NATIONAL THREE SOUTH
Dings Crusaders v North Walsham
Fifth placed Dings are at home this week to second placed North Walsham looking to return to winning ways.
Dings are looking to avoid a third successive league defeat but feel they have a good chance with their excellent home form. They have lost just the once at home all season when going down to a narrow 5-0 loss to leaders Barking.
Dings are in fifth spot in no mans land six points behind fourth placed Lydney and 11 points ahead of sixth placed Reading.
North Walsham on the road have slipped up twice in nine matches losing to both leaders Barking and fourth placed Lydney and in five of their seven wins have picked up the four try bonus point on their travels.
A win it Dings will make it four wins in a row as they look to keep the pressure on the leaders.
North Walsham were comfortable winners 32-12 when the sides met at Scottow earlier in the season.
Prediction: North Walsham by six points.
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Haywards Heath v Westcombe Park
Bottom of the table Haywards Heath take on Westcombe Park at home with both sides looking for a win.
Haywards Heath have still managed just the one wins this season and have yet to register a home win in nine matches and picked up just two bonus points at home, both for losing by seven or less.
Since picking up their first win of the season away at Tabard they have slipped to four more defeats and are 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Combe stopped a losing run last weekend with a draw at Goddington Dene against Lydney and will hope to build on that result and improve their away record. On the road this season they have picked up two wins in eight matches winning at Hertford and Weston.
These two have yet to meet this season.
Prediction: Haywards Heath by less than six points.
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Lydney v Southend
Fourth placed Lydney entertain ninth placed Southend looking to return to winning ways after drawing away at Westcombe Park last weekend.
Lydney were disappointed to drop even more points last weekend at Westcombe Park and will be looking to get back to winning ways this week. At Regentsholme this season they have done well winning seven out of nine with only Barking and Redruth leaving with the win.
Southend returned to winning ways last weekend after back to back defeats but may well find this a tough encounter with just three away wins so far this season at Haywards Heath, Old Patesians and Westcombe Park.
Lydney won at Southend 28-14 earlier in the season.
Prediction: Lydney by 14 points.
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Old Patesians v Hertford
10th placed Old Patesians entertain eighth placed Hertford with the new boys to the division looking to return to winning ways.
Hertford were easy 34-6 winners when these sides met earlier in the season in the first ever league meeting between the two sides. .
Recent form has not been good for Old Patesians with just one win in their last four matches but with home advantage they will be looking to turn that poor form round. At home this season they have picked up four wins in nine matches and need to be winning over 50% of their matches at Everest Road to make sure of staying clear of the relegation zone.
Hertford have been a surprise this season and seem to be improving week on week and had won three in a row until going down to a narrow one point defeat at leaders Barking last weekend. It has been their home form though that has helped them to eighth place as on the road they have picked up just two wins in eight matches.
Prediction: Tough call home win less than five points.
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Reading v Barking
Leaders Barking travel to in form Reading looking to keep their lead at the top of the National Three South League table.
Reading are one of the form sides in the division and with four wins on the bounce may well fancy their chances of causing an upset at Holme Park against the leaders. They have climbed up to sixth place on the back of this run which has been built on sound home form with six wins in eight matches.
Barking have scraped through their last couple of matches after an amazing run when they were demolishing everyone but despite a drop in form they have still picked up the wins. Last week they were pushed hard by Hertford before coming through 18-17 and the week before were 5-0 winners at Dings Crusaders and have seen their lead at the top of the table cut to just a point with North Walsham picking up the bonus points.
On the road they have won seven out of eight with their only loss for the season coming at Old Patesians.
When the sides met at Gorsebrook earlier in the season Barking were 50-32 winners in a high scoring match.
Prediction: Away win less than six points.
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Tabard v Redruth
Third placed Redruth, travel to Cobden Hill to take on Tabard looking for all five points on offer as they look to try and dent the lead of the top two if any of them fail to pick up the win or bonus points in away matches this weekend.
Tabard have slipped to the bottom of the Form Guide on the back of six successive defeats and are down in 12th place in a relegation spot four points from safety, so a home match against Redruth is not ideal. At home this season they have picked up three wins in eight matches
Redruth are second in the Form Guide with six successive wins along with leaders Barking. Away from home this season they have improved compared with recent seasons where their away form has let them down. This season they have picked up six wins and a draw in nine matches to date, the third best record in the division after the top two.
When the sides met at Redruth earlier in the season it was home advantage that counted with a 23-3 win.
Prediction: Away win by 12 points.
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Weston super Mare v Havant
Seventh placed Havant travel down to 13th placed Weston super More looking for back to back wins.
Weston are in need of a win as they look to end a five match losing run and make sure they stay in touch with the sides above them and the safety zone as they are now four points off 11th place.
At home this season they have picked up just three home wins in eight matches
Havant have done well at home this season with six wins in eight matches but on the road have not done so well. In nine matches away from home they have managed just two victories and two bonus points, one for scoring four tries and one for losing by seven or less.
Havant were comfortable home winners over Weston earlier in the season with 35-8 victory.
Prediction: Havant by six points.
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