Week 13 - Mind the gap!

The gap between the top eight and the bottom four clubs is now a small but precarious chasm after London Scottish lost to Doncaster at the Athletic Ground on Saturday.

Man of the match, James Kellard’s two second half tries sparked an Exiles revival to pull them level at 20-20; Scottish had been 17-0 down after 27 minutes. But with seven minutes to go, winger Ben Toft’s try in the corner gave the visitors the points and lifted the Knights 14 points clear of the relegation zone.

Fellow relegation dodgers Moseley bagged a bonus point win against injury-hit Esher at Molesey Road on Saturday, in a game that was much closer than the 14-29 scoreline suggests.

What separated two closely matched teams was Esher’s tally of dropped passes and their inability to hold onto the ball in contact.

Ed Jackson - prolific try scorer 

At Meadow Lane on Friday night, Nottingham moved into the top four for the first time this season by virtue of a 26-10 win over London Welsh. The Green and Whites had James Arlidge to thank, as the former Japanese international was metronomic with the boot, contributing six penalties and a drop goal. The Exiles were never in the game and a late try by Ed Jackson converted by Gordon Ross was nowhere near enough for a losing bonus point.

However, Welsh coach Lyn Jones announced the signing of former Wasps’ Heineken Cup winner, loosehead Tom French, in a move to strengthen the besieged Exiles’ front row.

Tom French - formerly with Wasps

Bristol travelled to Brickfields on Saturday where two late tries consolidated their place at the head of the Championship table. Pete Drewett’s Albion are showing signs of improvement and were still in the game at 3-11 until the 79^th minute, when they conceded a penalty try following a series of scrums close to their line. Although Bristol are now three points clear of the pack, coach Liam Middleton was disappointed not to secure the bonus point.

Bristol could have been further out in front had Rotherham been able to kick on from a 10-0 lead against Bedford at Goldington Road on Saturday. Rotherham coach Andre Bester was rather too vocal with his opinion that referee Matt Carley was inconsistent at scrum time, and was invited to sit out the second half away from the technical area.

Tries from Sam Walsh and Sasha Harding, both converted by James Pritchard, put the Blues ahead 14-13 at the break. Bedford replied to a converted try from flanker Robin Copeland - who is attracting Premiership attention – and a Garry Law penalty, with a try from hooker Chris Locke and a conversion and a penalty from Pritchard. Leading by a point late in the game, the Blues breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Law’s penalty attempt drift wide. This moves Bedford into second place, two points ahead of London Welsh.

Finally, at Headingly on Sunday, Leeds exacted revenge for their 52-10 thrashing at the Mennaye Field back in September. Leeds deservedly finished 14-13 ahead in a game not short of controversy. Leeds wingman Michael Stephenson was sent to the sin bin, and the Pirates were awarded a penalty try, after he was adjudged to have tackled David Doherty early. In the second half, referee Dean Richards over-ruled his assistants and nullified a 35-metre penalty attempt from Joe Ford.

However Stephenson had the last word when he crashed over in the corner to win it for Leeds.

This result leaves the Pirates in fifth place with 43 points, and resurgent Leeds in seventh, 13 points adrift of the leaders. For full details of results and the Championship table, click here: http://clubs.rfu.com/Fixtures/MatchByDivision.aspx?DivID=130433319

This weekend sees a return to British and Irish Cup action. Join me next week to see how the Championship clubs got on.

Championship round up- week 12

With nine outings remaining in the first round of the Championship, the fourteen point gap between the eight promotion hopefuls and the four teams fighting to avoid relegation, is beginning to look significant.        

Mike Schmid

For Esher, desperate to avoid bottom spot, their drab weekend began on Friday night at Molesey Road. Coach Mike Schmid felt that referee Llyr ApGeraint Roberts’s inconsistency with his cards cost his side dearly in a home game he saw as winnable. However, Nottingham had secured the bonus point and never looked like relinquishing a 28-0 lead before plucky Esher began to claw their way back into the game. A spirited comeback still left the home side on the wrong end of a 22-34 defeat, but 11^th placed Moseley’s home against Doncaster cut them further adrift at the foot of the table. However, the last 30 minutes will encourage Esher - who beat Oxford University 32-20 in their final warm up game before the Varsity Match - when they take on Moseley at home next weekend.

At Billesley Common on Saturday it took a try from skipper Andy Reay in the 76^th minute, converted by Brad Davies, to give Moseley victory by 17-15. The Knights had led by 15-10 for most of the second half until Reay finished off a half-break by replacement Ryan de la Harpe to add to Michael Ellery’s classy score from 50 metres in the 10th minute.

