New life was breathed into survival hopes while the title races in National Two East and West took a twist. Photo Credit: (Ian Clark)

National One

Richmond (1st) delivered a whopping statement of intent in the National One title race as they halted Plymouth Albion’s (4th) 10-match winning run with a blistering 54-0 victory.

Rob Powell’s side were 14-0 up at the break with Sam Pim and Greg Kitson crossing but after the interval, the league leaders flexed their muscles and delivered a message to their promotion rivals.

Alex Schwarz, Josh Addams (2) Tololima Savaiinaea, Kitson and Pim all went over for the table-toppers in a dominant display which keeps them five points clear at the top.

Second-placed Rotherham Titans are still applying the pressure as they battled to a 38-29 home win over Sedgley Park (10th). Harvey Biljon’s men were 26-5 ahead at half-time but had to fend off a spirited Sedgley fightback to claim the bonus-point victory.

After promotion from National Two North last term, the Titans remarkably find themselves in another engrossing title race which could once again go down to the wire.

Top Two: Final Four Games

Richmond: Sedgley Park (10th – A), Rams (5th – H), Rotherham (2nd – A), Blackheath (6th – H)

Rotherham: Rams (5th – A), Blackheath (6th – A), Richmond (1st – H), Rosslyn Park (3rd – A)

Thrid-placed Rosslyn Park are also in the conversation as they had to fight hard to overcome Birmingham Moseley (8th) 29-22. A ninth victory from their last 10 matches leaves Kieran Power’s side 10 points off the summit, with a trip to Plymouth to come in Round 23.

At the other end of the division, Leicester Lions (13th) gave their survival hopes a major shot in the arm as they clinched a crucial 26-15 away win at table rivals Esher (12th).

Gareth Collins’ side collected the full five points and denied Esher any points at all following tries from Arthur Allen (2), Ahren Crowley and Charlie Davies. The result leaves the Lions four points behind the EEEs with four matches to go.

Elsewhere, Blackheath (6th) prevailed 39-33 over Rams (5th) in an entertaining contest at The Utilita whilst there were tries galore at Heywood Road as Sale FC (7th) came back from 31-19 down to defeat Dings Crusaders (11th) 54-38.

And bottom club Darlington Mowden Park had their relegation confirmed in Round 22 as a Chris Smith hat-trick helped Bishop’s Stortford (9th) to a 41-12 victory in the North-East. It is the first time DMP have dropped out of the third tier for 11 years.

National Two North

Billingham (12th) recorded a timely first away victory for 18 months as they defeated Lymm (3rd) 35-22 to move out of the danger zone in National Two North.

Tries from man-of-the-match Anthony Jackson and Joe Ross gave Billingham a slender 14-12 half-time advantage, with Joe Higgins and Jack Reynolds putting Lymm on the board.

But tries from Jamie Lane, Tom Campbell and Luke Wilson took the game away from the hosts as Billingham marched into a 35-12 lead.

Lymm did conjure up two late scores to secure a try bonus but it was Billingham who claimed this vital win. The result has moved Peter Evans and Dan Finney’s side out of the bottom two and they now sit one point clear of Hull (13th) who dropped into the danger zone following a fifth defeat from their last six games.

The Yorkshire outfit were beaten 35-13 by Fylde (4th) while it was heartache for bottom club Harrogate after an agonising 33-31 home defeat against Tynedale (6th).

The Aces had led for the vast majority of the contest but fell behind seven minutes from time when Chris Wearmouth dotted down for Tyne. However, like in the reverse meeting back in November, Harrogate had the chance to win it with a late penalty but Rory MacNab’s effort was off target. The result leaves Harrogate level on points with Hull meaning just one point separates the bottom three sides.

Preston Grasshoppers (11th) may be looking over their shoulder slightly as they saw a 15-5 lead slip away from them in a 19-15 home defeat against Wharfedale (5th). Hoppers are now six points clear of the bottom two while any relegation fears for Sheffield Tigers (10th) were eased with a 38-23 win over ninth-placed Otley.

