Week 19 National League 1 previews Saturday 17th January...

...2015 including Wharfedale v Coventry Rugby.  

Fixtures Week 19 - Saturday 17^th January 2015.

Blaydon                                      v        Blackheath

Cinderford                                 v        Ealing Trailfinders

Esher                                           v       Hartpury College

Loughborough Students          v        Fylde

Macclesfield                              v        Darlington Mowden Park

Old Albanian                              v        Rosslyn Park

Richmond                                   v        Tynedale

Wharfedale                                v        Coventry Rugby

A Saturday that sees all top four sides away from home with possibly only Coventry Rugby facing the more difficult task at Wharfedale. Crucial games as well at the bottom, results of which are not expected to alter the status quo.

Leaders Ealing Trailfinders are not expected to find too much trouble, as they go to Cinderford, who are languishing in 15^th place. However, Cinderford will be more confident after winning their crucial battle at Tynedale which brings them within sight of safety. With both sides fighting for opposite reasons the extra class of Ealing should just tell.

Coventry Rugby will be looking to make another club record by winning for the first time at Wharfedale. Already a season to remember for records and performances Coventry Rugby will have to be on form to win at Threshfields and thus maintain pressure on Ealing. A full preview of this game will follow.

Another side needing to keep pressure on Ealing, Rosslyn Park face the slightly easier task in travelling to Woollams to meet Old Albanian.  Park now back on form, are still only 4 points behind Coventry and 10 from Ealing. Old Albanian on the other hand are only two points ahead of the relegation area and urgently need the win to move them clear. Rosslyn Park have enough overall power to win this comfortably.

Another side only 2 points from the relegation zone Loughborough Students have to entertain free scoring Fylde who are in 4^th place. Fylde, although still unbeaten at home have not quite such a good record away from home. However Fylde should have more than enough finishing power to see off the Students who have struggled this season  especially on the disciplinary front.

Tynedale back in 14^th place and having a poor run of results, travel to a Richmond side who have had its own poor form recently. Dale are not good travellers and Richmond still have enough class to make home advantage count, leaving Tynedale in further trouble.

League 1 newcomers Darlington Mowden Park  did their survival chances no harm with  last week’s bonus point win, and they should be able to do the same again as they travel to bottom side Macclesfield. Such a win will start to put more daylight between Park and the relegation area, which is already up to 9 points.

Blaydon face a difficult home game against a Blackheath side, who soon put beyond them that home defeat to Coventry as they put down a winning run. Despite indifferent away form, Blaydon are still difficult to beat at home, but if Blackheath can get at least parity with the home forwards then they have the backs to exploit it. A close game is expected but the visitors may just sneak it.

The final game sees the battle over 8^th place as Esher and Hartpury College meet. Hartpury have recently overtaken Esher in 7^th place and have been more consistent than their rivals. Despite being at home this lack of consistency may cost them and College are expected to just win a close encounter. 

Wharfedale v Coventry Rugby match preview Saturday 17th January 2015.

This coming Saturday Coventry Rugby makes its annual pilgrimage to the Yorkshire Dales to meet Wharfedale at their Threshfields ground, with an early kick off at 2pm. Founded in 1923 Wharfedale is situated close to Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales. They hold the record for being in National League 1 for the longest number of continuous seasons at 19. Two seasons ago they flirted with relegation but last season finished a very respectable 9^th, which is the current position they now hold having won 8 games, lost 9 and have a total of 41 points with a game in hand, compared to Coventry Rugby’s 16 wins, 2 losses and 77 points.

Under head Coach Jon Feeley with assistance from Hedley Verity and Tom McGee, who also coaches at Yorkshire Carnegie, they have maintained close links with the Leeds club with a number of loan or dual registered players available.

Results this season have to be said have been mixed, a  4 match winning streak came to a sudden end last week as league leaders Ealing Trailfinders won 78-12 in scoring 12 tries. What effect this has on the home side remains to be seen although their record at home has been better than away. Wharfedale have won 5 out of 7 games at home with wins over Darlington MP, Loughborough Students, Blaydon, Richmond, and Tynedale. Their only 2 home losses have been against Ealing and Blackheath.

Earlier in the season Wharfedale travelled to the BPA  and were down 43-5 at half-time very similar to the h/t score at Ealing last week, but a strong second half fight-back saw them score a try bonus point with the final score 53-26. Coventry Rugby can’t afford such largesse this week if they want to keep pressure on Ealing. Games between the two sides have usually gone with home advantage with Coventry Rugby yet to win at Threshfields-another unwelcome record that Coventry need to address.

Usually Wharfedale have had a fairly settled side but pre-season lost fly-half Tom Barrett to Rotherham Titans and flankers Aaron and his brother Nathan Myers to Darlington MP, although both are now rumoured to be on their way back. The key player recruited is at scrum-half with James Doherty back from Yorkshire Carnegie, a nuggety and lively player who has caused Coventry Rugby trouble in the past. Wharfedale have been able to field a settled side over the past 5 games with only 10 players remaining from the 20 man squad that faced Coventry in early October. Iconic flanker Rob Baldwin is still out injured  but with Dan Solomi back in harness at No 7 together with fellow backrowers Josh Burridge at No 8 ,Jack Barnard and James Tyson from Hull Ionians they don’t lack quality.

The engine room of the pack mainly remain from last season with props Joe Altham, Jake Armstrong and Matt Beesley, with hookers Dan Stockdale and Ian Larkin. Locks Adam Howard and Alex Powell can also play in the back row.

The backs have experienced centre Tom Davidson and a new fly-half and goal-kicker James Guy from Blaydon/Leeds University. Brothers Taylor and Josh Prell are causing a stir in the full-back position with their turn of speed and ability to make breaks-certainly 2 players for Coventry Rugby to marshall. In wingers Lloyd Davies and Oli Cicognini  and centres  Cameron Hudson from Beverly and Huw Morgan from Cambridge they have proven finishers as before the Ealing game they had had 4 successive try bonus point victories.

Coventry Rugby will be have to be at their best to overcome a determined home side smarting from their heavy defeat at Ealing. Another record for Coventry to go for to keep their winning run going and to gain their first ever win at Threshfields.

Please note the earlier kick off time of 2pm for those Coventry fans making the long trek up north. The full address of the ground is Wharfedale Avenue, Threshfield, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 5BS.

As always the Coventry Rugby squad are very appreciative of all the away support they receive, which acst at a spur and an encouragement for such crucial games.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

13^th January 2015.