Source: RFU
Sky Sports viewers and those in attendance at Meadow Lane on
Sunday should be in for a real treat as Nottingham and Bedford
Blues - two of the Championship's most entertaining
sides - go head-to-head.
Just two points separated the sides when they met at Goldington
Road in Round 4, with the Blues winning by 27 points to 25. But
Nottingham have kicked on since then to move into second place,
level on points with the Blues but with a superior points
difference.
Nottingham swapped places with the Blues after winning at
Rotherham in the last round of fixtures - their first league
win at Clifton Lane since 2007, while the Blues fell to a surprise
defeat at London Scottish.
The Green & Whites' ability to score tries was no better
demonstrated than in south Yorkshire, where they scored three times
in the final seven minutes to overturn a 12-8 deficit and win
32-12.
A high-scoring affair is in prospect as both sides average
nearly four tries per game in league rugby, while six of the last
seven meetings have yielded an aggregate of 50 points or more per
game.
While Nottingham v Bedford is a fitting finale to the next round
of the Championship, three intriguing matches are scheduled to take
place on Friday night.
Leeds Carnegie head to Bristol looking for their first win at
the Memorial Stadium since a 17-12 success there in the 2002/03
Premiership campaign. Leeds thrashed Bristol 50-31 when the sides
met earlier this season but Bristol won the corresponding game in
2011/12 by 33 points to 19.
Doncaster Knights could move off the bottom of the table if they
beat London Scottish at home and Jersey lose to Rotherham the
following day. But Scottish beat Doncaster 37-26, when the sides
met back in September, and have hit a good run of form of late with
their victory over Bedford preceded by a creditable point away to
runaway leaders Newcastle.
The Falcons are also in action on Friday. Dean Richards' men are
16 points clear of Nottingham and they will look to extend their
winning run in the league to 14 matches with victory over Cornish
Pirates. Pirates, who are just out of the play-off zone, were the
first side to deny the Falcons a try-scoring bonus point when they
were beaten 25-3 in atrocious conditions at the Mennaye Field in
Round 4.
Saturday's action features Jersey v Rotherham Titans and
Plymouth Albion v Moseley. Titans' captain Garry Law was the star
of the show when his side last played Jersey, contributing 29
points in an emphatic 54-31 victory at Clifton Lane. But Rotherham
will be mindful that Jersey's home form has improved of late with
three wins from their last four league games at St Peter.
Plymouth defend a four-game unbeaten home run against Moseley
when the sides meet at Brickfields. Moseley's last success at the
Devon ground came on January 2, 2011, when they won 20-10.
Round 14 fixtures
Friday, 25 January: Bristol Rugby Vs. Leeds Carnegie
19:45; Doncaster Knights Vs. London Scottish 19:45; Newcastle
Falcons Vs. Cornish Pirates 20:00.
Saturday, 26 January: Jersey Vs. Rotherham Titans
15:00; Plymouth Albion Vs. Moseley 15:00.
Sunday, 27 January: Nottingham Vs. Bedford Blues
14:45.
