Week 1- round 1 Saturday 6th September 2014 match previews..

including Coventry Rugby v Rosslyn Park. 

Fixtures Saturday 6^th September

Coventry Rugby          v    Rosslyn Park

Darlington MP            v     Blaydon

Ealing Tfs                     v     Loughborough Students

Esher                            v     Cinderford

Fylde                            v     Blackheath

Hartpury College       v     Wharfedale

Macclesfield               v     Richmond

Tynedale                     v     Old Albanian

A warm welcome back to all supporters of Coventry Rugby in what promises to be the most exciting and tightly fought league in English Rugby. It would be a brave person or indeed a foolhardy one to be dogmatic about the results of this first round of games in the light of so many imponderables. Injuries have already raised their head pre-season for many teams, as well as clubs such as Ealing, Rosslyn Park, Blackheath and Darlington MP have virtually signed a new squad yet have still kept a high proportion of their existing ones. Will they need time to adjust or gel together?

Newly promoted teams to this league such as Hartpury College and Darlington MP may surprise many as they are not expected to do a Hull Ionians or Worthing Raiders. As for guessing who will occupy the three relegation places at the end of the season at this moment of time it is too difficult to predict.

It is fitting that the first match on the fixture list is that of Coventry Rugby v Rosslyn Park, surely this must be match of the day? A full match preview of this game now follows.

Coventry Rugby v Rosslyn Park

This coming Saturday 6^th September sees a fitting start to the National League 1 season as two of the pre-season favourites, Rosslyn Park are the visitors to play Coventry Rugby at the Butts Park Arena with kick off at 3pm. Rosslyn Park founded in 1879 just 5 years after Coventry Rugby ,have made impressive progress in this league over the past four seasons, finishing runners up last season after the previous season’s fourth. Under experienced and influential  Director of Rugby and Head Coach Alex Codling he has managed to build up his squad so that last season they was only pipped at the post on the last day by eventual champions Doncaster Knights.

For the second season running Rosslyn Park have done the double over Coventry Rugby, winning an enthralling full bodied contest at the BPA by 19-18 but finding it an easier game at home in April beating Coventry 32-10. Whilst retaining 22 players from last season they have also signed a further 22 new players. Park have an influential back row of Sam Shires, Hugo Ellis and Harry Broadbent but have also signed another key No 8 in Mike McFarlane from Esher. The bulk of their impressive pack remains with locks Will Bowley, Richard Boyle, James Inglis and new signing former Coventry and Bedford player lock/flanker Greg Gillanders. An experienced front row contains Aaron Liffchak, Sam Staff from OA and hooker Adam Bellamy.

Goal-kicker and No 10 Scott Sneddon now faces strong competition from new signing Tom Whelan from Esher. The loss of Peter Hodgkinson-probably the best back in NL1 last season has been counteracted by the new signings of Kiba Richards from Worthing Raiders and Dante Mama from London Scottish. Jack Gash at scrum-half is joined at this key position with Luke Carter from Henley Hawks.Speed on the wings are represented by the returning Neville Edwards from Bedford Blues, Robert Martey from Leeds Metro with the well established Dave Vincent and Charles Broughton.

Coventry Rugby for their part have mainly kept their existing squad with 24 retentions, their highest ever retentions in this league including key players full-back/ centre and record goal-kicker Cliffie Hodgson and No 8 Jacques Le Roux.

Experienced Dragons player scrum-half Wayne Evans is a new arrival to join up with fly-half Matt Jones,whilst Scotland U 20’s fly-half Ben Cooper has signed from Boroughmuir. Joining prolific try scorer Will Hurrell on the wing are new signings Dan Rundle from Tynedale and Dom Lespierre .

The front row squad contains new Argentinian signing Guido Cambareri, Henry Sandys from Darlington MP, and Rikki Stout from Hull RUFC. Following some pre-season injuries Coventry Rugby have signed two dual registered loan players, lock Jordan Onojaife from Northampton Academy and Beno Obano prop from Bath Academy.

The back row has the influential Jacques le Roux at No 8 but the long term injury to Liam Munro and non- availability of Matt Tibbatts sees experienced No 8 Luke Joseph joining from Carmarthen Quins, and just this week Jack Gibbons from Leceister Lions.

Ashley Elvers centre /wing has been signed from Birmingham Solihull joining with existing centres James Otutaha, Rob Knox and Callum MacBurnie.

At this stage of the season difficult to say that this is the most important one for Coventry Rugby to win, but this is a game against the league’s second favourites that they do need to win.

Coventry Rugby have a good record at home against such high flying and favourite teams but not for wins but for close encounters, so a close, exciting and enthralling contest is in prospect with no quarter given from both sides.

Game at the BPA kicks off as usual at 3 pm, get there early as a large crowd is expected.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

4th September 2014