By Tom Little.
December 15 2015

...Saturday 19th December 2015 including Ampthill & District v Coventry Rugby.

Fixtures Week 15 Saturday 19th December 2015.

Ampthill & District                     v         Coventry Rugby        14.15pm

Blackheath                                  v         Esher

Darlington Mowden Park         v         Blaydon

Hartpury College                        v        Plymouth Albion      14.30pm

Henley Hawks                             v        Cinderford

Loughborough Students           v        Hull Ionians              14.00pm

Rosslyn Park                                v        Richmond

Wharfedale                                 v        Fylde                          14.00pm

This week marks the halfway stage of the season, with it still wide open at both ends of the table. Another week with virtually every game being crucial, including the top six sides meeting each other, and at the other end a meeting between the bottom two.

With the top 4 sides all recently slipping up it has given a chance to fifth placed Rosslyn Park, now only 10 points behind the leaders Richmond, who are their visitors to the Rock. A win for Park, would open up the race for the title even more, and at home they might just be narrow favourites, especially as they have found the knack to win close encounters.

Second placed Hartpury College meet an improving Plymouth Albion, now up to sixth after 3 consecutive wins. With the Albion pack finding a new maturity in this league, College won’t this contest all straight forward. However the home side should be slight favourites to keep the pressure on leaders Richmond.

Blackheath in third place and only 3 points from the top, have the chance to replace Richmond at the top as they face 4th placed Esher at home.  Last week’s surprise loss at home by Esher to Darlington Mowden Park has perhaps dented their confidence, and the ambitious London club, who have just revealed plans for a ground move, will be looking to continue their fight for the title.

It has been a disappointing season so far for Coventry Rugby and this week they travel to league newcomers Ampthill & District, who are equal on points with Coventry, but have a game in hand. A close game is in prospect. A full preview of this game will follow.

Darlington Mowden Park, having beaten Coventry and Esher in the last two weeks, will be confident enough at home to face a Blaydon side, who are still at the wrong end of the table, although showing recent better form. A difficult game to predict with both packs seemingly well matched. If Park can hold the Blaydon pack then their better all round game should just shade it.

The north-west derby, weather permitting, sees a buoyant Wharfedale side entertain a  Fylde side. The home side on the back of an excellent away victory at Hull Ionians, should find Fylde a more difficult proposition. Wharfedale are still in the relegation zone and need the win, whilst Fylde this season has flattered to deceive, blowing hot and cold often in the same game. A close call again,for a narrow home win. 

Loughborough Students are still only 6 points from the relegation zone and urgently require a win to ease these worries, and in Hull Ionians they face a side still smarting form a couple of recent narrow losses. The Students at home should be able to win this one.

The final game sees the bottom two sides Henley Hawks and Cinderford meet in this crucial clash. Of the two Cinderford have the better form although not always showing through in wins, but their performance in coming within one minute of beating Rosslyn Park, must fill them with confidence. Henley who declined to face Blaydon last week due to the state of the pitch could find it as struggle against their visitors.

MATCH PREVIEW AMPTHILL & DISTRICT V COVENTRY RUGBY SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER 2015.

This coming Saturday 19th December 2015 sees the first ever visit by Coventry Rugby to league newcomers Ampthill & District at their Dillingham Park ground. Please note that this game kicks off at an earlier than normal time of 2-15pm.

Founded in 1881 Ampthill & District to give its official name, recently moved quickly up through the leagues finishing runners up in NL2 North last season ,and won the play-off against NL2 South side Bishops  Stortford.

Ampthill have a very experienced coaching set up with Director of Rugby Mark Lavery and Head Coach Paul Turner. Paul is further assisted by a heady list of specialist player coaches  including Villiami Ma’asi-hooker, Maama Molitika- flanker, Brendan Burke-backs- from Bedford, Kevin Barrett-scrum-half, Tevita Taumopeau-scrum coach from Worcester Warriors, and former Coventry player Ben Gulliver-lock from Bedford.

Currently Ampthill & District are in 7th place with the same points 35 as Coventry Rugby in 8th place but having played one game less. Of the 13 games played they have won 7, drawn 1 and lost only 5. Ampthill made a great start to their inaugural season in NL1 being unbeaten in the first 5 games, including wins over Esher and Darlington Mowden Park, Blaydon and Cinderford, interspersed with a draw at home to Henley Hawks. Since that heady start wins followed over Wharfedale, Loughborough Students and Hull Ionians. Their 5 losses include just 2 at home a narrow one to Blackheath and a rather heavy one to current leaders Richmond. There were also 3 away losses to Rosslyn Park, Hartpury College and Plymouth Albion.

Close connections are maintained both with Championship side Bedford Blues, which recently saw Canadian International  James  Pritchard on loan at Ampthill, as well as with Premiership side Saracens with Ampthill being the preferred destination of their dual registered loan players instead of recently relegated Old Albanian.

In addition to the number of South Sea Island recruits as coaches, vastly experienced hooker Aleki  Lutui has arrived from Gloucester Premiership, centre Matt Howling from Tonga via Cambridge and former Coventry player Will Maisey fly-half from Nottingham.

A number of dr loan players from Saracens have arrived including prop Ralph Adams- Hale, fly-half Elliott Reeder who was also at Old Albanian last season, as was centre Max Wilkins. Hooker Ben Wilkinson has come from the Bedford Blues Academy and winger George Elliott and back Kieron Duffin have also arrived.

A number of key players are retained from last season with flanker Matt Burke, hookers Lewis Brunger and James Fish, prop Matt Collins and another name connected to Coventry, Darrell Dyer playing mainly as flanker when not on the wing. Due to some serious injury problems former player flanker Joe Bercis has been loaned back from Moseley as indeed was James Pritchard from Bedford.

Two players  Coventry need to watch, are full-back or wing Elliot Clements-Hill who is their leading points scorer, and  fly-half and another goal-kicker Jo Tarrant. Gavin Williams is an impressive scrum-half and backs William Goodge and Karim Lynch are capable of exciting breaks from deep.

On the face of it two well matched sides with similar type of results. Last week Ampthill had their fixture against Fylde postponed which has given them another week to get more injured players back. A game that both sides need to win to make sure they keep in the top half of the table. In the end it may come down to which side is the more confident.

For those supporters making the short journey to Bedfordshire the full postal address is Dillingham Park, Woburn St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2HX, and don’t forget that it is an early 2-15 pm kick off.

Tom little

Coventry Rugby Press Office

15th December 2015.

Week 15 - round 15 national league 1 previews...

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 15/12/2015 12:25

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
15/12/2015 12:25

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