Week 11 - round 11 national league 1 rugby previews...

...Saturday 21st November 2015 including Cinderford v Coventry Rugby.

Week 11 Fixtures Saturday 21st November 2015.

Ampthill & District                     v         Richmond

Blackheath                                   v         Plymouth Albion

Blaydon                                         v        Esher

Cinderford                                    v        Coventry Rugby

Darlington Mowden Park          v        Hull Ionians

Henley Hawks                              v        Fylde

Rosslyn Park                                 v       Loughborough Students

Wharfedale                                   v       Hartpury College

A third of the season gone and still no clearer who will be promoted, or indeed whom will be relegated, although the league does seem to be fracturing to a top 6 and a bottom 6, with the 4 sides sandwiched in the middle desperately wanting to move up. The pattern of dominant packs from last week is expected to continue.

Leaders Hartpury College face the not too daunting task of visiting the dales to face relegation placed Wharfedale. The best defensive side with only 2 losses face a home side with only 2 wins. Despite home advantage it is expected that the leaders will win fairly comfortably.

After a great start in this league Ampthill and District, have found that their vaunted pack has been more than matched recently, and are back in 6th place, yet still only 6 points from the top. However in hosting 2nd placed Richmond they could face another searching afternoon as Richmond seem a real challenger for the title this season.

Bottom side Blaydon, whose lack of a cutting edge and no plan B against Coventry last week, which left them nilled, now have third placed Esher as their visitors. Esher weren’t at their best in narrowly losing to Rosslyn Park, but should be too powerful, even away from home to win this one, as they need to keep within a score of the top of the league.

Fourth placed Blackheath, who just lost narrowly to Richmond have the chance to make up lost ground as Plymouth Albion are their visitors. Albion still looking to settle in this league found the Darlington MP pack too strong for them last week, and in meeting Blackheath they could be even more challenging. The home side with the 2nd best defensive record should be too strong in all phases of the game for this mainly young Albion side.

Rosslyn Park are now starting to live up to the promise of last season and their pre-season ambitions and are up to 5th place within a score of the leaders. Their visitors to the Rock are a struggling Loughborough Students side, who at least will be buoyed by their bonus point win over Wharfedale. Park should be able to ease to a comprehensive victory, keeping pressure on the top 4 as they are currently only 4 points behind Hartpury College.

Up north there is a match between Darlington Mowden Park and Hull Ionians expected to be a hard fought encounter. Hull Ionians have surprised many with their performances back in this league and are currently in 7th place, whilst Darlington MP have been far more inconsistent being back in 12th spot. A difficult one to predict possibly home advantage just shading it.

Cinderford, now back in 15th place after a heavy loss away to Fylde have Coventry Rugby as their visitors. Coventry arrested a run of 3 consecutive losses with a comprehensive win over Blaydon, but they know from previous visits to the Forest that they cannot let Cinderford dictate the game. A key game for both sides as Cinderford look to escape from the danger zone, whilst Coventry need to start moving up the table. A full match review will follow.

The final game sees a struggling Henley Hawks side  back in 13th place, but still only 2 points above the bottom 3, meet a Fylde side who last week put 7 tries over Cinderford. Yet it is fair to say that Fylde don’t always travel well, but in this case should be too powerful for the home Henley side.

MATCH PREVIEW CINDERFORD V COVENTRY RUGBY SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER.

This coming Saturday 21st November sees Coventry Rugby visit the Beavis Memorial Ground, Dockham Road, as they face Cinderford for a 3pm kick off.

Founded in 1886, the Foresters as they are known have found the last 3 seasons somewhat of a struggle, finishing 11th 2 seasons ago, and 13th last season, only surviving relegation by dint of an administrative error by Old Albanians. Currently they lie in 15th spot with just 13 match points and 2 wins and 8 losses. Director of Professional Rugby and Coach Nic Corrigan has had something of a torrid time since appointed last season, Premiership side Gloucester Rugby appear to have switched most of their dual registered Academy players to their local rivals Hartpury College.

New links have been forged with the University of Gloucestershire and their Oxtalls Campus, as well as the Gloucs Old Golds RL side, and closer links with the Bristol Rugby Academy. Following their narrow squeak in avoiding relegation last season a number of players have left including fly-half Mark Davies and centre Jack Adams both to Chinnor. Winger Nev Codlin well known to Coventry supporters also went initially to Chinnor, but is believed to be back in the fold.

Last season games between Coventry and Cinderford were close affairs, with Coventry winning the away fixture 15-11 and the home one 32-22 after allowing Cinderford back in the game.

This season Cinderford have only had 2 wins, an away win at Wharfedale by 33-27 and their only home win over Hull Ionians 32.19. Although having lost 4 home games they have played marginally better at home than away.

A higher than normal turnover in players has seen 18 new arrivals including fly-half Ben Penfold from Cambridge, a trio of Bristol Rugby DR loan players centre Lukas Slowik, prop forward Jack O’Connell and fly-half Callum Sheedy. Former Coventry player hooker Dave McGregor  has arrived from Plymouth Albion, and Portugal U 20’s prop Bruno Francisco, centre Gary Dipple from Stourbridge and winger Alex Pickersgill. The forwards have been boosted by locks Jerry Sexton and Will Scholes, prop Will Goodrick-Clarke and flanker Sid Blackmore. Recently Angus Bowyer has come in at fly-half who is also experienced at goalkicking.

A number of last season’s key players remain such as full-back Mike Willcox, fly-half James Moffatt and centres Sam Hanks and Rob Winchle. Wingers Ollie Whiting and Harrison Yorke have been retained as well as scrum-half Danny Pointon. The pack has also retained locks Milo Reynolds, Jack Shields, Roger Birkin and Matt Lane. The back-row has Marcus Brown, Aaron Ryan and No 8 George Mills captain. Prop forward Sam Baker and hooker Chris Bundy also remain.

Coventry Rugby will be looking to build on their excellent home win over Blaydon last week, which should give them the required confidence to face a visit to the forest, which has not always been a happy hunting ground for them. Cinderford after a couple of false dawns need the win to help them climb out of the danger zone, although suffering a large loss last Saturday at Fylde, they did create enough chances to worry teams.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

17th November 2015.