At the top, a powerful display from leaders Leeds Tykes saw them come from 23-19 down at half-time to defeat Chester (7th) 41-26 at Hare Lane. Pete Seabourne’s troops remain nine points clear of Sheffield (2nd) who surged to a 45-6 win at Hull Ionians (8th).

National Two East

The National Two East title race took another twist as Old Albanian (5th) battled back to stun league leaders Tonbridge Juddians as they clinched a 29-28 victory at Woollams.

After falling to a home defeat against promotion rivals Barnes in Round 21, it looked as though TJs were going to return to winning ways at the first time of asking after moving into a 28-12 lead on 65 minutes.

First-half tries from Connor Lloyd and Shadyn Osgood were built upon by Duncan Tout and Lloyd again, while Ben Alexander and Bailey Thomas had gone over for OAs.

And it was that combination of Alexander and Thomas that turned the game on its head as they both went over for converted scores – either side of a Sam Jones penalty – to complete a remarkable fightback.

TJs had to settle for two bonus-points but their defeat wasn’t as detrimental as perhaps first feared as rivals Barnes suffered a 24-19 loss away at sixth-placed Westcombe Park.

The outcome of Round 22 means TJs are now two points clear at the top – with a game in hand to come on March 29th away at Guernsey Raiders – while Dorking (3rd) might be back in the frame after their 65-12 thrashing of bottom club Worthing.

Three wins on the spin leaves Armand Roux’s troops six points off the summit while the defeat for Worthing leaves their survival hopes hanging by a thread.

The Raiders have a crucial home fixture against fellow relegation rivals Colchester (13th) to come in Round 23, while Colchester themselves also suffered a defeat at the weekend. The Blacks saw a 20-3 lead disappear as they were beaten 27-23 by Sevenoaks (11th) in a game overshadowed by a nasty head injury to Colchester fly-half Fin Creighton.

Elsewhere, Havant are nine points clear of the bottom two after they lost 20-13 at Henley Hawks (7th) while Canterbury (4th) held off a storming revival from Bury St Edmunds (9th) to secure a 40-38 win in Suffolk and Guernsey Raiders (8th) recorded a first away success since October as they beat Oxford Harlequins (10th) 49-34.

National Two West

Luctonians (8th) halted league leaders Camborne in their tracks as Ryan Watkins’ side produced an outstanding defensive display to claim a 25-17 win.

Away hooker Ben Priddey scored twice, either side of a couple of Owen Randell penalties, to give Camborne a 14-6 lead but a flurry of tries before the break put Luctonians ahead.

Owien Harriott-Davis, Charlie Grimes and Seb Robinson-Hall all crossed to make it 25-14, and the hosts restricted Camborne to just a penalty in the second period as they soaked up pressure from the visitors.

Crucially, in terms of the title race, Lucs also denied Camborne any points from their visit to Herefordshire meaning second-placed Clifton are now a single point behind their promotion rivals after a pulsating 60-36 win over Loughborough Students (7th).

 

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Five second-half tries to Loughborough’s one helped the Lavender and Blacks to their ninth successive home win and Clifton still have to welcome Camborne to Station Road on April 5th (Round 24).

Before that though, they will travel to an in-form Hornets who made it five wins in a row after defeating fourth-placed Cinderford 26-20 away from home. Following this result, Taunton moved back into third spot as they defeated bottom club Devonport Services 43-24, denting the latter’s survival hopes.

Devonport Services are now 15 points behind 12th-placed Macclesfield as the Blues arguably recorded their best victory of the season as they defeated Redruth (6th)31-14 in Cheshire.

The win for Matt Coleridge’s men took them closer to safety while Bournville’s (13th) struggles continued as they lost 45-20 at Old Redcliffians (10th).

Elsewhere, Hinckley (9th) recorded a sixth victory from their last nine games as they recovered from a slow start to defeat Exeter University (11th) 48-38.

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