Knights

After a shaky start to the season financially, London Welsh now find themselves 5th in the Championship (Knights 11th) even though they had 5 points deducted for breach of league rules. Without the deduction LW would be just above Bedford, in 4th, 1 point below equal 2nd Nottingham & Bristol. LW have played 7, won 4 and lost 3; the Knights have only won 2 of theirs but they have been the last 2 games, which puts us equal 8th on the form league table (Welsh equal 3rd).

Bedford Blues (4) and the Cornish Pirates (6) are amongst the Welsh’s conquests at Old Deer Park; in fact LW and Exeter are the only teams in the Championship yet to be beaten at home. At home, the Welsh have only leaked 39 points in 3 games (average 13) but they have scored 2 winning bonus points (average score/game = 33 points).

Errie Claasens (left wing) is the Championship’s equal 2nd top try scorers and Paul Sampson (full back) is equal 7th, each averaging a try within every 2 games. It’s not surprising then that nearly ½ of the backs tries scored have been by wingers. London Welsh forwards have only scored 4 tries; only the Bees and the Knights forwards have scored fewer.

Aled Thomas is the Championship’s equal 3rd top points scorer, equal 2nd on penalty kicks, in fact nearly 65% of Thomas’ points are from penalty kicks. Fortunately only 1/3rd of these penalty points have been at home. Therefore kickable penalties will be punished.

LW have scored 20 tries to the Knights’ 9. The Knights lie at the foot of the Championship try-scoring table but the majority of their 9 tries have been in the last 2 games.

Head-to-head the Knights have won 1, drawn 1 and lost 2 at Old Deer Park.

Within potential impact range for the Knights (11) this weekend;
Plymouth Albion (10) host Nottingham (2)
Cornish Pirates (6) travel to South Yorkshire to play Rotherham Titans (9)
And Moseley (7) travel about 5 miles to play the Bees (12).

In conclusion; it’s a big ask to beat London Welsh who haven’t been beaten at home yet and BUT it was a big ask to beat recent Premiership side, Bristol who had previously only lost to unbeaten Exeter and the Knights achieved that plus LW have only had 3 home games this season, so it’s hardly a long unbeaten run.

Incidentally an interesting game at the other end of the table sees Bedford (4) host Exeter (1). Exeter are unbeaten and Bedford’s only home loss was to Bristol by 1 point. Bedford scored an unconverted try to Bristol’s 3 penalties – how they must rue missing that conversion!