By Tom Little.
March 17 2013

Results 16^th March

Blackheath                  53               17          Sedgley Park

Fylde                            22               15          Ealing Tfs

Loughborough Sts     36               35          Rosslyn Park

Macclesfield               16               13          Coventry

Tynedale                     64              14           Cambridge

Wharfedale                12               15          Old Albanian

This final week of catch up games leaving all teams with only 6 games left to play saw three very tight and within one score games, with the remaining three games all apparent mismatches.

Fylde maintained their record of beating all top four sides at home in a close encounter in beating leaders Ealing Tfs. The home side’s somewhat belated consistency in giving them their 4th win in a row broke a sequence of 12 unbeaten matches for Ealing. Too late for this season but surely Fylde can be a force in the top three for the next. The losing bonus point for the leaders still puts them 14 points ahead of Blaydon, and with just 6 games left are still clear favourites for promotion. Whether they have the wherewithal to survive in the Championship remains to be seen.

Relegation zone Macclesfield put more and more pressure on those teams above them, especially Wharfedale, as they came from behind to win a scrappy but close encounter with Coventry with a last minute try. A game that summed up Coventry’s season with their inability to close out games from a possession of strength. The only bright spot is that Cliffie Hodgson is now the league’s top points and kicking scorer. This season’s list of 7 games lost to last minute decisions, yellow cards and tries need to be sorted out if they have any creditable influence in a top 4 position next season. Macclesfield’s win, their 6 in a row puts them now only one point behind Wharfedale, so still everything to play for.

In another close encounter Wharfedale put more pressure on themselves, with a narrow home loss to Old Albanian. At least the losing bonus point keeps them just one point ahead of Macclesfield, but when both teams meet in April it could be winner takes all. After a somewhat sterile 70 minutes it only became exciting in the last 10 minutes with 2 Old Albanian tries but a last gasp try by Dan Solomi gave Wharfedale at least the losing bonus point which may prove crucial by the end of the season.

The other side trying to escape the relegation trap door Tynedale did their chances no harm with a 10 try demolition of bottom side Cambridge.  A bonus point win that moves them 6 points ahead of Macclesfield, and 5 points ahead of Wharfedale. The home side were the better all-round team and ran out deserved victors which leaves Cambridge facing relegation.

Another side facing almost certain relegation is Sedgley Park heavily beaten away to Blackheath. The home side having put behind them last week’s comprehensive defeat by Coventry with 9 tries, being 28 nil up at half time, including 2 more tries for Dave Allen. A fight back by Park in the second half initially put some gloss on their defeat but they were well outclassed in the end.

The final game saw a 9 try thriller with Rosslyn Park’s third loss in 4 games putting their fourth place under threat. Once again, and how many times have we said that this season, a late Students fight back being 13 points down and two tries in the last ten minutes by flanker Joe Atkinson gave them the win, which moves them up to 9^th place.

In summary then, Ealing’s lead despite yesterday’s loss has increased to 14 points and unless a catastrophic loss of form occurs will see them Champions probably with 4 weeks, whilst the third relegation spot is still open for grabs, with the form team Macclesfield putting increasing pressure on Wharfedale and Tynedale just above them.

Tom Little

Coventry Rugby press office

17^th March 2013

National league 1 results round up Saturday 16th March 2013.

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 17/03/2013 15:49

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
17/03/2013 15:49

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