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Check below as Orrell sign World Cup star.
Henley v Otley
Henley Hawks will be looking improve their record of just one home win this season as they entertain a rejuvenated Otley at Dry Leas.
They were losers at Worcester last weekend but did manage to score three tries against the tightest defence in the league and at one point early in the second half had pulled back to just 26-19 down. Nnamdi Obi bagged a brace and took his total for the season to five in five league matches.
Otley must be the most improved side in the division along with Pertemps Bees and have won five of their seven matches and the only defeats were against the sides occupying first and second place in the league table.
In the try scoring stakes there is very little to choose between the two with Otley scoring 18 tries compared to 17 by Henley, the big difference is in defence. Otley have conceded just 10 tries in their seven matches, the meanest record in the league, whilst Henley have conceded 25 tries.
Over the years it is the visitors who have the better record and have won five of the six meetings including the last four.
Team news: Otley: I Shuttleworth, N Law, R Whatmuff, M Oliver, W Sovatabua, S Binns, D Scully: J Wring, M Luffman, K Fullman, J Oakes, I Carroll, J Tiffany, N Bland, E Thorpe.
Matt Oliver starts this week with his full debut having come on and scored last week as a replacement. Neil Law moves to the wing and William Darby drops to the bench. The forwards are unchanged.
Prediction: Otley away win by less than seven.
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Orrell v Coventry
Orrell are going for a sixth successive National League victory with home advantage over a disappointing Coventry side. The visitors, who are currently second bottom, are going through a poor spell and are looking to avoid a five successive defeat as they need to make sure the gap between them and the teams immediately above them does not grow.
Orrell have done well in the try scoring list with 32, which is 20 more than Coventry. In the tries against list Orrell are average two a match whilst Coventry are averaging four a match
The omens are not good for Coventry with all three away matches this season ending in defeat. Last season Orrell did the double over their opponents and in five meetings in National One they have beaten Coventry each time.
Team news: Orrell have been quick off the mark and have captured the
signature of Samoan international lock Opeta Palepoi. Palepoi
joins the Lancastrians straight from the World Cup where he
played in all the pool games including those against England and
South Africa. Samoa's failure to qualify was Orrell's chance and
head coach Ross Reynolds wasted no time in getting the player to
Edge Hall Road in front of stiff competition from National One
rivals Exeter where the 6'6" lock was based on a non-contract
basis before he joined the Samoan squad.
"This is a major coup for us and with Steve Moore retiring at
the end of this season, Chris Bentley out until the new year and
Alex Bennett till February at the earliest it was a position we
needed to fill, " said Reynolds who had been in negotiations
with the player for over a month.
Palepoi who weighs in at 17 and half stone is big friends with
both Alfie Too'ala and Steve So'oialo who played a part in
getting the second row to the club.
"Steve told me all about Orrell and what a great bunch of guys
they are," said the second rower. "I could see that he loved it
here and I wanted to be part of a club that has the ambition to
play in the Premiership."
The 27 year old who was first capped for Samoa in 1997 has
represented his country 35 times. He has played club rugby for
Wellington in the NPC and for the Hurricanes Super 12 side. He
then had a season playing club rugby in Scotland were he met and
married his wife Lynn, which qualifies him to play as an English
player, before turning out for Exeter immediately prior to the
World Cup.
He goes straight into the squad for Saturday's game at home to
Coventry.
Prediction: Orrell win by 20 points
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Plymouth v Worcester
Plymouth will go into the fixture with quite a bit of confidence having won their last three league matches and risen to sixth in the league table.
Worcester are unbeaten in the league this season with seven straight wins and picked up bonus points’ in their last six matches and on Saturday topped the table for the first time this season with the Bees coming unstuck at Orrell.
Plymouth have the most dangerous attack in the division and have already run in 40 tries and in the home win over Henley last week they had nine different try scorers.
Worcester have the second meanest defence with 11 tries conceded but Plymouth are not far behind with just 15 tries conceded.
Last season it was the visitors who did the double in this fixture with two comfortable wins.
Team news:
Prediction: Away win by 15 points
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