Check out our previews and predictions ahead of this weekends National Two league games.
Esher v Harrogate
Just the fixture you want when you are trying to turn your season round. Esher need to start winning to climb away from the bottom end of the table and end their five match losing run. At home they have not done well and have already lost four out of five with a win over Moseley their only success.
Many people have Harrogate down as their favourites for the National Two title but Newbury who finished within a score of them gave them a tough test at home last weekend. They have now won five in a row and away from home have won four out of five with the defeat being at leaders Sedgley Park.
Esher do that have a good record in this fixture with just one win in six meetings. That came last season at Esher when they ended a four match losing run against the Yorkshire side with a 19-7 win.
Team news:
Prediction: Away win by less than 10 points.
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Moseley v Rugby Lions
Both sides come into the match on the back of defeats so will be keen to get back to winning ways. They are both level on eight points with Moseley having a far better point’s difference. At week Moseley were defeated away at Stourbridge and away from home that suns up their season with three defeats and just one win, a 9-3 success at Wharfedale.
Rugby Lions were going for a third straight loss last weekend but in the end suffered a bad home defeat at the hands of Nottingham, this after some encouraging performances.
Moseley have an excellent record in this fixture and did the double over the Lions last season as both sides were relegated from National One. They have won seven of the last 10 matches between the two and are looking to make it four in a row and at home have won the last five.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 10 points.
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Newbury v Nuneaton
Nuneaton will be in confident mood going into this fixture after a big home win last Saturday against Rosslyn Park running in six tries and moving into a positive points difference. The Nuns have already played five matches away from home and picked up a couple of wins at Bracknell and Stourbridge so will see this as a match they can win.
Newbury went down to a seventh successive defeat last weekend at Harrogate but with a heavy defeat looking on the cards they dug in and were within a score of the home side at the final whistle.
This is the first ever league meeting between the two sides.
Team news:
Prediction: Away win by 8 points.
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Nottingham v Doncaster
Match of the day in National Two this week is at Beeston where fourth placed Nottingham entertain third placed Doncaster with a home seeing Nottingham move above Doncaster in the league table.
Doncaster go into the match on the back of a six match winning run after a slow start with three successive defeats to get the campaign under way. Last week they were home winners against Esher and away recently have had good wins at Harrogate, Newbury and Lydney.
Nottingham go into the match looking for a third successive win and at home they have an excellent record with four wins and a draw to date this season.
Last season these two sides met for the first time in league rugby and although Doncaster had the better season finished 7th compared to 11th it was Nottingham who won both the fixtures between the two sides.
Team news:
Prediction: Tough to call but Doncaster to make it seven in a row.
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Rosslyn Park v Lydney
Must win game for both sides as they find themselves at the wrong end of the league table after promotion from Three South last season.
Park are looking to end a three match losing run and with home advantage will see this as a cannot lose match and two valuable points to keep in touch with the clubs above who have opened up a four point gap.
Lydney picked up their first win of the season two weeks ago when they were home winners against Nuneaton, who thrashed Park last weekend, so does that mean that Lydney should win at Park? Not sure it works like that with home advantage counting for a lot.
Park did the double over Lydney last season with both sides coming back up to National Two from Three South and have now won the last three meetings between the two. Since the 1998/99 season Lydney have not managed to beat Park with five defeats and two draws in that time. Park have also won their four home matches against Lydney in that time.
Team news:
Prediction: Park to win by 12 points.
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Sedgley Park v Bracknell
Park are looking to make it 10 out of 10 this weekend with a home fixture against Bracknell.
Not much too chose between them in the try scoring stakes with Park just edging it 30 too 29. The big difference in the tries against where Park have conceded 17 whilst Bracknell have conceded 26. 15 of those have come in the final quarter of matches, which is the worst record in the division.
Bracknell returned to winning ways last weekend with a comprehensive win over bottom of the table Lydney but will find this a lot tougher. Away from home this season they have had a win and a draw and suffered a couple of defeats.
These two sides met for the first time last season and it was honours even. At Park Lane Park just edged it 17-16 whilst Bracknell were 24-17 winners at home.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 10 points.
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Wharfedale v Stourbridge
With three defeats in their last four matches Wharfedale have slipped down to fifth place in the league table and now are above Stourbridge only on points difference.
The visitors have put together a good run and will go into the match with five wins in their last six matches.
Despite their loss of form the home side still have the tightest defence in the table and have conceded just 14 tries whilst Stourbridge have let the opposition in 25 times.
What Wharfedale do have a problem with is scoring tries, so far they have run in just 17 tries with only Lydney and Moseley with 9 and 15 scoring less than them.
Last season saw the visitors do the double over Wharfedale to turnaround the form of the previous season. Then it was Wharfedale who were on top in the fixture with a home 22 all draw and a dramatic 42-41 win at Stourbridge.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by less then five.
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