By Tom Little
January 7 2015

...Saturday 10th January 2015 including Coventry Rugby v Blaydon.

Fixtures Saturday 10^th January 2015.

Blackheath                                  v       Old Albanian

Coventry Rugby                         v        Blaydon

Darlington Mowden Park        v        Richmond

Ealing Trailfinders                     v       Wharfedale

Fylde                                           v        Esher

Hartpury College                      v        Macclesfield

Rosslyn Park                              v        Loughborough Students

Tynedale                                    v        Cinderford

Week 18 sees all 4 contenders for the title at home, whilst at the other end of the table there is the vital relegation contest between Tynedale and Cinderford.

Leaders Ealing Trailfinders are expected to have a relatively easy passage over visiting Wharfedale. However Dale are back to full strength and  being 13 points ahead of the relegation zone are finding some form and cannot be taken too lightly. It was a close contest between both sides earlier in the season and although Ealing are expected to win it may be a lot closer than first thought.

Coventry Rugby will be looking for their 14^th successive win over one of their bogey teams Blaydon, who themselves will be looking for their third successive winning double over Coventry. A full preview of this game will follow.

Expected to have a slightly easier task than both Ealing and Coventry Rugby is third placed Rosslyn Park at home to Loughborough Students whose recent poor record has seen them slump to 13^th place just 3 points away from the final relegation place. Park halted their own mini-slump last Saturday with a hard-fought win over Fylde, and should have enough firepower both in the forwards and backs to win this one easily. Another loss by the Students could see them take-over the final relegation place.

Fylde back at home where they are still unbeaten meet an erratic Esher side who made heavy weather of beating bottom side Macclesfield last week. Fylde in losing narrowly at Rosslyn Park put up a brave fight and should be strong enough for another bonus point victory over their visitors. Such a win will keep Fylde in touch with both Rosslyn Park and Coventry Rugby just ahead of them.

There will be nervous palpitations in the North-East as 14^th placed Tynedale have 15^th placed Cinderford as their visitors. Tynedale especially are on a poor run of results  but  Cinderford will be stung after capitulating at home to Darlington Mowden Park. A crucial win for either side as they try and avoid the trapdoor  but with confidence low in both camps home advantage might just swing it for Dale.

Another side nervously looking at other results with trepidation is Old Albanian  as they travel to an in form  Blackheath. Despite a strong 2^nd half performance against Coventry OA are still only 3 points away from danger, whilst Blackheath who are in a rich vein of form are now up to 5^th place. It could be a high scoring encounter but OA always have a chance of getting a try bonus point, which may be crucial.

Another side looking over their shoulder is Darlington Mowden Park, who despite beating Cinderford away last week are still only 5 points from danger. Park have Richmond as their visitors whose inconsistent form has seen them drop to 6^th place. Home advantage should just give Darlington the edge with their pack expected to be on top. Another win for Park should give them some breathing space away from the danger zone.

The final game sees the battle of the newcomers with Hartpury College at home to bottom side Macclesfield. College have surprised many with how they have settled into this league and are now up to 8^th place. Despite a brave home losing bonus point against Esher Macclesfield are expected to find that Hartpury will be too powerful for them in all aspects of the game.

Coventry Rugby v Blaydon match preview Saturday 10th January 2015.

Before what is expected to be the largest National League 1 crowd of the day as well as Coventry Rugby’s record attendance of the season sees Coventry Rugby meet Blaydon here at home at the Butts Park Arena, with kick off as usual at 3 pm. A day of  milestones beckons for Coventry Rugby as they go looking their 14^th successive victory-a league record for them against one of their bogey sides as Coventry have yet to beat them in 4 seasons, with Blaydon going for their third successive winning double over them. A crucial game for Coventry Rugby  as a win is required for them to keep within sight of leaders Ealing Trailfinders. Last season Blaydon did the double over Coventry Rugby wining 21-16 at home, incidentally the same score as Coventry lost to them this season, and a rather embarrassing home loss at the BPA by 37-15, certainly another score that Coventry Rugby will look forward to avenging.

Blaydon were founded in 1888 and currently have vastly experienced former  Newcastle Falcons hooker Micky Ward both as Director of Rugby and player coach, with Mr Ward also doubling up as forwards coach for the Newcastle Falcons, which has also brought benefits of a number of promising Falcons Academy players on loan.

Last Saturday although Blaydon succumbed to Ealing the score of 31-5 hid the fact that the renowned Blaydon pack put their illustrious visitors under severe pressure in the scrums and were deemed unfortunate not to earn a penalty try. Blaydon’s trademark of kick to corner then a driving maul was thwarted by Ealing more than once, whose sharpness and clinical finishing in attack proved the difference. Earlier in the season Blaydon suffered a narrow home loss to Rosslyn Park, but helped by another strong set piece managed to score 4 tries against their high flying opponents. This game also saw Blaydon having a more expansive game using their wingers, a style which they have continued with.

Last season Blaydon finished in 6th place, after a poor start to the season, this season they are currently in 10^th place on 38 points with 7 wins and 10 losses, compared to Coventry Rugby’s 2nd place on 72 points with 15 wins and 2 losses. Three away wins out of the 7 total wins have been achieved at Darlington MP, Tynedale, and most impressively Blackheath. In total Blaydon have lost 10 games including 6 away to Ealing, Loughborough Students, Fylde, Wharfedale, Richmond and Esher.

Coventry  Rugby will be wary of the power of the Blaydon pack, and the power of their driving maul as earlier in the season Coventry  with an apparently good lead at half-time saw the Blaydon scrum take control as they clawed back the deficit. The impressive Blaydon front row headed up by Micky Ward has props Matt Hall, Robbie Kilbraier, Andrew Foster, Trevor Davison and Victor Guignourd , as well as hooker Francis Entressangle.

The vastly experienced lock Chris Wearmouth is still scoring tries and is backed up by fellow locks Shaun English and Harry Bate. The back row is equally experienced with Keith Laughlin, Matt Jenkinson, Andrew Archibald, Jason Smithson and No 8 Gavin Jones  who is gaining a reputation for his own try scoring.

The backs have a good mixture of youth and experience with  fly-half  Andrew Baggett a key player and goal-kicker, with fellow half-backs Nathan Horsfall and James Christie. Young centres Tony Bain and Tom Grimes are backed  up with the experience of Tom Bramwell. Rhodhri Adamson can play either as full=back or scrum-half with Nathan Bailey also as full-back and Tom Small in the centre.

Blaydon do have the ability to play a more expansive game coupled with their traditional strengths in the pack so definitely a game Coventry Rugby can’t take too lightly.

Games between Coventry Rugby and Blaydon are usually hard fought affairs with no quarter given on each side, and there is no reason to think that this encounter will be any different. A game that Coventry Rugby will be targeting to win not just to keep their winning run going but to avenge their earlier season’s defeat to Blaydon.

Kick off will be at 3 pm at the Butts Park Arena on Saturday 10th January in front of what is expected to be a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Tom little

Coventry Rugby press office

6^th January 2015.

Week 18 National League 1 previews...

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 07/01/2015 18:52

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
07/01/2015 18:52

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net