By Tom Little
October 6 2015

...Saturday 10th October 2015 including Hull Ionians v Coventry Rugby.

Week 6 Fixtures Saturday 10th October 2015.

Ampthill & District                       v        Blackheath

Fylde                                               v        Rosslyn Park

Hartpury College                           v        Cinderford

Hull Ionians                                    v        Coventry Rugby

Loughborough Students             v         Henley Hawks

Plymouth Albion                          v         Esher

Richmond                                      v         Blaydon

Wharfedale                                    v        Darlington Mowden Park

Week 6 sees 4 of the top 6 sides facing each other, and 2 of the bottom 4. A feature of this season is that the three promoted sides have all settled in well and are all in the top nine, which suggests that they are better prepared for this league. Overall most teams seem able to be competitive, whether this is due to a higher standard of squad or closer analysis of their opposition or a combination of both suggests that this will be the most open of competitions.

Leaders Ampthill have another game at home this time with 3rd placed Blackheath. Arguably the sternest test for the newcomers so far but they face a Blackheath side now having won 4 consecutive games. This is a difficult one to call but despite home advantage Blackheath may be the first team to beat Ampthill.

Another side with 4 wins Hartpury College, which has taken them up to 2nd place have Cinderford as their visitors in this Gloucestershire local derby. The Foresters have found it difficult this season and are struggling in one of the relegation spots. It should be an easy home win as loss for the leaders could see the College as new rulers.

The surprise defeat at home by Rosslyn Park last Saturday has opened up the race for the title, with Park having the opportunity to immediately get back on track as they face a misfiring Fylde at the Woodlands. The home side have only one win and they were mauled out of a winning position last week by  Hull Ionians. Rosslyn Park should have enough nous and more than one plan to better their rivals.

League newcomers Hull Ionians now up to 5th place have 6th placed Coventry Rugby as their visitors. Another game Coventry will have to be at their best to beat a confident home side who have strengthened their pack since last time the teams met. A full preview of this game will follow.

Plymouth Albion are back at home after their noble exertions in losing narrowly at Coventry, as they face an Esher side now up to 7th place  with 3 wins. Albion are starting to settle into this league, especially at home, but in Esher they face a side that can be very dangerous. A close game to call with the home fans just swaying it.

Another London side Richmond who do have the ability to challenge but sometimes lack consistency have a somewhat easier task as bottom side Blaydon are their visitors. A strangely subdued Blaydon side, have had only one win and have found many teams able to match their illustrious pack. The home side now have their own experienced pack and with their power in the backs should have enough to make it a comfortable victory.

Loughborough Students, now finding a bit of form and up to 11th place have 9th placed Henley Hawks as their visitors. After the shock of their opening day large defeat at Rosslyn Park, Henley Hawks have started to settle and even had a draw at Ampthill. This is another game which could go either way.

The final game sees Wharfedale at home with fellow northerners Darlington Mowden Park visiting. After a reasonable first season In this league last season and large scale recruitment Park have found it difficult and are back in 15th place just 2 ahead of Wharfedale. Too early to say it is a must win game but the winner will put down an emphatic marker for the rest of the season.

Match preview Hull Ionians v Coventry Rugby Saturday 10th October 2015.

This coming Saturday 10th October, Coventry Rugby travel to Humberside to face Hull Ionians at Brantingham Park with a 3pm kick off.

Hull Ionians were formed in 1989 following the merger between Hull & East Riding founded in 1875, and Ionians founded in 1926. The merged club moved to ready-made new premises at Brantingham Park in 1995. Progress was steady through the leagues being promoted to National league 1 in season 2013/14 from NL2 North. That first season saw them only win 3 games and were relegated at the end of the season. Back in NL2 North they re-grouped strengthened their coaching set up and were promoted back to NL1 at the start of this season as Champions of NL2 North.

Sean Carty remains as DOR with new Head Coach Alex Crockett, assisted by forwards coach Phil Eggleshaw, coaches Danny Paul, scrum coach Steve Johnson and Andy Forth.

A number of new players including coaches have been recruited with No 8 Phil Eggleshaw coming in from Doncaster Knights and lock Danny Paul from Leeds Carnegie, Backs including centre Joe Allott from Sandal, fly-half Greg Lound from Hull and fast winger Aquile Smith from Bradford and Bingley. Lock forward Ed Falkingham is getting plenty of game time coming in from Driffield.

The spine of the Hull Ionians team remain from their previous sojourn in NL1 wiser and ready for the challenges as their record has already shown this season. In the forwards both flanker Mark Wigham and prop Albert Thundercliffe return after injury. The front row also has prop Steve Thompson and Dave Laverick and hooker Ali Thompson, which has been a strength of their play this season.

An impressive back row has as well as Phil Eggleshaw, Alex Campbell at No 8 and the influential Will Foden and Joe Sanders as flankers.

It would wrong to ignore the backs though with centre Alex Crockett, wingers Sam Wilson and Steve Slingsby, and full-back Michael Bateman. The loss of Chris Reakes at fly-half to Richmond has allowed James Ferguson to take over with Isaac Green remaining at No 9 as well as being the club’s leading goal-kicker.

Coventry Rugby have only met Hull Ionians twice before in Season 2013/14 winning 41-12 at Hull in the first game of the season and in the last game of the season winning 67-14 at BPA. The end of that season saw Hull Ionians relegated with only 3 wins in the whole of the season, a figure they have already achieved just 5 games in.

This season Hull Ionians have beaten Hartpury College and Plymouth at home and an away victory at Fylde. The two games lost were at Richmond 23-16 and at home against Rosslyn Park 26-44. Currently they are in 5th place on 16 points one place and one point ahead of Coventry Rugby.

Hull Ionains have already shown this season that they will not be overawed and have strengthened their side over the past few seasons. They have the ability to vary their game not just relying on forward power but have strong finishers and especially against Fylde came back strongly with an impressive defensive display.

There is no danger of Coventry Rugby taking this game too lightly  as it is crucial for them to keep within  striking distance of those teams above them. A win for Coventry Rugby would take them to at least 5th place.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

6th October 2015.

Week 6 - round 6 national league 1 match previews...

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 06/10/2015 09:19

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
06/10/2015 09:19

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