Plus, Macclesfield’s Jamie Harrison leads Cheshire club to second National Two West victory and a cluster of clubs enter November in fine form. (Photo Credit: Mike Inkley)

Eight is great for awesome foursome

With the first two months of the season now complete, league tables are starting to tell a story.

Whether or not narratives will remain the same between November and the end of the campaign, we will have to wait and see but for four clubs in particular, they enter the first break of the term in excellent shape after eight victories from eight.

In National One, table-toppers Rams extended their winning run with a gritty 21-16 success away at Plymouth Albion (8th). Seb Reynolds’ troops lost this corresponding fixture last season [28-22 back in April] so this visit to Devon could have been seen as a litmus test for their title credentials. In the end, it was a combination of some brilliant defence and a cutting edge which helped the league leaders over the line at Brickfields.

And for National Two North’s leading duo – Lymm (1st) and Leeds Tykes (2nd) – Round Eight proved to be far from straightforward for either side.

Lymm recovered from 18-7 down at half-time away at Hull (11th) – and punished the indiscipline of their hosts – to clinch a 24-18 bonus-point win while Leeds had to shrug off sixth-placed Preston Grasshoppers in order to secure a 35-29 victory and all five points.

It means the gap between the top two remains at just a single point and there is no escaping the fact that the pair meet in Round Nine with Lymm welcoming the Tykes to Crouchley Lane.

Lymm also head into the break with 40 points from 40 to their name and the only other team across National League Rugby who can boast that record is National Two East leaders Tonbridge Juddians.

For the second week running, TJs cut loose after half-time and in Round Eight, they surged to a 40-5 success against Westcombe Park (9th) to continue their pristine start.

Seven-game winless run over as Tigers find their roar

Only those within the Sheffield Tigers camp will know what was truly said in the aftermath of their 59-17 National Two North loss to Chester at the beginning of the month.

In his matchday programme notes before the club’s Round Six fixture against Fylde, Director of Rugby Jack Howieson gave us a strong indication. He described the previous week’s performance as “embarrassing” and said his players “lacked effort” but the Tigers boss will have been pleased with the reaction of his side over the course of October.

A much improved showing against the aforementioned Fylde (4th) may have been followed by a 33-20 loss away at Hull Ionians (8th) but after a stinging start to the month, the Yorkshire outfit were able to register their first win of the campaign following a 34-33 victory over Harrogate in Round Eight.

This encounter between two of the bottom three sides was always going to be an intense affair, and so it proved with the Tigers pipping their hosts at the Apollo Capital Stadium.

This entertaining clash contained 10 tries – five apiece – with the visitors holding a slender one-point advantage at the break following scores from Will Archer, James Norman and Tom Calladine, with Mark Ireland kicking seven points.

Jacob Percival added to tries from Kristan Dobson (2) and Charlie Head to put Harrogate in front, but Louis Redfern-Brown and Will Baker both touched down for a 34-26 lead.

Steve Maycock’s converted effort nine minutes from time set up a nervy finish in North Yorkshire but the Tigers held out for their first victory of the term.

Skipper Sedgwick helps to seal first victory for Sevenoaks

Regardless of the outcome at Sevenoaks’ Knole Paddock on Saturday, captain Scott Sedgwick was always likely to be the toast of the town.

Before their Round Eight National Two East meeting with Oxford Harlequins (11th), the 29-year-old hooker collected his 200th first XV cap but the skipper wanted to make sure it was going to be a day to remember for more than just one reason.

Adam Bowman’s side entered the final weekend of October still without a win to their name, but encouraging recent displays on the road against Old Albanian (8th) and Henley (5th) would have given them positives to work with.

 

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Hosting newly-promoted Oxford Harlequins – who picked up their first victory of the term in Round Seven – felt like an opportunity for Sevenoaks to open their account and led by Sedgwick, they did just that as they secured a 43-29 success.

The hooker marked his special day by scoring a hat-trick after Oaks had flown out of the blocks following tries from Brayden Porteous and Finlay Stables. Barney Stone and Drew Forrester also got in on the act in the second half to lift the Kent outfit out of the bottom two.

The perfect day for Sedgwick then, and an ideal way for Sevenoaks to head into the first ‘rest weekend’ of the campaign.

Hat-trick hero Harrison helps continue Priory Park positives for Macc

Before Round Eight, nine of Macclesfield’s 11 points in National Two West had come on their own patch.

Considering the challenges the league presents to the newly-promoted Cheshire outfit, collecting points at Priory Park continues to feel crucial to any success they have this term so overcoming bottom-of-the-table Devonport Services 47-35 is another major tick in the box for Matt Coldridge’s troops.

Leading the charge was hat-trick hero Jamie Harrison as two of his three tries helped the Blues eventually pull away from their visitors.

Devonport – who are still without a win this term – were only 26-21 behind on 50 minutes following efforts from Aiden Taylor (2) and Daniel Goldstone but Harry Oliver’s score and a brace from former Sedgley Park flyer Harrison ultimately sealed the contest.

Before that, the hosts had led by 12 points thanks to Harrison’s first and tries from Mason Winterburn and Sam Adu (2). The triumph for Macclesfield moves them out of the bottom two and with a trip to 13th-placed Hinckley to come next time out on November 9th, it could become a key few weeks for the Blues.

Teams enter break with momentum

After eight consecutive weeks of full-throttle National League Rugby, we think it is safe to say that coaches and players alike will be looking forward to the first ‘rest weekend’ of the season next Saturday.

But for some, they might not want to press the pause button.

Outside of the leaders, a cluster of teams will begin November in the middle of purple patches of form with National Two East’s Dorking (3rd) one of those clubs. Not for the first time this season, Armand Roux’s side flew out of the blocks in Round Eight and three tries in the first 10 minutes set the platform for their 38-25 victory over a spirited Colchester (14th).

Their victory at Raven Park was their seventh in a row while National One’s Rosslyn Park (4th), National Two North’s Fylde (4th) and National Two West outfit Taunton Titans (2nd) have stitched together five match-winning runs.

After three straight defeats to begin the campaign, Park have certainly hit their stride and they saw off a battling Leicester Lions (12th) 48-24 on Saturday while Fylde recovered from a slow start away at bottom-of-the-table Tynedale to surge to a 45-22 success.

As for Taunton, they soaked up severe Cinderford (7th) pressure and were clinical in key moments to seal a 28-17 triumph in Somerset.

Also in National Two West, ninth-placed Hornets made it three wins on the spin following a chaotic 46-40 victory over Old Redcliffians (5th).

After a rapid start from the hosts, which saw them lead 17-0, a red card for prop Jake Caulfield threatened to derail them but two yellow cards for Old Reds allowed Hornets to stretch their lead to 38-7 thanks to three more converted tries.

In the second period, the men from The Nest managed to move 46-21 ahead and despite three scores in the final 10 minutes from Old Redcliffians’ Mitch Pursall, Gethin O’Callaghan and Tom Ford, Hornets held on to continue their positive form.

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