was the leading points scorer with 237 points the best return since Derek Coates scored a club record 368 in 2003/04. He was also the clubs leading try scorer with ten tries. He now holds the career records for conversions with 64 one more than the previous record held by Jon Griffin. Neale also broke the record for points in a match and conversions in a match with 30 points and ten conversions in the win over Bradford & Bingley in February.
In that win over Bradford & Bingley the club also set a record for tries in a match with 11.
After a poor start to the season Wharfedale found their form and moved up the table to finish a creditable sixth.
Mark Bedworth topped the try scoring for a second successive season with 209 points and took his career total in two seasons at Threshfields to 450.
Andrew Hodgson made a handful of appearances for the club and managed to increase his all time try scoring record to 91 since making his debut back in 1996.
Openside flanker Hedley Verity took his league career total appearance record passed the 300 mark and ended the season on 312.
In the away match at Harrogate on 23rd December they scored a record away win winning 67-0.
Stourbridge finished the season in seventh place a one place improvement on the pervious season and equalled their best ever finish in the National Leagues.
Alistair Bressington became the second highest points scorer in a season with 290 points a total only bettered by Ben Harvey, twice. He has now topped the points scoring chart for the club for the last two seasons.
In his total on 290 points last season was a club record 19 tries which was a new club record two more than the previous record set by his brother in the 2003/04 season.
Scrum half Tom Richardson equalled the club record for tries in a match with four against Barking on 16th December.
Winger Jon Hall improved his record for appearances by a back in league rugby moving onto 172 (20) but the record for most appearances is still in the hands of front rower Bob Merritt.
Manchester finished in eighth place a drop of two places on the two previous seasons although they did finish the season with more points than last season 64 to 63.
Winger Gareth Wynne was the leading points and try scorer for the club with 147 and eight respectively.
They set a new record for points in an away match scoring 70 away at Barking in April. This was also their biggest ever win coming through with a 55 point win, 70-15.
Prop Nick Flynn now holds the record for appearances by a forward moving on to 113 (13) and passing the record previously held by Mike Armstrong.
In the back centre Isaac Richmond broke the record of another centre Richard Hughes and finished the season on 126, 15 more than Hughes.
Cambridge in their first ever season at this level finished ninth and can look forward to a second season at this level after a poor start to the season.
Wing/centre Christoff Lombaard was again the leading try scorer for the club and ran in 21 tries, one few than his total the previous season.
He set new club record for points and tries in a match with 25 and five against Harrogate in the final match of the season.
Fly half Dafydd Lewis was again the leading points scorer with 161 some way short of his best the previous season of 213.
Lewis did set a new record for conversions in a season with 11 in the match against Harrogate.
In that match against Harrogate they set a new record for highest score and biggest win for both the club and in the division with a 107-5 win. In that match they also ran in a club record 17 tries.
They did suffer a club record five successive defeats during November and December.
Nuneaton on their return to National Two managed a 10th placed finish with 12 wins and were more than pleased with that finish after the off season they had.
Fly half Gareth Cull was the leading points scorer for a third successive season with 254 points five short of his club record from the previous season.
Cull did set a new record for penalties in a season with 51, four more than he scored the previous season. He now holds the records for both career conversions and penalty goals with 119 and 120 respectively.
In the win over Harrogate in April he set a new record for points in a match and conversions in a match with 25 and 10 respectively.
Centre Jody Peacock extended his club record for points and tries to 688 and 79.
Peacock also increased his appearance record for a back to 159 (3).
Lee Parry with 11 topped the try scoring list for the first time in his Nuneaton career.
Halifax finished in 11th place although that was just one place above the relegation zone they were 27 points clear of a relegation place.
They have now finished 11th in both their seasons in National Two.
Samoan Jervis Manupenu was the leading points scorer with 140 whilst another newcomer was the leading try scorer, Scrum half Craig Aikman, a summer signing from Waterloo, with 8.
In the home match against Redruth they conceded a record 39 points in a home National League match.
Hooker Carl Mortimer increased his club record for League appearances to 113 (3) whilst scrum half Joe Bartlett increased the backs record to 102 (2).
Bradford & Bingley in their first ever season of National Two ruby failed to find their feet and were relegated finishing some 27 points form safety picking up just five wins all season
Fly half Tom Rhodes finished leading points scorer for the third successive season for the Bees in National League rugby with just 145 points some way of his totals for the two seasons before, 275 and 270. Winger Mark Kirkby was the leading trey scorer for a second successive season with just eight tries some way of the 17 he scored the previous season when they were National Three North Champions.
They suffered their worst ever National League defeat in terms of points conceded and heaviest defeat when going down 78-3away at Redruth on 14th April
At home they conceded a record 57 points twice against Cambridge and Esher. In the game against Cambridge they suffered their heaviest defeat going down by 41 points.
Barking after two seasons in National Two drop back into National Three South after finishing 13th in the league.
They suffered their worst ever home defeat in terms of both highest score against and heaviest defeat when losing 70-15 to Manchester on 14th April.
Harry Bryan was the leading points scorer with just 52 points, the lowest total to ever top the scoring list.
Winger Jonathan Marlin did manage to run in nine tries to top the try scoring list.
Harrogate finished bottom of the table 10 points adrift of Barking as they ended their 14 year stay in the division.
After an opening day win against new boys Cambridge they went on to suffer 25 successive defeats picking up just two losing bonus points in those defeats and failing to register a four try bonus point.
In the final match of the season they suffered their worst ever defeat going down 107-5 at Cambridge and conceded a record 17 tries also in that match.
Ed Smithies topped the try scoring with just five tries, you have to go back to 1998/99 to find five enough to top the list when Mark Farrar achieved the same number. He increased his all time career record for the club to 77 since making his debut back in 1999. |
