Week 12 national league 1 previews Saturday 22nd November.

... including Tynedale v Coventry Rugby.

Fixtures Saturday 22nd November 2014.

Cinderford                                  v           Wharfedale

Darlington Mowden Park        v           Blackheath

Ealing Tfs                                    v           Fylde

Esher                                           v           Loughborough Students

Hartpury College                       v           Rosslyn Park

Macclesfield                               v           Old Albanian

Richmond                                   v           Blaydon

Tynedale                                     v          Coventry Rugby

This Saturday sees two crucial games at the top and bottom of the league, with leaders Ealing Tfs at home to third placed Fylde, which will be Ealing’s first meeting with a top 4 side this season, whilst at the other end bottom side Macclesfield  have a home fixture with  14^th placed Old Albanian.

Tie of the round sees leaders Ealing Tfs meet third placed Fylde, on the artificial surface which should suit both sides in their offloading and fast style of play. This meeting should prove an accurate barometer of both of their aspirations. Whatever happens, it will be a high scoring encounter with home advantage just proving the difference.

The other key game, this time for opposite reasons will be at Macclesfield as they entertain fellow strugglers 14^th placed Old Albanian. Both sides had against the odds wins last Saturday, with Macclesfield getting their first win and indeed points of the season Another crucial game for Macclesfield to win if they want any chance at all of getting closer to the safety zone.

Hartpury College will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself having lost their last two games to last minute scores, as they face 2^nd place Rosslyn Park. At times College have shown their inexperience and Park with much the battle scared and experienced side will give them no mercy.

Somewhat of a more difficult game to predict is the visit of Coventry Rugby to Tynedale. Coventry will be looking for their 8^th successive win but have found it difficult to win at Corbridge in the past, whilst Tynedale have the attacking abilities to profit from any Coventry lapses, as witnessed in their game at Ealing. A full preview of this game will follow.

Two sides struggling to escape from the drop zone Cinderford and Wharfedale meet in the Forest of Dean. Both sides lost heavily last week but Cinderford need the victory more and with Wharfedale not always travelling well and on the back of some key injury problems the home side should just do it.

Richmond, back in 5^th place and losing ground to the top four sides hope to get back on track as Blaydon are their visitors. Last Saturday saw Blaydon with a large win over Cinderford but do not always travel well, but are expected to give Richmond a hard and close contest.

Loughborough Students, reeling from last week’s last gasp loss to Macclesfield travel to Esher, whose inconsistency has seen them drop back to 7^th place. A win the Students need to keep them away from the relegation zone. It should be a close and tense affair being too close to call.

Darlington Mowden Park, whose recent second half performances have belied their lowly league position also need the win as Blackheath are their visitors. With Blackheath now up to 6^th place, Darlington MP even with home advantage will find this a difficult game to win, but they do have the ability and squad to turn their season around.

Tynedale   v  Coventry Rugby Match Preview  Saturday 22^nd November 2014    

This coming Saturday 22^nd November 2014 sees Coventry Rugby make their annual pilgrimage to the north-east to meet Tynedale at their attractive Corbridge ground for an early 2 pm kick off.

By a strange quirk of fate Coventry Rugby face Tynedale and Ealing Tfs in successive weeks after last Saturday’s meeting between Ealing and Tynedale which resulted in 17 tries and a 64-43 score-line. What relevance this result will have on both sides remains to be seen.

Founded in 1876 just 2 years after Coventry Rugby, Tynedale, under Chairman of Rugby John Shotton and Manager Tom Borthwick, are currently in 8^th place after finishing 13^th last season. So far they have won 6 games and lost 5 giving them a total of 28 points. They have scored the same number of tries as Coventry Rugby, namely 37 but have conceded 49, the second highest in the league compared to Coventry’s 34.

Tynedale started off the season with three straight wins over Old Albanian and Wharfedale at home, interspersed with an away victory over neighbours Blaydon. Since then they have won three more games with impressive home victories over Esher and Fylde and an away win at Macclesfield. Their 5 losses include two home losses to Richmond and Darlington MP, as well as away losses at Cinderford, Hartpury College and last week at Ealing Tfs.

A somewhat inconsistent start but with beating teams such as Esher and Fylde and scoring 7 tries away at Ealing they do have the ability to trouble most sides. Tynedale have close connections with Newcastle Falcons Premiership side with a number of dual registered and indeed loan players sometimes available.

Last season there were two very close games between Coventry and Tynedale with Coventry winning 36-34 at the BPA, whilst at Corbridge the scores were virtually reversed with Tynedale winning 36-35.

A good all round side although sometimes with a defensive frailty ,Tynedale do have the ability to score tries with centre Ben Frankland leading the way with 12, and winger Sepp Visser  with 9. A feature of the Tynedale style of play can also feature an effective rolling maul with centre Ben Frankland often joining in to get the try, their scrum also achieved a penalty try against Ealing last week, no mean feat  against the highly regarded Ealing pack.

Falcons players have been making an impact this season at Tynedale with fly-half Brett Connon and forwards prop Mark Irving, flanker Daniel Taylor and the increasingly influential lock/br Daniel Temm.

Currently full-back Simon Hammesley has been recalled by Newcastle and former Newcastle lock Andy Buist is a long term injury. Experienced players retained from last season include No 10’s and goal-kickers  Matty Outson and Gavin Beasley, with centres Jack Harrison usually captain and Peter Weightman.  A strong pack includes Matt Charters at No 8, Richard Dunn at lock, and Graham Dunne as flanker. Front rowers include props Dan Lowden and Sam White and hooker Alex Westgarth.

New players arriving include Scott Powell a No 8 from Westoe, David Nelson hooker, and flanker Joe Mills. In addition to Sepp Visser, winger Will Miller has come from Wigton and Adam King is also proving elusive on the wing. In the forwards new players such as prop Joe Anderson and flanker Joe Mills have settled in well.  

By a strange coincidence last season when Coventry Rugby travelled to Tynedale they were looking for their 5^th successive win, this time it is 8, but having lost last year by one point Coventry Rugby need to be focused as to not let this happen again.

Both sides have shown that they have the ability to score tries  and in the end it may come down to which pack is more dominant-certainly there will be no danger of complacency from either side going into this fixture, a fixture which  often ends up as being close and exciting but well fought.

Please note for those fans travelling north that this game starts at an earlier kick off time of 2 pm.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

18^th November 2014.