National league 1 week 23 - round 23...

Saturday 15th February 2014 match previews including Coventry Rugby v Worthing Raiders.

Fixtures Week 23 - Saturday 15^th February.

Cinderford               v       Wharfedale

Coventry Rugby      v       Worthing Raiders

Esher                        v        Loughborough Students

Henley Hawks         v       Blaydon

Hull Ionians              v      Blackheath

Richmond                 v      Old Albanian 

Rosslyn Park             v     Fylde

Tynedale                   v     Doncaster Knights 

A week which should see how serious Fylde’s promotion prospects are as they travel to second placed Rosslyn Park, whilst Doncaster Knights visit a resurgent Tynedale who still need to escape the relegation zone.

The bottom half of the table continues to provide compelling interest and possibly more upsets with no less than 8 teams still involved in trying to avoid the three relegation places. Seven of the eight ties this week involve 7 of the bottom half sides meeting the top half ones so a few shocks are in store.

Tie of the round should be at Roehampton as second placed Rosslyn Park meet third placed Fylde. Both sides, although showing good form, are still capable of receiving surprise defeats. A crucial game for both sides if they have any pretensions at all to match leaders Doncaster Knights. It is expected to be a classic battle between the more pragmatic game plan of Park against the free flowing and off-loading game of the visitors. Most difficult to predict but if Rosslyn Park can restrict Fylde’s possession should make them slight favourites.

Leaders Doncaster Knights have a difficult away game at Tynedale to contend with. Tynedale have recently been in very good form after being seemingly dead and buried 6 weeks ago, but despite a recent series of wins they are still in the relegation zone so this is must win for them. Doncaster have sometimes struggled away from home and even at home have often relied on their second half prowess to win through. The leaders should just about struggle through to a close win.

It is a meeting of two sides whose intermittent form has recently reduced their challenge at the top as fourth placed Esher entertain Loughborough Students. The home side should be just too powerful for the Students as Esher look to consolidate their current position. A narrow but high scoring game is in prospect.

Fifth placed Blaydon, whose current form has also been erratic travel to Henley Hawks, confident that they will quickly recover from last week’s surprise loss to Richmond. The home side, now on a run of three consecutive defeats are getting perilously close to the drop zone and urgently need this win, however Blaydon should be too strong overall in what is expected to be a tight match.

Another side too close to the relegation zone Worthing Raiders travel for the first time to Coventry Rugby. A somewhat out of form home side will be looking to avenge their early season loss to Worthing. A more detailed match preview of this game will follow at the end of this general preview.

Second to bottom side Cinderford, having seen so little rugby recently but with three games in hand have Wharfedale as their visitors. Wharfedale having lost three games in succession including last week’s surprise home loss to bottom side Hull Ionians seem to have accepted their fate of mid-table certainty. Cinderford, whose home form is good should take full advantage with a crucial win for them, although this will still keep them in the relegation zone but brings them closer to those directly above them. Wharfedale, who don’t always travel well, should find it a difficult afternoon with the home side favourites for a large win.

A more even contest is in prospect at the Athletic Ground as Richmond take on Old Albanian. Richmond, whose excellent away win at Blaydon has taken them up to 10^th place with still two games in hand are now finding the form their team warrants. Likewise with Old Albanian they are now approaching last season’s form so a close contest is expected with possibly home advantage just counting.

The final game sees Hull Ionians with Blackheath as their visitors. On the face of it a non- contest as Blackheath have won their last three games over 3 top 5 teams. However Hull Ionians surprised many with their deserved away win at Wharfedale and again with just pride to play for, they may well make it a closer game than first thought.

Coventry Rugby v Worthing Raiders match preview.

This Saturday 15^th February 2014 Coventry Rugby have Worthing Raiders as their visitors here at the Butts Park Arena, with kick off as usual 3pm. This will be the first ever visit by Worthing to play Coventry on their ground.

The West Sussex side were founded in 1920 and a series of moves have seen them move into their purpose built facilities at Angmering in 1977. Plans are at present under consideration to move to another site close by as part of the club’s ambition to eventually get at least to the Championship.

Newly promoted to National league 1 this season after a beating Stourbridge in a play- off, under Director of Rugby and Head Coach, former London Irish flanker Kieron Dawson, Worthing Raiders made something of a slow start to the campaign it took them sometime to get used to the pace of this league and even longer to get their first win.

However they have so far obtained 6 wins including a very impressive double over third placed Fylde, an away win at Richmond, and home wins over Tynedale and Cinderford, and what was perceived as a shock a win over Coventry Rugby by  39-12, Coventry’s worst defeat  of the season.

They also held leaders Doncaster Knights at home to a narrow defeat by 17-21.

Despite having the second worse defensive record in the league they do have the capacity and finishing ability to score many tries so any game against Worthing cannot be taken too lightly. Currently Worthing are in 12^th position with 43 points compared to Coventry’s 6^th position and 63 points, however they are only 4 points ahead of the relegation places. Playing a fast open style they have proven try scorers but have often been let down by their defensive frailties.

Kieron Dawson has relied on mainly his squad that were promoted last season with a few notable exceptions. Experienced lock or flanker Liam Perkins and flanker Simon Gaynor have moved from Ealing Tfs. Prop forward Kerry O’Sullivan who has a very brief training period at Coventry moved  on from Richmond .Links have been maintained with the Harlequins Academy with flanker and dr player James Chisholm , and another dr player is centre Ben Loosemore from the Bath Academy.

Key players who have been retained include backs Olly Richards and Kiba Richards who cut Coventry to pieces in their earlier game, as well as leading try scoring winger Alex Nielsen. In goal-kicker and scrum-half Joe Govett they have an impressive and influential player. Further speed on the wing is found with Finlay Coxon-Smith who is a difficult winger to put down.

There is another experienced prop forward in Peter Cleveland, who also has a penchant for scoring tries, and the back row is completed with Sam Hawick, Jamie Redmayne and Rob Smith.

Both Coventry Rugby and Worthing Raiders have recently seen a fall-off in form so both teams have an added reason to put on a good performance. Worthing as they need the win to move away from the danger zone, and Coventry Rugby  as they need to move towards a top 4 goal and banish their performance away at Worthing earlier in the season.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

11^th February 2014.