Rugby / Statbunker News

Canterbury v Worthing 

 

10^th placed Canterbury are at home to second bottom Worthing with both sides on a four match run without a win.

 

Canterbury have lost three and drawn one of their last four matches to slip down the table.  

They have only won once at home this season, drawing one and losing two and they have just one bonus point of any type.

Winger Michael Melford is the leading try scorer with seven, nearly 33 % of their tries this season.

   

Worthing have lost four in a row since they picked up their only win of the season away at Chinnor. In their eight defeats this season they have twice managed to take a losing bonus point. On the road this season they have played five times and been beaten in four of them.

Both sides have been slow starters with just one try apiece in the opening 10 minutes of matches this season. This though is a period where Canterbury have struggled defensively with seven tries conceded in this period.

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Canterbury over Worthing by 10 points.

 

Dings Crusaders v Bridgwater & Albion

 

Fifth placed Dings Crusaders are at home to sixth placed Bridgwater & Albion with both sides level on 23 points but the home side a better point difference and they also have a game in hand on Albion.

 

Dings have won back to back now since losing 43-0 away at league leaders London Scottish. At home this season they have a perfect record with four consecutive wins and in three of the wins they have taken a try bonus point along the way.

Adam Westall has made a good start to his Dings career and has already notched up 79 points, two more than Luke Cozens has scored for Albion.   

 

Albion have won three of their last four matches and the defeat was a narrow one 6-3 at third placed Rosslyn Park.

On the road this season they have picked up two wins in five matches, they have yet to take a try bonus point on their travels but they did manage a losing bonus point in one of the defeats.  

Back row forward David Kimberley is the leading try scorer for either side with five tries, he has also been sent to the sin bin three times.

 

Last season home advantage counted in both matches with Dings 15-7 wins at Lockleaze and Albion narrow 12-9 home wins earlier in the season.     

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Dings over Albion at Lockleaze by eight points 

 

Ealing v Chinnor 

 

Second placed Ealing are at home to 12^th placed Chinnor looking to get back to their early season form after three matches where they were not at their best.

 

Ealing at home this season they have won four out of five and took a try bonus point in three of the wins with the one defeat the all important match against London Scottish who are now eight points clear at the top of the table. They have outscored the visitors 46 tries to 15 and nearly conceded have as many, 14 to 27.  Chinnor have conceded most tries in the last 10 minutes of matches with six which is when Ealing are at their most dangerous with nine of their 46 tries coming in this time period.

They have the leading scorer in the division in fly half Ben Ward with 107 and the leading try scorer in wing David Howells on 11 tries.

 

Chinnor have a win and a draw from their nine matches this season and they have both come on the road along with three defeats and in two of the defeats they have taken a losing bonus point, but have yet to collect a try bonus point.    

 

Not met previously in League Rugby.

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Ealing by 15 points over Chinnor 

 

Havant v Henley

 

Bottom of the table Havant are at home to fourth placed Henley Hawks looking to end their losing start to the season.   

 

Havant have lost all nine of their matches this season in the league and managed three losing bonus points along the way. They have cored the fewest points and conceded the most points At Hooks Lane this season they have played five times already and lost all five managing two losing bonus points.

 

Henley Hawks after a promising start to the season have slipped a little lately with three defeats in their last four matches and are now eight points behind third placed Rosslyn Park. On the road this season the Hawks have played five times with two wins and a draw to go with two defeats but they have not yet picked up any kind of bonus points on their travels.  

 

Match Verdict: Away win for the Hawks over Havant at Hooks Lane 

 

Lydney v London Scottish

 

League leaders London Scottish are away at 11^th placed Lydney looking to make it 10 wins in a row.  

 

Lydney have slipped to back to back defeats including a disappointing 11-10 home loss to Barking. Overall at home this season they have three wins and two defeats form their five matches. They have managed just the one try bonus point and picked up one losing bonus point in the Barking defeat.

They have managed just ten tries all season and seven of them have either coming in the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes of matches.,

 

London Scottish have won all four road trips and picked up a try bonus point in three of them and are the highest scorers on the road with 138 points. They have yet to give up a losing bonus point in their nine wins and have only conceded four tries in a match once. They have nearly scored five times as many tries as Lydney this season, 49 to 10 and collected seven try bonus points two more than the next best in the division.    

 

Last season London Scottish did the double over Lydney including a 15-6 win at Regentsholme and later in the season were convincing home winners 36-12.

 

Match Verdict: Away win for Scottish at Regentsholme over Lydney by 12 points. 

 

Rosslyn Park v Richmond

 

Third placed Rosslyn Park are at home to ninth placed Richmond looking to keep their winning run going.

 

Rosslyn Park are looking to make it five wins in a row since they lost 25-17 at London Scottish. At home this season they have a perfect record with four wins on the bounce and they have picked up two try bonus points in these wins. They have the meanest defence with just 28 points conceded in the four wins and have the meanest defence in the league with just 90 points conceded in nine matches.  

 

Richmond have improved of late and are looking to make it three wins in a row and four wins in their last five and a win could see them move into the top half of the table.  

On the road this season they have two wins and three defeats but have not managed any type of bonus point on their travels.

 

Full back Chris Simmons is the leading try scorer for either side this season with seven tries whilst fly half Dylan Pugh is the leading point’s scorer with 72 since his move from London Welsh in the summer.  

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Park over Richmond by nine points.

 

Rugby Lions v Barking 

 

Eighth placed Rugby Lions are at home to seventh placed Barking with just a point separating them in the National Three South league table.

 

Rugby Lions after a four match run without a win have now won back to back matches and a win here would see them move into the top half of the league table above Barking.   

At home they only have a 50% record with two wins and a draw from their five matches and they have only managed one try bonus point.

The Lions have a better attacking record with four more tries 24 to 20.

 

Barking after a four match winning run saw it come to an end last Saturday as they were beaten at home by Richmond, 11-8. On the road this season they have a 50/50 record with two wins and two defeats and no bonus points of any type along the way.  

Defensively Barking have a better record with 18 tries conceded compared to 27 for the Lions. Five of the 28 tries they have conceded have come in the first 10 minutes of matches.  

 

Match Verdict: Home win for the Lions over Barking by 10 points at Webb Ellis Road.