Rugby Round Up - Previews 29 December

National One - The Weekend Ahead


Published: 25/01/2008

Leaders Northampton Saints are at home to 13th placed Sedgley Park looking
to make it 20 in a row in National One. In fact they are 37 unbeaten in
National One as they were unbeaten in their last season in this division
when they won all 18 matches



The Saints have won all ten matches at Franklin’s Gardens this season.

They have actually conceded more tries at home this season than on the road
14 to 11.



Park have played ten matches on the road this season and lost seven times
picking up just two wins at Esher and Rotherham and a draw at Moseley.

Park after a good little run have slipped to four defeats in their last five
matches and are looking to avoid a third straight defeat.



Second placed Exeter Chiefs have a tough home match against the Cornish
Pirates as they look to recover form last weeks loss.



The Chiefs at Sandy Park this season have won nine out of ten coming unstuck
against the Saints. They saw their winning run come to an end last Saturday
and will be keen to get back to wining ways.

The Pirates on the road this season have played ten times and have a great
record with eight wins and just two defeats against the Saints and Plymouth
Albion.

They are fourth in the Form Guide with five wins in their last six matches
as they look for a fourth straight win.



Third placed Doncaster are away at Pertemps Bees looking to stay ahead of
Nottingham who they are level on points with.



At Sharmans Cross this season the Bees have managed just two wins in 10
matches against Coventry and Cornish All Blacks.

The Bees are one of two teams at the bottom of the Form Guide with six
defeats in their last six matches.

They have collected eight losing bonus points from their 17 defeats this
season the joint most losing bonus points along with Sedgley Park.

In ten matches on the road Doncaster have collected eight wins and lost just
twice

against the top two, Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints

After suffering back to back defeats they have gone on to win four in a row
and get back on track.



Fourth placed Nottingham are at home to London Welsh looking to try and get
maximum points to take advantage of any slip form Doncaster.



Nottingham have already played 11 times at Meadow Lane this season and
managed eight wins whilst coming unstuck against Doncaster, Northampton and
Moseley and in all three defeats they took a losing bonus point.

They have picked up 12 try bonus points second only to the Saints who have
14.

The Welsh are on a winning run as they look to make it four straight wins.

On the road they have played nine matches and have collected three wins at
Coventry, Pertemps Bees and Rotherham. In the six defeats they have only
managed one losing bonus points.

Only the bottom two have scored fewer points than the Welsh this season.



Sixth placed Bedford Blues have a tough away match at ninth Coventry at the
Butts Arena.



Coventry have played nine times at home this season and collected four wins
and five defeats and in three of the five defeats they have taken a losing
bonus point overall they have collected seven losing bonus points the third
highest total in the division. .

They returned to winning ways last Saturday to end a two match losing run.



On the road the Blues have played nine times and managed just three wins and
slipped to six defeats and in the six defeats have taken just two losing
bonus points.

They returned to wining ways last Saturday as they ended a three match
losing run with an excellent win over the Chiefs.



Seventh placed Plymouth Albion are away at bottom of the table Cornish All
Blacks looking to return to winning ways.



The Cornish All Blacks have played nine times at Polson Bridge this season
and managed just three wins.

They have scored the fewest points and conceded the most in the division.

In their 15 defeats they have managed just three losing bonus points.



Albion have played ten times on the road and collected four wins and in four
of the six defeats they have left with a losing bonus points.

They are at the wrong end of the Form Guide with just one win in their last
six matches.



Eighth placed Esher are at home to 12th placed Rotherham Titans looking for
a ninth win of the season in 21 minutes as they continue to an excellent
first season at this level of rugby.



At home this season they have played nine times and collected three wins and
in just two of the six defeats they have collected just two losing bonus
points.

They returned to winning ways last Saturday at Sedgley Park after a two
match losing run.



On the road the Titans have played ten times and picked up three wins and in
the seven defeats they have left win just one losing bonus point.

Along with the Bees they are the only side to lose their last six matches
and have slipped down the table. In 13 defeats they have collected just two
losing bonus points.



11th placed Newbury are at home to third bottom Moseley at Monks Lane
knowing a win could move them up a couple of places in the table with London
Welsh and Coventry having tough fixtures.



Newbury have lost three of their last four matches and are near the bottom
of the Form Guide.

At Monks Lane this season they have been managed four wins in nine matches
and in five of the defeats they have conceded over 30 points.



On the road Moseley have played 10 times and done well picking up five wins
and in four of the five defeats they have conceded over 30 points.

They are looking to avoid a third straight defeat and are level with Newbury
in the Form Guide with two wins in their last six matches.

They have managed just two try bonus points which is the joint lowest in the
division.

PREDICTIONS


Esher v Rotherham Titans

Esher home win by nine points


Pertemps Bees v Doncaster

Doncaster away win by eight points


Newbury v Moseley

Home win for Newbury by nine points


Northampton Saints v Sedgley Park

Saints by 20 points over Park


Coventry v Bedford Blues

Home win for Coventry by five over the Blues


Nottingham v London Welsh

Home win for Nottingham by eight


Exeter Chiefs v Cornish Pirates

Chiefs by six at Sandy Park over the Pirates


Cornish All Blacks v Plymouth Albion

Albion away win by eight points