NATIONAL ONE
Saturday 11th December
Bedford Blues v Coventry
Two mid table sides, separated in the league by one point, both difficult to beat on home soil and both indifferent away from home, meet at Goldington Road on Saturday.
Bedford went the same way as others on Sunday when they were beaten by a large score at table toppers Bristol. They have now lost four matches, all away from home, and stay in ninth position in the league. On a more positive note, they remain unbeaten at home this season.
After losing to Pertemps Bees at home the week before, Coventry were beaten in the league for the first time at the Butts Arena on Saturday, rather surprisingly by Sedgley Park. Again they lost a lead as they held an 18-6 advantage on the hour before going down 18-19. Although they boast a good home record, they have struggled away from the Midlands and have only managed one win from five matches on their travels, at bottom club Orrell.
Results between these two sides have been very even over the years. Home advantage will clearly be a major factor and Bedford should maintain their unbeaten record.
Prediction: Bedford to win by 8 points
Saturday 11th December
Exeter Chiefs v Rotherham Titans
Match of the weekend in this division sees Exeter, unbeaten in league rugby for two months and unbeaten at home all season, face a Rotherham side, fourth in the league, having played predominantly at home to date.
Exeter had an excellent 39-17 win at Pertemps Bees on Saturday to keep the pressure on Bristol and maintain their remarkable record of having gained a bonus point from every match this season. Although they are six points behind the leaders, crucially they have a match in hand. They have won all four games played at the County Ground and are averaging 40 points a match.
Rotherham had a comfortable home victory against Henley at the weekend and remain in fourth position in the league. They have now won six from seven on home soil. They have still only played three away from home this season and have one win to their credit.
This match represents Exeter’s most difficult home challenge and Rotherham’s most difficult away tie to date. Rotherham have much the better of the history between the sides and have won eight of the last ten league meetings. However, Exeter won the last game played against Rotherham at the County Ground in March 2003 and on current form are tipped to repeat that victory on Saturday.
Prediction: Exeter to win by 10 points
Saturday 11th December
Nottingham v Orrell
Nottingham failed to make it four wins in a row when they lost at the then bottom club London Welsh on Saturday. This week they entertain the new occupants of the bottom spot, Orrell, at Ireland Avenue, and will be looking for their fourth win of the season.
After building up a three match winning sequence, Nottingham will have been disappointed not to have beaten London Welsh on Saturday, as they went down by four points after being in front with only five minutes left. They stay in 10th place in the league, but Sedgley Park and London Welsh from the chasing pack both closed the points difference last weekend.
Orrell were well beaten at home on Saturday by Penzance and Newlyn and dropped to the bottom of the league. They have still only managed the one draw from their six games on the road so far.
These two sides have only ever met twice in league rugby, in season 2001/02, when Orrell thrashed Nottingham on both occasions scoring 117 points in total. Nottingham will see this game as an obvious opportunity to move further away from the relegation battle and they should get back to winning ways.
Prediction: Nottingham to win by 10 points
Saturday 11th December
Sedgley Park v Pertemps Bees
Sedgley Park, buoyed by registering their third win of the season last weekend, welcome an out of sorts Pertemps Bees to Park Lane, a side who have lost their last four league matches and dropped rapidly down the table.
Both these sides have won at previously unbeaten Coventry in the last fortnight. Pertemps Bees in the Powergen Cup and Sedgley Park in the league meeting last Saturday, when Blair Feeney kicked two late penalty goals to give Park a one point victory. Sedgley Park have still won only one game at Park Lane in National One, but their five games have all been against teams in the top six in the league. As Pertemps Bees presently occupy seventh spot, technically this is their easiest home game of the season to date.
Although Pertemps Bees have accumulated 30 league points this season and look comfortable in mid table, they will be very disappointed to be beaten so easily by Exeter at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday and will be worried by their poor recent form. They have won three of their six away league games, at bottom three Orrell, Henley and London Welsh and will be looking to add fourth bottom Sedgley Park to their list of successes.
This is the first league meeting between these sides and is probably the most difficult call of the day. Recent form may just see Sedgley Park through.
Prediction: Bees to return to winning ways with four point win.
Saturday 11th December
London Welsh v Plymouth Albion
London Welsh moved off the bottom of the league courtesy of their first home win of the season on Saturday. They will need to be at their best if they are going to make it successive wins, when Plymouth visit Old Deer Park this week.
The Exiles won their first game at home this season at the sixth attempt on Saturday, when Mike Whitehead kicked two late penalty goals, to give them the edge in a game which was very close throughout.
Plymouth, meanwhile, dropped their first home points of the season when Otley came away from Brickfields with an 11-11 draw on Saturday. Albion have won three of their five away games this season and will need to win on Saturday to avoid Bristol and Exeter moving further away at the top of the table.
Plymouth completed a league double over London Welsh last season and should win again on Saturday.
Prediction: Plymouth to win by 8 points.
Sunday 12th December
Bristol Shoguns v Otley
League leaders Bristol are at home again, this week they host sixth placed Otley who are a very tough side and came away with a tremendous draw at Plymouth on Saturday.
Bristol are growing in confidence every week and were never threatened on Sunday when they comfortably beat Bedford at the Memorial Ground in front of 4542 spectators. They maintained their six point advantage over second placed Exeter and at the moment are looking favourites to return to the Zurich Premiership next season.
Otley, last Saturday, became the first side this season to come away from Plymouth with anything, when two penalties from Simon Binns in the last ten minutes levelled the scores. They are now in sixth place in the league but will need to raise their game again if they are to trouble Bristol.
Otley thumped Bristol in the corresponding fixture last season before completing a league double, but surprisingly lost in the fourth round of the Powergen Cup at Cross Green. Bristol have progressed since then though and should continue their marvellous unbeaten run.
Prediction: Bristol to win by 12 points.
Sunday 12th December
Penzance & Newlyn v Henley Hawks
Improving Penzance have moved to fifth place in the league and welcome next to bottom Henley to the Mennaye, where few teams, apart from the home side, get any league points.
Penzance won for the third time on their travels this season with a 31-13 success at bottom club Orrell on Saturday and as a result of their four match unbeaten sequence, they have moved up to fifth spot. They are very difficult to beat at home and only leaders Bristol have managed a win in Cornwall this season.
Henley went down for the 10th time in 11 starts this season at Rotherham on Saturday. They have now played six games away from home and lost them all.
These teams have met four times in the past and Penzance have won the last three. There has never been more than six points separating them in any of the matches. Penzance should win by a few more than this on Sunday .
Prediction: Penzance & Newlyn to win by 10 points |