Andre Bester, Titans coach

It was the second consecutive defeat for new coach Peter Drewett as Plymouth went down to Rotherham at Clifton Lane On Saturday. Rotherham extended their run of home wins to six games and recorded their eighth league win but failed to maintain the pace they set in the opening 20 minutes in which they raced to a 14 point lead. Titans coach Andre Bester felt that they should have secured the bonus point by half time but slowed their pace to that of the visitors.

With Bristol at home next week and the short trip across the Tamar to face the Pirates on Christmas Eve, it might be Christmas Day in the work house for Albion and Drewett, as they struggle to move any closer to the leading eight.

The game of the weekend took place at the Old deer Park where second-placed London Welsh kept Bedford Blues in third slot with a 25-24 win in what Exiles coach Lyn Jones described as a great game by two good sides. However, Welsh allowed Bedford to recover from a 19-7 lead established through tries from Guillermo Roan, Hudson Tonga’uiha, and Joe Ajuna. Alex Davies added two conversions and a penalty. However the Blues examination of the Exiles’ weakness at the scrum resulted in a 33^rd minute penalty try to add to James Pritchard’s 18^th minute score which he converted. Two second half penalties from the reliable Davies in reply to Josh Bassett converted try was enough to see them home and sent them to the top of the class for a day.

On Sunday Bristol re-claimed top spot by exacting revenge over Leeds, ending their seven match winning run, with a 33-19 reversal at the Memorial Stadium in a game they controlled from the start. Too see the tries, click here: http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/7407/video-bristol-rugby-vs-leeds-carnegie/

Finally, at the Mennaye on Sunday, the Cornish Pirates emphasised the emerging gulf between the top eight and the bottom four, with a comprehensive six try bonus point win over visitors London Scottish. Jamie Sole, son of Scottish legend David (not the singer) made his debut for the Exiles. For match highlights, click here: http://cornish-pirates.com/pirates_tv/eye_player.htm

So, after round 13, click here to see how the Championship table looks: http://clubs.rfu.com/Fixtures/MatchByDivision.aspx?DivID=130433319

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND UP - round 11 - 30th Movember

Unquestionably the story of the week is the sudden departure of Graham Dawe from Plymouth Albion.

Graham Dawe - five England caps but discarded by Plymouth

Dawe, 51, had coached Albion for 12 years and only hung up his boots last season closing the door on a career that won him five England caps and a lengthy spell as first-choice hooker at Bath.

Although Albion are third from bottom in the Championship, Dawe - a farmer from Bude - steered the club from the foot of the former National Three South to the second tier of English club rugby.

Dawe had voiced concerns over plans for the Cornish Pirates proposed ground share with round ball neighbours Plymouth Argyle, should the Pirates achieve promotion to the Premiership.

However, Dawe’s magic wand, which had made silk purses out of many a sow’s ear over the years, had failed to produce results of late and Plymouth have turned to Peter Drewett for a new approach and a fresh start.

Ironically, Drewett, 52, a former England Students coach and Sports Science lecturer at Exeter University, was himself discarded mid-season by Exeter Chiefs in ’09, following perceived under-achievement during their penultimate Premiership campaign.

Peter Drewett - from Exeter to Plymouth

Neither Drewett not Dawe were available for comment, but while Dawe is left to ponder what to do next, the road ahead is fairly clear for Drewett: ensure that Albion finish in the top eight and avoid a relegation dogfight.

A 9-24 home defeat by high-fliers London Welsh, would suggest that Drewett has his work cut-out, and with two yellow cards, perhaps his first goal will be to keep 15 men on the turf for 80 minutes.

The shock result of round 12 was Doncaster’s comfortable 36-21 win over the Cornish Pirates at Castle Park. The Knights, who scored two tries in the first twenty minutes, took their opportunities well to establish a 30-14 half-time lead, which they never looked like relinquishing.

Leeds made it seven wins on the bounce with a 25-19 win in a game dominated by the boot. Thankfully for them, it was Joe Ford’s boot that accumulated three drop goals, three penalties and a conversion.

Bedford moved into top stop – if only on alphabetical order – following their 41-13 demolition of bottom-huggers Esher at Goldington Road. The Blues players, coaches and fans celebrated the wonderful event of Movember with a gala party following Saturday’s game.

The “Mo” has become the badge for men’s health, and the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. 

The home side scored six tries, including one from Paul Tupai, playing his 100^th game for the club.

Bristol share the top spot with Bedford on 43 points after a hard-fought victory at Richmond Athletic Ground. Tries from Rhys Lawrence and Fautua Otto sealed the victory but the visitors were made to work hard to penetrate tireless Exiles’ defence.

With London Scottish lying in eighth place on 19 points, this underlines the competitiveness of the division. However, with Doncaster one place above them on 32, the top eight clubs are distancing themselves from the relegation zone and it’s beginning to look like an uphill struggle for the bottom four come the play-offs.

Finally, Moseley remain second from bottom following a 62-20 thumping by Nottingham at Meadow Lane.

For the championship table, click here