By Frank Stormont
January 8 2007

With the season nearly two thirds of the way throuh how difficult is it going to be to finish top?  

Who will win the race?

With National League One being just one game away from two thirds of the way through the season is there any indication as to who will win the race to the line?

I have taken the top 6 placed teams and looked forward to the matches they are still to play. If I had done this a year ago there would probably have been no argument as to who would end up champions.  This season, however, there are still five teams in the race and another one that stands an outside chance of finishing top at the end of the season.

The top half of the table after the first round of matches in 2007 stands like this.

The top four are within one win of the top and the eventual winner will need to do well in all their remaining games and particularly those against the top 4/6. 

Leeds Tykes sitting on top at the moment have to play both Doncaster and Albion, the last game of the season, away but also have 4 of the bottom 5 teams and they have Rotherham and Bedford at home.  Both Leeds and Doncaster are the only two teams that can win the leagues without relying on other teams not getting their full quota of points.

Doncaster sitting two points behind Leeds have probably the easiest run in to the end of the season playing Leeds at home and Pirates and Rotherham away to finish the season at home to Bedford.

 

Albion are only 3 points off the lead, with 6 home games to look forward to they will need to pick up all the points on the way to the last three matches of the season with Pirates at home, Bedford away and finishing the season at fortress Brickfields against current leaders Leeds.

 

Rotherham are still within one win of the lead but are the they still have to play the rest of the top 6. Their last three matches see them hosting Doncaster before travelling to Headingley and ending the campaign in Newbury.

 

Cornish Pirates are sitting on the bench waiting for other teams to fail but the still have a chance of the title. Their one advantage is that they do not have to face Leeds again but they still have to host Doncaster and Rotherham and visit Brickfields over Easter and finish their campaign in Coventry.

 

Bedford really must be considered as outsiders 15 points off the top but they may play their part in the eventual winners of the league. Like Rotherham they will see the rest of the top 6 before the season ends and they finish their season at Doncaster.

 

All this is with 19 matches already played and 11 to go. If this is not the way rugby should be I don't know what is.  Over the season we have seen some upsets with bottom quarter teams beating top quarter. No matches can be considered as certainties but should be considered as must wins. 

Also in the equation is injuries across the teams and how deep the squads are or what loan deals and favours can be called in to ensure their team stays in the fight.

I think it will be down to one of the top three at the moment as they all have a very good chance and many teams will be by their radios or mobile phones waiting for information on the other results at twenty to five on Saturday 28th April!

The Bottom and relegation?

On the bottom of the table  sit Waterloo with 14 points from 19 games who are unlikely to remain the National League 1 for more than one season. Which team will end up going down with Waterloo is more in question new team Moseley are currently sitting in the second relegation position but London Welsh and Otley sit above by only 2 points. The last matches of the season see Waterloo play Moseley and Otley play London Welsh..

 

Matches on the last day of the season (28th April)

Coventry v Cornish Pirates

Doncaster v Bedford

Exeter v Sedgley Park

Newbury v Earth Titans

Otley v London Welsh

Pertemps Bees v Nottingham

Plymouth Albion v Leeds

Waterloo v Moseley

 

Any Comments???