Rugby / Statbunker News

National One

 

·         Leeds Carnegie take the National One title for the second time in three seasons winning by some 14 points, they were the highest points scorers and had the best defensive record 

·         Moseley took the most losing bonus points eight from their 17 defeats 

·         Sedgley Park conceded the most points, 1206, which is the most ever but the previous record of 1178 was set by Moseley in a 26 match season, 2002/03 

·         Top points scorer was Doncaster Knights’ Jamie Lennard with 298 which is only good enough for 16^th on the all time list

·         Lennard dropped seven goals during the season which was one off the division record set by Guy Gregory for Nottingham back in 1992/93 

·         The top try scorers with 18 were Nottingham’s David Jackson and Bedford Blues Will Twelvetrees, which is the lowest to top the divisions try scoring list since Dean Lax scored 18 for Rotherham back in the 1999/00 season

·         The two sides promoted from National Two, Otley and Manchester, finished in the bottom two 

·         Leeds Carnegie kicked a record 130 conversions during the season 11 more than Newcastle back in the 1996/97 season 

·         Only two players started all 30 matches during the season, Arthur Brenton, Plymouth Albion second row, and Doug Flockhart, Esher back

·         Eight other players started 29 matches and three of them came on in the other match, Nick Flynn, Manchester, Tim Taylor, Nottingham, and Brad Hunt, Rotherham 

·         Leeds Carnegie wing Tom Biggs was the only player to run in two hat tricks during the season

·         The only prop to score a hat trick during the season was the Exeter Chiefs Chris Budgen whilst in the second row Moseley’s Ali Muldowney was the only one to cross the line three times in a match 

·         Two players had the unwelcome distinction to be on the bench in 27 of their sides 30 matches, hooker Stuart Pearl (Coventry), and prop Tom Mantell (Manchester)

·         Five players were sin binned four times and Otley provided two of them, Dan Hyde and Michael McCormish 

·         The most by a back was three by two players Martin Nutt (Newbury) and Keni Fisilau (Plymouth Albion)

·         Rotherham Titans and Bedford Blues used the least number of starters during the season with just 29, and they only used three other players who only appeared as replacements 

·         London Welsh had the most different starters with 43, three more than Exeter Chiefs and Newbury 

·         In the kicking strike rate list, with a qualification of 50 kicks at goal, Otley fly half Tom Rhodes led the way with a 76.47, with 39 of his 51 hitting the target   

·         Doncaster’s Jamie Lennard led the way with attempts, 146 and 103 were on target for a strike rate of 70.55

·         Most tries in a match went to the London Welsh back row man Tom Brown with five against Manchester in a 57-10 win and eight of the nine tries were scored by the Welsh forwards  

·         Newbury picked up the most Sin Bins with 23, three more than any other side 

·         There were six red cards during the season and the Cornish Pirates picked up two of them 

·         Champions Leeds Carnegie picked up the fewest Sin Bins with just nine, two fewer than any other side 

·         Only two teams scored more tries away form hom e than at home, Rotherham Titans, 53 to 47 and Otley 29 to 18 

·         Only two teams scored more points in the first half than the second, London Welsh 55 to 42 and Plymouth Albion 34 to 33 

·         Nottingham and Leeds Carnegie had the best record for tries in the last quarter with 47 apiece, Leeds also top scored in the 1^st and 3^rd quarter with Exeter Chiefs top scoring in the 2^nd with 45 one more than Leeds 

·         Doncaster and London Welsh were the only two sides to concede more tries at home than on the road 

·         Sedgley Park conceded 172 tries which weas a new record for the division, four more than Moseley conceded in the 2002/03 season from four matches fewer 

·         Moseley with eight collected the most penalty tries this season with eight, one more than Doncaster

·         In the front row stakes Exeter Chiefs led the way with 19 tries one more than Champions Leeds Carnegie 

·         % wise Plymouth Albion conceded the fewest tries form opposition wingers with just 16 out of 83 but they did have the highest % of tries by the opposition back row 23 out of 83

·         Newbury conceded the most penalty tries during the season with eight, one more than the Cornish Pirates

·         Only Leeds Carnegie and Nottingham did not concede a penalty try 

·         Manchester set a new record for tries conceded during a National One season with 170, two more than the previous record held by Moseley in the 2002/03 season in four matches fewer 

·         Coventry prop Chris Whitehead was the most subbed player coming off 21 times one more than Sam Heard, Cornish Pirates prop, and Nottingham scrum half Tim Usasz

·         Newbury were the only side not to manage an away win all season although they did manage a couple of draws 

·         Every team took at least one try bonus point on the road apart from Manchester 

Moseley lost six times at home and in five of those defeats took a losing bonus point