National league 1 results round up week 16...

...Saturday 2nd January 2016 including Coventry Rugby v Loughborough students.

Results Week 16 Saturday 2nd January 2016.

Blaydon                               12           19            Ampthill & District

Cinderford                            5            37           Blackheath

Coventry Rugby                 37            12           Loughborough Students

Esher                                   25            10            Wharfedale

Fylde                                   17            18             Hartpury College

Henley Hawks                    11           19             Darlington Mowden Park

Hull Ionians                        13           37             Richmond

Rosslyn Park                       24           26             Plymouth Albion               

The start of the second half of the season saw heavy conditions and all results go with form including all top 4 sides winning and all bottom 7 sides losing. From Plymouth Albion, now in 5th place to Coventry Rugby in 9th, these 5 teams are only separated by 6 points but surely still too many to have a direct impact on the top.

Leaders Richmond duly had their bonus point away victory at Hull Ionians. A hard fought game saw Richmond negate the home scrum as they took early control, especially with their dominant back-row. A win that keeps Richmond 3 points ahead of Blackheath but does keep Ionians only 2 wins above the danger zone.

No surprise either at Cinderford, as 2nd placed Blackheath duly despatched the bottom side in another victory. Always in control, especially with a dominant 2nd half display helped by a hat-trick from centre Marcus Burcham,  Blackheath’s bonus point win keeps the pressure on leaders Richmond, but leaves Cinderford isolated in bottom place but still only 5 points from safety.

Third placed Hartpury College needed a last minute penalty to beat a Fylde side in another close fought battle affected by the heavy conditions and rain. It was a nip and tuck contest as the home side seemed to have won it until late pressure led to the winning Hartpury score, although denied a bonus point win.

Another side unable to gain the bonus point was 4th placed Esher, who duly despatched 15th placed Wharfedale. A good first half saw three early tries for the home side only to be held by a resolute Wharfedale side to deny them any further scores. A late Dale try was not enough to gain them even a losing bonus point.

League positions were reversed as Plymouth Albion went to the Rock and found it was less than a hard place as their 5th successive win over a misfiring Rosslyn Park side took them up to 5th place and dropped Rosslyn Park to 7th. Albion raced into a first half lead before a Park fightback in the 2nd half made a close game, but Albion held on for a deserved victory. Even with the win Plymouth are still 16 points behind leaders Richmond.

Ampthill & District continued on their impressive season with a hard fought win at Blaydon. With the visitors leading 19 nil at half-time Ampthill had to withstand a home fightback but hung on for the win. A loss that still leaves Blaydon in 13th place still only one point ahead of danger, whilst Ampthill move up to 6th place.

Another side in trouble 14th placed Henley Hawks found a half-time deficit of 19-6 too much to pull back against a fired up Darlington Mowden Park side, now safely in the top half of the table. Experienced lock Rob Conquest leading by example Henley had no answer in the first half and good 2nd half defence gave DMP the win.

The final game saw Coventry Rugby arrest a 3 match losing sequence in a bonus point victory over a resilient Loughborough Students side. The Students had no answer to the power of the home scrum being marched back and conceding penalties, whilst Coventry in their most disciplined performance of the season had only one penalty against them in the whole game. This allowed Coventry to be on the front foot for most of the game and despite heavy conditions ran in 5 tries.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

3rd January 2016.