Week 20 national league 1 previews...

...Saturday 24th January 2015 including Coventry Rugby v Cinderford.

Fixtures week 20 - Saturday 24^th January 2015.

Blackheath                                    v        Wharfedale

Coventry Rugby                           v         Cinderford

Darlington Mowden Park           v         Esher

Ealing Trailfinders                        v         Richmond

Fylde                                               v        Hartpury College

Loughborough Students              v        Old Albanian

Tynedale                                         v        Macclesfield

Rosslyn Park                                   v        Blaydon 

Week 20 sees another round with all top three sides at home, whilst at the bottom no less than 4 out of the 5 sides play each other, which should a guideline for the end of the season for them.

Another West London derby sees Ealing Trailfinders entertain Richmond. Last week a surprise defeat at Cinderford left the title race wide open, as for once the Ealing pack were unable to power to victory. A more expansive style is expected against a Richmond side who have flattered to deceive, but will be more confident after a large home victory over Tynedale. A game that might be closer than first expected if Ealing start to show title nerves.

Hopefully no such nerves at the Butts Park Arena as 2^nd placed Coventry Rugby meet Cinderford before what is expected to be a record home crowd of over 2000. Cinderford’s somewhat surprising victory at home over leaders Ealing has finally took them out of the relegation zone. A full match preview of this game will follow.

Rosslyn Park in 3^rd place had to dig deep to see off Old Albanian should be more confident of beating their visitors Blaydon. Yet Blaydon against Blackheath saw them fight-back after 3 early tries to score three of their own and almost sneak a late draw. Certainly a team that cannot be written off with the amount of experience they have in the pack. Park will be punished if they take this game too lightly but they need the win to keep pressure on both Ealing and Coventry Rugby ahead of them. Home advantage should just prove crucial.

Important for different reasons is the clash between Tynedale and bottom side Macclesfield. After 9 successive losses Tynedale are showing relegation form and are indeed in 15^th spot. A must win for the home side if they want any chance to escape relegation. However Macclesfield are scoring tries even without winning and they cannot be written off against a side lacking confidence. In what is expected to be a close and tense affair Tynedale should just squeeze a win, which would heap heavy pressure on those teams just above them.

Two more sides struggling at the wrong end of the table sees  Loughborough Students and Old Albanian meet with Old Albanian back in 14^th place, and although noble in defeat OA really need a win. The Students have also had a similar poor run which was finally ended on Saturday with a close but crucial win over 4^th placed Fylde. Confidence and overall ability should be good enough to see them win a close contest but leaving Old Albanian in greater peril.

Fylde although still in 4^th place have surely seen their slim title hopes vanish, put their impressive unbeaten home record to the test as Hartpury College are the visitors. Six consecutive victories including 4 impressive away victories suggest that it will be no pushover for the sea-siders as College have a good all round game. Although Fylde have the greater all round experience a game closer than first expected in on the cards.

Another form team Blackheath have Wharfedale as their visitors. The home side haven’t looked back after being defeated by Coventry Rugby with 4 successive wins since then, which has cemented their 5th place. Although Wharfedale put up a brave fight against Coventry in poor conditions Blackheath are expected to win this one fairly comfortably.

The final game sees a battle over 8^th spot with the present incumbent Esher having to travel to Darlington Mowden Park, whose recent better form has seen them advance to 9^th place. Although still not safe, Park are expected to win this one which will really set the scene on a disappointing season for Esher.

COVENTRY RUGBY V CINDERFORD MATCH PREVIEW SATURDAY 24th JANUARY 2015.

This Saturday 24^thJanuary 2015 sees Coventry Rugby meet Cinderford in their crucial clash here at the Butts Park Arena, at the slightly later than normal kick off time of 3.30pm.Crucial for different purposes as Coventry Rugby are now only 4 points behind leaders Ealing Trailfinders thanks very much to our visitors Cinderford ,who inflicted on Ealing only their 2^nd loss so far this season, by a strange quirk of fate whose only other loss was to Coventry Rugby. Crucial of course as well for Cinderford for despite this win over Ealing, they are still only 2 points ahead of the relegation zone.

Founded in 1886, the Foresters as they are known finished last season in 11^th position and are currently in 13^th place on 33 points with 6 wins and 13 losses. A poor start to the season saw Head Coach Andy Deacon replaced by Nic Corrigan  former Head Coach and DOR at Chester RUFC with the title Director of Professional Rugby and Coach, assisted by Neil Loader and player/coach and scrum-half Clive Stuart-Smith. Connections have been maintained with Gloucester Premiership side with some dual registered Academy players still coming to Cinderford as well as to Hartpury College, as well as a number of Worcester Academy DR players.

The introduction of a new coaching team coupled with the return of players after long term injuries as well as number of dr loan players has seen Cinderford win 5 out of their last 8 matches. This period has seen home wins over Wharfedale, Macclesfield and last Saturday leaders Ealing Trailfinders, with away victories at Tynedale and Richmond. By all accounts Cinderford held out against the Ealing’s pack onslaught for a deserved victory as they defended well and were able to play an open running game which suited their speedy backs. Evidently it was the Foresters fine scrummaging that helped them to a fine away win at Tynedale the week before.

Last season Coventry Rugby did the double over Cinderford winning 38-13 at the BPA and a close game in the forest by 31-28.This season in poor conditions Coventry won the hard fought and close away game 15-11 as they now go looking for their 4^th winning double of the season.

A heavy turnover of players  at Cinderford has seen the team squad of 20 selected against Ealing contain only 7 players that turned out earlier in the season against Coventry Rugby, although 2 players were rested for this game. New recruits include hooker Sam Wilkes from Ealing, props Jake Caulfield from Plymouth Albion and Chris Bundy and Joe Smart, Jack Cosgrove has also just arrived from Worcester Academy. Another recent recruit has been flanker Sam Underhill from Gloucester Academy and two players earning the plaudits with centre Leo Fielding and fly-half and goal-kicker James Moffat, who have stepped in for Mike Davies. The back row has also seen some changes with George Mills, Marcus Brown, Dan Fry and Mike Uren from Dings, as well as lock Shay Kerry. Clive Stuart-Smith a vastly experienced scrum-half is also on board both as a player and coach and has recently been starting with Alex Frame in the wings.

As well as the new recruits Cinderford have kept a core of experienced players with dangerous wingers Sam Baker and Nev Codlin back playing and key full-back Mike Wilcox. Speed is also found in the centre with Jack Adams and Sam Hanks, with Stef Hawley either as wing or full-back. Key forwards retained include prop Elliot Booley and lock/br Roger Birkin.

Cinderford are certainly a team now putting some results together, a change of personnel and coaching structure has seen them finally out of the third relegation place, but they are still only 2 points from danger. Always renowned for their pack, as emphasized by their display at Tynedale they also have the ability to widen out their game plan using their impressive runners. A side that no opponent can take for granted as they do have a cutting edge and as shown against Ealing an impressive defence.

It may already be a record breaking season for Coventry Rugby, and another record is in the pipeline as they go looking for their 16^th consecutive league win, but more importantly the win is required to keep pressure on Ealing. Don’t forget the later kick off time of 3.30 pm on Saturday with another record breaking crowd of over 2000 expected, whose enthusiastic support is a key factor in helping Coventry Rugby this season.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

20^th January 2015.