Bedford Blues were the biggest winners in round seven of
the Greene King IPA Championship after their 15-10 victory at home
to Yorkshire Carnegie saw them climb three places up the table to
sixth. The Blues started the weekend in ninth place but a first
home win over Carnegie in four attempts sees them leapfrog Friday
night's opponents as well as Jersey and Doncaster.
Moseley were the only other team to improve their position, thanks
to a 28-13 win away to Doncaster Knights. The Birmingham side are
now nine points clear of Plymouth Albion who continue to prop up
the division after being beaten at home to second place
Worcester.
The top four remains unchanged with Bristol holding a two-point
lead over the Warriors, London Scottish a further four points
adrift back in third and Rotherham fourth. Nottingham hold onto
fifth spot despite their defeat at home to Bristol. The Green &
Whites could move into the play-off zone if they end Moseley's
impressive run and Rotherham lose away to Bristol.
Worcester Warriors v Jersey, Friday 21 November, KO
19:45
Worcester extended their winning run to nine matches with a
hard-fought 22-10, bonus-point victory away to Plymouth Albion.
Jersey were beaten 38-17 at London Scottish. Friday night's game
will be the first time the sides have met in a competitive
fixture.
Yorkshire Carnegie v Plymouth Albion, Friday 21 November,
KO 20:00
Yorkshire Carnegie have never lost at home to Plymouth in the
league, a record they will be looking to extend in an attempt to
get their season back on track after four straight Championship
defeats. Albion's own winless streak continued beyond six months
with defeat to Worcester in round seven. They are now seven points
adrift at the foot of the table. Carnegie have won eight and drawn
one of the 11 meetings between the sides at this level, with both
Albion's victories coming at Brickfields.
Doncaster Knights v London Scottish, Saturday 22 November,
KO 14:30
Doncaster slipped to only their fourth defeat of the league season
after being beaten 28-13 by Moseley on Saturday. Scottish go into
round eight in third on 26 points, 12 points and five places
ahead of the Knights. Doncaster did the double over London Scottish
in the 2011/12 season but the Exiles repaid the favour the
following year by winning both home and away including a 14-9 win
at Castle Park.
Moseley v Nottingham Rugby, Saturday 22 November, KO
15:00
Moseley go looking for a hat-trick of victories after wins over
London Scottish and Doncaster. Moseley last won three in a row in
the league in November last year. Meanwhile, their wait for a first
half try of any description continues after they failed to cross
the whitewash before half-time for the seventh match running at
Doncaster. Nottingham's two-game winning run came to an end on
Friday night with a 27-13 home defeat to leaders Bristol. In last
season's corresponding fixture Moseley won 29-15, and in doing so
ended a run of 11 defeats to Nottingham. Debutant fly-half Caolan
Ryan kicked 19 points that day in addition to tries from Ant Carter
and Adam Parkins. In total, the teams have met 16 times at this
level with Nottingham victorious in 14 of them.
Bristol Rugby v Rotherham Titans, Sunday 23 November, KO
15:00
Bristol have beaten Rotherham the last six times they have met.
The Titans' last win in Bristol was on the opening day of the
2010/11 season, when Juan Pablo Socino, during his first spell at
the club, kicked 16 points in a 26-24 victory at the Memorial
Stadium. In the overall head-to-head Bristol have won 13 and lost 7
since the first meeting between the two sides on 24 October,
1998.
Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues, Sunday 23 November, KO
15:00
Cornish Pirates slipped to second from bottom after losing to
Rotherham for the fourth match in a row. A Tom Kessell try and 11
points from the boot of Kieran Hallett earned Pirates a 16-13 win
in last season's corresponding fixture. Bedford's last win at the
Mennaye Field was by 26 points to 18 on 31 March, 2013, when Myles
Dorrian kicked 16 points and scored one of the Blues' two
tries.
