The Greene King IPA Championship returns after a fortnight's
break with Sunday's top-of-the-table clash between league leaders
London Welsh and third-placed Leeds Carnegie at the Kassam Stadium
taking star billing. Carnegie travel south to Oxford in great
shape, having made it through to the quarter-finals of the British
& Irish Cup after a 24-19 victory over Bristol -
their eighth win in a row.
It is a record matched by fellow B&I Cup quarter-finalists and
Yorkshire rivals, Rotherham Titans, who reached the knockout stages
of the B&I Cup for the first time with a 32-24 success at
Bedford Blues. The Titans' fine run of form has taken them to
second in the table with a trip to Jersey to come this Saturday.
Jersey won last season's corresponding fixture 13-10.
Bristol will fancy their chances of consolidating their place in
the top four if their head-to-head record against Sunday's
opponents Plymouth Albion is anything to go by. Bristol have won
the last 12 matches against the Devon side and have only lost once
at home all season.
Fifth plays sixth at the Athletic Ground on Saturday, with London
Scottish and Cornish Pirates both needing to win to stay in touch
with the top four. Two tries from scrum-half Tom Kessell helped
Pirates record a 16-8 victory at the Mennaye Field earlier this
season. Both of the previous Championship clashes at the Athletic
Ground have been tight affairs, with Scottish winning 25-24 in
2012/13 and Pirates 25-23 the year before.
A place in the Championship final was at stake the last time
Bedford Blues and Nottingham met at Goldington Road. Neither side
are currently in contention for the top four this time around as
the Blues, who went on to play Newcastle in last year's final, find
themselves in 7th place, four points ahead
of Nottingham in 10th. Nottingham won 26-24
on home soil earlier this season.
Two rapidly-improving sides meet at the foot of the table on
Saturday when Moseley take on Ealing Trailfinders at Billesley
Common. Moseley have won their last three games at home in league
and cup and are 10 points better off than Ealing, who, despite
propping up the division, have taken nine points from their last
two Championship away games.
Round 13 fixtures
Saturday January 25
Bedford Blues v Nottingham Rugby, KO 15:00
Jersey v Rotherham Titans, KO 15:00
London Scottish v Cornish Pirates, KO 15:00
Moseley v Ealing Trailfinders, KO 15:00
Sunday January 26
London Welsh v Leeds Carnegie, KO 14:30
Bristol Rugby v Plymouth Albion, KO 15:00
