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POWERGEN CUP 5th ROUND
Saturday 27th November
Bedford Blues v Exeter Chiefs
A cracking tie in prospect at Goldington Road as both teams meet in the fifth round of the Powergen Cup having ran in 40 points in National One on Saturday.
Bedford would have been surprised with the ease in which they disposed of Pertemps Bees at the weekend. They sit in mid table and are unbeaten at home this season. Winners of this competition in 1975, they have a poor record in the last 25 years and have not reached round six since 1979. They have had an easy passage to date beating Tabard and Halifax at home in the previous two rounds, but they have a great incentive to win this tie, a money spinning derby match at Franklin’s Gardens against out of form Northampton.
Exeter are in a rich vein of form and are unbeaten since 2nd October. They moved into second place in the league courtesy of a 40-3 home win against Coventry on Saturday and added a ninth bonus point in as many matches. Their two losses this season both came away from home at neighbouring Penzance and Plymouth. Exeter have been red hot in this competition this season scoring 145 points in their two victories against London Welsh and Manchester. They are looking to progress to the sixth round for only the second time in the last 10 years.
Exeter have won 7 of the 11 league meetings between the sides since 1997 and most recently won 42-21 at the County Ground in September. However, Bedford are difficult to beat on home soil and with this advantage are tipped to sneak through.
Prediction: Bedford to win by 4 points
Coventry v Pertemps Bees
Midlands neighbours Coventry and Pertemps Bees, both coming off the back of 40 point away defeats, face each other in this fifth round tie, the winners travelling to Leeds.
Four bonus points separate the two teams at the moment and the both have a return of 6 wins from 10 matches. Coventry were well beaten at Exeter on Saturday and have not found life easy on their travels. They are a different proposition at the Butts arena though and are unbeaten there from five league starts. Coventry have a fantastic early history in the cup, but have only reached round six once in the last 17 seasons. They come into this match having beaten Stourbridge away in round three and Penzance and Newlyn at home in round four.
After an excellent start to the season, Pertemps Bees have lost their last three matches, away at Rotherham and Bedford and, surprisingly, at home to Nottingham. They have now dropped to fifth position in the league. They have a very good record in this competition over the last five years and started their run to last year’s semi final with an opening round win at Coventry. They have beaten Doncaster away and Orrell at home to reach this stage.
In the eight league matches these sides have met since 2000, Coventry won the first five and Pertemps Bees the last three. In what is likely to be a close game, the Butts Arena factor may see Coventry through.
Prediction: Coventry to win by 6 points
Plymouth Albion v Otley
Otley make the long trip from Yorkshire to Devon to face unbeaten at home Plymouth Albion at Brickfields in this fifth round match, which also acts as a rehearsal for the league game the following week.
Plymouth are in third place in the league, winning for the third time from five starts away from home at Henley on Saturday. They have won all five of their home league matches this season. Plymouth are attempting to reach the sixth round of the competition for the first time since 1988 and to date they have beaten Rotherham away by one point in round three and Moseley at home by 70 points in round four.
Otley beat bottom club London Welsh at Cross Green on Saturday to move up to seventh place in National One. They have won four from five at home and two from four away, going down at Pertemps Bees, and, rather unfortunately by a point at Coventry a week last Saturday. Otley’s record in this competition is very average and in the 15 years they have qualified, they have only ever made it to round five once before. They have beaten Bracknell and Westcombe Park to reach this stage and if they pull off an upset on Saturday they will be in the sixth round for the first time ever.
A trip to Sale Sharks awaits the winners. Otley were the first away team to beat Albion at Brickfields. That is their only win from five meetings and Plymouth will be strong favourites to win on Saturday.
Prediction: Plymouth to win by 10 points.
Sunday 28th November
Waterloo v Bristol Shoguns
Struggling National Two side Waterloo welcome in-form National One table toppers Bristol to Blundellsands, with a home tie against European champions London Wasps in the sixth round, the prize for the winners.
After losing five league matches in a row, Waterloo put in an improved performance on Saturday and drew with second placed Stourbridge. We have to go back to September though for their last league league victory. Their exploits in this competition are renowned. As well as a number of giant killing performances over the years, they lost in the 1977 final to Gosforth, and have reached the quarter final stage a further five times, the last time being in 2001 when they lost to Sale. So far this year they have disposed of Rugby Lions, Redruth and Kendal, but Bristol will provide their sternest test to date on Sunday.
Bristol are having an excellent season and top National One. They had another comfortable win on Sunday against Orrell and have now won nine of their ten league games. They have not yet been beaten away from home. They have a very good record in the Powergen Cup and have played in four finals at Twickenham, winning in 1983. They have beaten Bradford and Bingley and Nottingham to reach this stage. Bristol have played in the sixth round for the last three years and last season lost 46-8 at home to Wasps. Although it may be over optimistic to believe they could gain revenge, they will no doubt be determined to have another go at them and show the rugby world how much progress they have made in the last 12 months.
The most recent meeting between these two sides was in the Powergen Challenge Shield Final at Twickenham in April when Bristol won 53-24. They should follow this up with another victory on Sunday.
Prediction: Shoguns to win by 12 points
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