By Tom Little.
October 24 2011
Week 9 results round up with week 10 - 29th October previews including Coventry Rugby v Rosslyn Park.
Week 9 22nd 0ctober results round up.
BirminghamSolihull 20 49 Cambridge
Blackheath 35 18 Barking
Cinderford 32 30 Stourbridge
Coventry 36 25 Macclesfield
Ealing Tfs 46 15 Blaydon
Fylde 39 28 Tynedale
Jersey 31 10 Sedgley Park
Rosslyn Park 21 17 Wharfedale
For once a week of form results and no real surprises, with 7 out of 8 home wins, although it should be noticed that there were a record 67 tries scored. The only away win was by the improving Cambridge over a shell shocked Bham Solihull team, still reeling from having 5 points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.
League leaders EalingTfs go on their serene unbeaten way with a bonus point win over Blaydon.
Coventry with their magnificent win over previously 2nd placed Macclesfield, move up to 4th, whilst Fylde who had a difficult win over Tynedale , takeover 2nd place, with Cambridge third, yet there are still only 3 points separating 2nd and 7th place.
In the relegation zone Cinderford managed to beat fellow strugglers Stourbridge, with now a gap appearing between the top 7 teams and especially the three at the bottom - Wharfedale, Birmingham Solihull and Stourbridge.
Week 10 fixtures 29th October previews
Barking v Ealing Tfs
Blaydon v Jersey
Cambridge v Blackheath
Coventry v RosslynPark
Macclesfield v Fylde
SedgleyPark v Cinderford
Stourbridge v Wharfedale
Tynedale v BirminghamSolihull
Ealing must be favourites to continue their 9 game unbeaten run, away at Barking. Key games of the week for those chasing Ealing, must be six of the top seven teams facing each other, with Macclesfield at home to Fylde, whilst Cambridge face a potential banana skin at home to improving Blackheath.
Another important game is at the Butts Park Arena betweenCoventryandRosslynPark, the winning team poised to put more pressure on the teams above them.
In the relegation zone two of the three teams namely Stourbridge and Wharfedale face each other, whilst Birmingham Solihull face a difficult trip to Tynedale.
Coventry Rugby v Rosslyn Park preview.
For the second week running Coventry Rugby face a team who did the double over them last season. Rosslyn Park are the visitors to Butts Park Arena, for the Saturday 29th October home fixture, kick off 3pm.
Despite finishing a creditable 7th last season, Rosslyn Park made the sudden and unexpected decision pre season to replace respected head coach Florent Rossigneux, with the ex Saracens Academy and existing English Counties backs coach, Jan Bonney.
The ambitious Rosslyn Park board are looking to move the London club into being promotion candidates.
Last season they finished in 7th place just one position and two points above Coventry. At present they also lie in 7th place, just 2 points behindCoventryin 4th. There were high scoring affairs last season between the two sides, with Rosslyn Park winning the away fixture 27-34, and the home by 43-26. Danger man goal kicking fly half Ross Laidlaw proved the difference in the away fixture scoring 19 points.
Rosslyn Park have recruited some experienced players with a front row from Bedford of hooker Dan Richmond and prop Laurence Ovens. Speedster Dom Shabbo centre, comes in from London Welsh.
Players to watch are prodigious goalkicking No 10 Ross Laidlaw, and back Ed Lewis-Pratt. Fullback Miles Mantella is leading try scorer on 7 tries, with another speedster Neville Edwards on the wing.
Under Captain No 8 Mark Lock, Rosslyn Park have a very similar record to that of Coventry, with 3 away wins coming at Barking, Tynedale and Macclesfield, and a very narrow away loss at Cambridge by just 4 points.RosslynParkcome toCoventryon the back of a run of 4 wins, soCoventrycannot afford to take them lightly.
Their two other losses have come at home against league leaders Ealing Tfs and Jersey.
This all points to another exciting and nerve wracking close encounter at the Butts Park Arena.
Tom Little
Coventry Rugby press office
