By ML
October 23 2014

British & Irish Cup Round 3 Preview - Weekend 24/26th October 2014

 

 

 

 

Greene King IPA Championship newcomers Doncaster Knights are the only team to boast a perfect 10 points from 10 record after the opening two weekends of action in the B&I Cup. Paul Jarvis raced home for a hat-trick of tries on Saturday as the Knights' flying start to the season continued with a thrilling 29-25 win at home to Cornish Pirates, watched by a crowd of 1,374.

All bar one of the six B&I Cup ties hosted by a Championship club in Round 2 attracted four-figure gates, Worcester Warriors earning top honours with an impressive attendance of 6,916 – the second highest gate in the competition's history - for the visit of Munster A. And a big crowd is expected at Sardis Road in Round 3 as the top two in Pool 1, Pontypridd and Bristol, go head-to-head.

POOL 1

Pontypridd v Bristol Rugby, Saturday October 25, KO 14:30

Fixtures between Pontypridd and Bristol go back two centuries, to Christmas Day 1899. There have been 23 matches all told, with Bristol winning 16 to Pontypridd's seven. The last meeting came at Sardis Road in the 2010/11 B&I Cup semi-final when Bristol progressed to the final after a 36-25 win. Pontypridd go into Saturday's match level on nine points with Bristol at the top of the pool but with a superior points difference.

Connacht Eagles v London Scottish, Saturday October 25, KO 15:00

The loser of this match will have a mountain to climb in terms of qualifying for the knockout stages. Neither has won a game so far, with Scottish picking up their second losing bonus point of the campaign against Bristol to sit one point ahead of bottom placed Connacht who were well beaten at home to Pontypridd in Round 2.

POOL 2

Yorkshire Carnegie v Aberavon, Saturday October 25, KO 14:30

Carnegie take on Aberavon at Brantingham Park, home of Hull Ionians, for the second consecutive season in the B&I Cup. In last year's 'on the road' game, Josh Griffin grabbed a hat-trick of tries in a 72-0 win for Carnegie, which came after they had beaten the Wizards 41-22 in the away leg. Carnegie returned to winning ways in Round 2, after a three-game losing run, with an impressive 22-17 win away to Ulster Ravens. Both sides are on four points going into this weekend's fixture.

Ulster Ravens v Rotherham Titans, Friday October 24, KO 19:00

Ulsterman James McKinney returns to his former club as Rotherham go in search of their first win on Irish soil in the B&I Cup. McKinney was in the Ulster side that came from 12-3 down to win 31-24 at Clifton Lane in December 2011, in the one and only B&I Cup tie between these sides. Rotherham top the pool after a 37-13 victory over Aberavon made it two wins from two.

POOL 3

Nottingham Rugby v Munster A, Friday October 24, KO 20:00

Nottingham will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky when Munster come to town after two previous one-point defeats to the Irish province at Meadow Lane. Last season Munster snatched a 17-16 victory from the jaws of defeat after Ronan O'Mahony crossed the whitewash two minutes from time. The sides have played each other four times in the B&I Cup, with 2012 winners Munster victorious on each occasion. Nottingham prop up the pool with one point from two matches, while Munster A are second with five points to their name.

Moseley v Worcester Warriors, Saturday October 25, KO 15:00

Worcester beat Moseley 23-7 in the second round of the Greene King IPA Championship to extend their long unbeaten run against their near-neighbours. Moseley's last success against the Warriors was a 22-15 home win on December 9, 2000. The Warriors make the short trip to Billesley Common as pool leaders with two wins from two, after a near 7,000-strong crowd saw them edge out Munster A, 27-23 in Round 2. Moseley picked up their first win of the season at the seventh attempt when they beat Nottingham 22-14 in Round 2.

POOL 4

Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues, Saturday October 25, KO 14:30

Pool leaders Doncaster welcome Bedford to Castle Park for the first time since they won promotion back to the Championship. Memories of their 22-21 defeat to the Blues, in November 2012, are no doubt still fresh in the minds of the locals as the visitors snatched the narrowest of victories that day when Josh Bassett scored after 11 minutes of agonising stoppage time. On Saturday, it was the Knights who broke opposition hearts after producing a match-winning score with the last play of the game against Cornish Pirates. And it was a similar story in the other fixture as a last-gasp try by captain Leon Andrews handed Cross Keys a 23-22 victory against Bedford at Goldington Road.

Cornish Pirates v Cross Keys, Sunday October 26, KO 15:00

Cross Keys avenged a 30-3 defeat to the Pirates at the Mennaye Field with a famous victory on home soil in the semi-final of the 2011/12 B&I Cup – the Welsh side's first year in the competition. Kristian Baller was the Keys hero that day with a brace of tries. The Pirates only defeat in five home matches against Welsh opposition came in the quarter-final of last year's B&I Cup when they lost 16-14 to Pontypridd. Both sides are tied on six points after the first two rounds.

POOL 5

Plymouth Albion v Jersey, Saturday October 25, KO 15:00

Jersey head to Brickfields looking for a hat-trick of wins at Plymouth's home ground after two previous successes in the Championship. In each of their last two visits they have scored three tries, winning 30-23 last season and 19-15 in 2012/13. Albion are bottom of the pool after returning home from Parc y Scarlets pointless after a 29-16 loss to Carmarthen Quins, while in Friday night's solitary fixture Jersey went down 26-6 away to reigning champions Leinster A.

Carmarthen Quins v Leinster A, Saturday October 25, KO 14:30

A third straight win for Leinster A on Saturday would see them open up a sizeable lead at the top of Pool 5. Two hard-fought victories against Plymouth and Jersey puts the reigning champions on eight points after two rounds. Jersey are second on five, Quins have four and Plymouth two. Quins have not lost at home this season.