Plymouth Albion's 13-season stay in the second tier of English
club rugby could come to an end this weekend if they fail to beat
Bristol for the first time in a decade and relegation rivals
Moseley win at Bedford. Albion go into round 20 of the GKIPA
Championship seven points adrift of the Birmingham-based side and
without a point to their name in their last three outings.
Meanwhile, third-placed London Scottish will book their place in
the promotion play-offs alongside Bristol Rugby and Worcester
Warriors with victory over top four rivals Nottingham Rugby.
Nottingham are currently in fourth, one point ahead of Rotherham
and six points better off than Yorkshire Carnegie.
The latest round of GKIPA Championship fixtures is one for the
traditionalists with five of the six games kicking off at 3pm on
Saturday afternoon.
Bedford Blues v Moseley, Saturday April 11, kick-off
3pm
Moseley won 26-13 on last visit to Goldington Road - their first
success over the Blues, home or away, since 2006. Bedford claimed
the points on the opening weekend of the New Year when the sides
met at Billesley Common, two tries inside the first 12 minutes
setting them on their way to a 23-15 victory.
Jersey v Cornish Pirates, Saturday April 11, kick-off
2.30pm
Pirates have won the last four meetings in all competitions, with
Jersey's last success coming in St Peter on November 16, 2013, when
tries from Mark McCrea, Joe Buckle and Tom Brown saw the Islanders
prevail by 27-25. This season's first encounter at the Mennaye
Field ended in a 30-12 win for the Pirates. Jersey have earned more
losing bonus points (7) than any other side in the league.
London Scottish v Nottingham Rugby, Saturday April 11,
kick-off 3pm
Nottingham signed off at Meadow Lane with a 22-21 win over London
Scottish, after Will Maisey's 78th-minute penalty proved to be the
decisive kick. Nottingham have a won five, lost two head-to-head
record against the Exiles in the Championship. London Scottish No.8
Mark Bright is the competition's leading try-scorer with 22: a
record individual tally in the history of the Championship. Fellow
back-rower, Nottingham's Brent Wilson, is joint third on 12.
Plymouth Albion v Bristol Rugby, Saturday April 11,
kick-off 3pm
Bristol Rugby's 14-match winning run against Plymouth Albion
stretches back over 10 years to March 5, 2005, when they lost 15-9
at the semi-final stage of the now defunct Powergen Shield
competition. Bristol have not been beaten in the league by Plymouth
since the Devonians won 12-7 at the Memorial Stadium on September
26, 2004. Bristol ran in nine tries in beating Albion 55-18 at
Ashton Gate.
Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights, Saturday April 11,
kick-off 3pm
Rotherham have won the last five South Yorkshire derbies but the
Knights have taken losing bonus points in the last two. Two tries
from former Knight Michael Keating and 13 points from the boot of
James McKinney earned Roth' a 23-21 win when the sides met at
Castle Park just over three months ago. Doncaster last won a
regular season meeting at Clifton Lane on December 27, 2008.
Worcester Warriors v Yorkshire Carnegie, Saturday April
11, kick-off 3pm
Worcester came back from a 14-0 half-time deficit to win 36-17 the
last time these sides met at Headingley on December 27, 2014. Sam
Smith scored four tries of the Warriors' six tries. Carnegie's last
visit to Sixways, on September 11, 2009, ended in a 27-7 defeat.
You have to go back to January 8, 2000 to discover their last win
at the Warriors' 'fortress'.
