Rugby / Statbunker News

Fylde v Darlington Mowden Park 

 

Fifth placed Fylde are at home to second bottom Darlington Mowden Park knowing a win could leap frog them into second place

 

Fylde after a good winning run have slipped of late and lost two and drawn one of their last three matches with the two defeats against sides above them in the table.

They are unbeaten at home but two of their five matches have ended in draws, against Nuneaton and Kendal.   

They have done well scoring late on in matches with 10, over 25% of their tries, coming in the final 10 minutes of matches a period where DMP have yet to score one.

 

DMP have a poor record on the road this season and have lost all five matches but in two of them they did leave with a losing bonus point. They have yet to manage a try bonus point this season with 17 tries in nine matches and Fylde have scored more than twice as many tries as DMP. 

 

Fylde have the third highest scorer in the division with fly half Steven Nutt on 106 points and 101 have come from the boot. They also have the divisions leading try scorer in wing Ollie Brennand who has eight to his name already.

 

Last season in this fixture DMP did the double over Fylde including a 34-27 win at Woodlands having already won 21-10 t home earlier in the season.   

 

Match Verdict: Fylde home win over DMP at Woodlands by 12 points.

 

Halifax v Caldy

 

Top meets bottom as Halifax play host to Caldy looking to make it two unbeaten at home.

 

Halifax managed to stop a seven match losing streak in their last home match when they held Macclesfield to a 13 all draw. They were beaten last Saturday though at Kendal but only by 11 points. They have still to pick up a try bonus point or a losing bonus point in their eight defeats.  

 

Caldy have won eight out of nine and lead the table by 10 points and have the meanest defence with just 136 points conceded. They have collected the most try bonus points in the league with five and a losing bonus point in their only defeat.    

Whilst not the highest try scores in the league they have a mean defence with just 15 tries conceded and have yet to concede in the opening 10 minutes of matches.  

Centre Gavin Roberts has notched 81 points whilst wing Andrew Soutar is the leading try scorer with seven tries since his summer switch from West Park.

 

First ever National League meeting between the two sides

 

Match Verdict: Away win for top of the table Caldy at bottom of the table Halifax by 10 points.

 

Harrogate v Kendal 

 

Second placed Harrogate are at home to seventh placed Kendal who have two games in hand on most of the sides above them in the table.

 

Harrogate after a three match losing run have bounced back with three successive wins to climb into second place in the table, a point clear of Nuneaton and Macclesfield.

At Claro Road this season they have four wins and a defeat picking up two try bonus points and a losing bonus pint in their only defeat.

Neither side has yet to score a try in the opening 10 minutes of matches this season.

 

Kendal have three wins and a draw in their last five matches with the only defeat coming away at Hoppers. They have played four times on the road and have a win and a draw to go with two defeats and have the sixth best record in the division and have two try bonus points.

Winger Lewis Boyd has been one of the best finishers in the league this season and already has seven tries in seven matches for Kendal.   

Kendal have not finished as well as they have started with six of the 16 tries they have conceded coming in the final 10 minutes of matches.

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Harrogate against Kendal by six points.

 

Huddersfield v Preston Grasshoppers 

 

11^th placed Huddersfield are at home to 8^th placed Preston Grasshoppers some three points behind the Lancashire side and knowing a win could well see them move above them in the table.

 

At home this season Huddersfield have done well with three wins and just one defeat in their four matches but they have yet to pick up a try bonus point anywhere this season.

Chris Johnson has dominated the Huddersfield scoring this season with 94 of his sides’ 174 points and is also the joint leading try scorer with three. 

 

Hoppers have lost their last three on the road but in each one they have left with a losing bonus point including a match against league leaders Caldy. They have already played five times on the road this season and managed just the one win.

Winger Russell Flynn, is the leading try scorer with six so far, one more than scrum half Darren Wilson.  

 

Match Verdict: Interesting match to call but will go home win by eight points.

 

Leicester Lions v Bradford & Bingley 

 

Sixth placed Bradford & Bingley are at home to 12^th placed Bradford & Bingley just two points off second place. 

 

The Lions have bounced back from a three match losing streak and a win here will make it three in a row since losing 29-12 at leaders Caldy. Although they have won three out of four at home they only have the 10^th best record as they have only managed the one try bonus point.  In four of their six wins this season they have given up a losing bonus point.

 

Bradford & Bingley after away defeats at Loughborough and Preston picked up a share of the spoils at home to Huddersfield in a 25 all draw last Saturday.

Overall on the road they have just one win in five matches this season and in the four defeats picked up one losing bonus point. 

 

Last season home advantage counted in this fixture with the Lions 20-17 home winners and later in the season at Wagon Lane the Bees ran out 28-17 winners.

But back in 2005/06 the Bees did the double over the Lions outscoring them 99-0 including 57-0 away from home. 

Match Verdict: Home win for the Lions against Bradford & Bingley by nine points.

 

Macclesfield v Loughborough Students 

 

Fourth placed Macclesfield are at home to ninth placed Loughborough Students just a point of second place in the table.

 

Macclesfield have not won in their last two matches, drawing at bottom of the table Halifax and then coming unstuck at home to Harrogate last Saturday otherwise they could be within striking distance of leaders Caldy.   

At home this season they have done well and started the season with four straight wins till the Harrogate defeat last week. They have though only managed one try bonus point at home all season. They have conceded 19 tries all season but are yet to concede one in the final 10 minutes of matches.

 

Loughborough Students have won three and drawn one of their last five matches and with a win this Saturday could move into the top half of the table.

On the road this season they have managed one win and slipped to three defeats although with 115 points scored are the second highest scorers in the division despite only having the 11^th best record.

 

Macclesfield have the league’s leading scorer with Ross Winney on 120, 10 clear of his nearest rival, Nuneaton’s Rickie Aley.

 

First ever league match between the two sides.

 

Match Verdict: Home win for Macclesfield against the Students by seven points.

 

Nuneaton v Hull Ionians 

 

Third placed Nuneaton are at home to 10^th placed Hull Ionians a point of second place with a game in hand. 

 

Nuneaton recovered from their defeat at home to league leaders Caldy with a comfortable away win at Darlington Mowden Park and have won four of their last five matches.  They have already lost twice at home this season with the other defeat coming on the opening Saturday of the season against Leicester Lions. They are the second heaviest scorers in the division with 254 after Fylde who are well clear on 291.     

 

Hull Ionians have now lost three of their last four including away games at Huddersfield and Bradford & Bingley. Overall on the road this season they have managed one win and four defeats and in the four defeats collected one losing bonus point.  

They have actually got a better defensive record than the home side with 19 tries conceded four fewer than the Nuns and from a game more.

 

They last met in 2005/06 when Nuneaton did the double over Ionians with the match at Liberty Way a high scoring match with the home side 32-27 winners having already won 19-10 at Hull earlier in the season.

 

Match Verdict: Home win for the Nuns against Ionians by 10 points at Liberty Way.