For the second season running, the National Two North promotion battle looks set to go the distance but Round 19’s meeting between the top two could give us a better indication of who could be on the road to National One. (Photo Credit: Mike Inkley)

Your previews for Round 19…

National One

As the final two months of the season begin to sneak up on the horizon, a game involving one of the title candidates in National One is always going to have an extra layer of intrigue attached to it and Round 19 is no different.

After returning to the summit of the third tier last week, Richmond will be looking to maintain – or perhaps – extend their three-point lead at the top when Rob Powell’s troops visit 13th-placed Leicester Lions. From the hosts’ perspective, their bid to avoid the drop doesn’t get any easier as after this weekend, they would have played four of the current top five teams in a row.

One of those sides were third-placed Rotherham Titans, who, despite injury and illness in their squad last week, were able to record a 24-7 victory over the Lions at Clifton Lane. Harvey Biljon’s men – who sit six points behind Richmond with a game in hand – have now won nine of their last 10 matches, and that run incidentally began after a 45-34 home defeat against their Round 19 opponents Bishop’s Stortford (8th).

This weekend, Stortford will welcome Rotherham to Silver Leys with a spring in their step after Adam Coleman’s charges stunned title challenges Rams last time out. The Hertfordshire outfit claimed a brilliant 34-25 victory at Old Bath Road, and they will believe they can take down another top-three side.

Like Rotherham, Rams (2nd) are also in the Midlands to face seventh-placed Birmingham Moseley. Last time out, Moseley returned to winning ways at Sedgley Park and they did get the better of Rams in this corresponding fixture last April, but the title-chasing visitors will be fired up and after a reaction.

Also in National One, Rosslyn Park (4th) travel to Dings Crusaders (10th) after dispatching Sale FC 52-33 in Round 18 while Esher (12th) host Blackheath (6th) at Molesey Road. The EEEs are currently on a three-game winning streak and have moved 12 points clear of the bottom two while the in-form team in the division, Plymouth Albion (7th), who have won their last seven matches, will be aiming to add to that tally at home against Sedgley Park (11th).

Finally, Sale FC (8th), who are targeting a third consecutive home win, welcome bottom-of-the-table Darlington Mowden Park to Heywood Road.

National Two North

We honestly don’t say this lightly, but winning seems to have become routine for Leeds Tykes (1st) and Sheffield (2nd). Both sides will be quick to point out that some of their recent victories have been anything but ‘routine’, but the efficiency and relentlessness of the leading pair has been mightily impressive.

Leeds – who hold a one-point advantage over their rivals – have won their last nine games while Sheffield are the in-form team across National League Rugby, having stitched together a run of 11 straight victories.

But something has got to give in Round 19 as two of National Two North’s title candidates collide in West Yorkshire.

For Leeds, there might be a sense of déjà vu having gone the distance with fellow Yorkshire counterparts Rotherham last term, so Pete Seabourne’s side has experience when it comes to the sharp end of the season.

In terms of Sheffield, this feels like uncharted waters but the way Anthony Posa’s team has built from last year’s historic third-place finish speaks volumes about the progression of the Abbeydale Park outfit.

In the reverse fixture back in Round Seven, the Tykes edged it 13-12 thanks to a late James Watts penalty but since then, Sheffield have not lost a game. Whilst the destination of the title won’t be decided this weekend, whoever comes out on top will have the wind in their sails heading into the penultimate month of this gripping campaign.

But there is a third competitor in this promotion race. Lymm (3rd) had their aspirations dented last time out after suffering a rare 47-33 home defeat against an in-form Tynedale. The setback leaves Adam Fletcher and Andy Davies’ men nine points off the top – with a game in hand – so they will be after a reaction when they visit Otley (12th) on Saturday.

In terms of Otley, they narrowly missed out on ending their four-match losing streak in Round 18 after missing two tricky penalties late on against Preston Grasshoppers. Like Lymm, they will also want to bounce back this weekend.

Elsewhere, Otley’s table rivals Billingham (13th) host Wharfedale (6th). The North-East side are aiming for their third successive home victory and will be looking to repeat the 20-17 win they achieved against Dale last April.

At the bottom of the table, Harrogate will aim to build on their two bonus points from Round 18, where they narrowly lost 29-26 to Chester, against a Fylde side who have lost three of their last four games.

Hull, currently 11th, face Preston Grasshoppers, who are ninth, in a crucial bottom-half clash. Preston’s recent run of three wins from their last four has eased their relegation fears while Sheffield Tigers (10th), buoyed by their Round 18 win over Fylde, host Hull Ionians (8th), who ended a run of five straight defeats last time out with a comeback 40-26 win against Billingham.

Finally, fifth-placed Tynedale, with just one defeat in 10, will be looking to extend their impressive run when they entertain Chester (8th).

National Two East

Registering victories for 13th-placed Worthing is starting to become a bit of a necessity and on this week’s National League Rugby Preview Show, head coach Fred Pierrepont didn’t shy away from that fact.

The Raiders currently sit 12 points from safety, but signs of picking up some vital wins have been present in their last two games against Canterbury and Old Albanian respectively. In their last home outing against Canterbury, they fought back from 22-10 down to earn two bonus points in a 29-25 defeat. In Round 18 at Old Albanian, they were three minutes away from victory before the boot of Sam Jones condemned them to a narrow 36-34 loss.

So, the West Sussex outfit, whilst frustrated, will be aiming to take some positives into their Round 19 home clash with Bury St Edmunds (8th), who announced this week that Director of Rugby Jacob Ford would be departing the club at the end of the season.

Worthing’s meeting with Bury St Edmunds is also their annual Rugby Against Cancer fixture, where the Raiders will be supporting the charity by taking part in their ‘sock takeover’.

In terms of Worthing’s table rivals – bottom club Colchester and 12th-placed Oxford Harlequins – they actually meet in Round 19 at Raven Park with both keen to take a seat in the winners’ lounge.

For Colchester, they haven’t tasted victory since Round 10 when they defeated Sevenoaks 28-23 away from home but that winning feeling for Oxford Quins occurred as recently as last weekend when they stunned third-placed Dorking.

After falling 19-0 behind after just 21 minutes, a flurry of five tries in a 15-minute spell flipped the contest on its head as Pete Davies’ side surged into a 33-19 lead which they later converted into a 48-24 success. A repeat of this on Saturday could be significant in Oxford Quins’ bid to stay in National Two East.

From a Dorking perspective, that result dented their title hopes as they enter this weekend 11 points off league leaders Tonbridge Juddians. Armand Roux’s troops will be looking to respond in Round 19 but welcome the division’s form side – Westcombe Park (5th) – to The Big Field, with the visitors having won their last seven.

As for table-toppers Tonbridge Juddians, they face Canterbury (4th) away from home in what should be a cracking Kent derby. TJs will be looking to maintain or extend their six-point gap at the summit whilst Canterbury have lost just once on their own patch this season.

Second-placed Barnes will be hoping Canterbury have more home comforts, but Jack Heald’s side – who have played a game more than Tonbridge Juddians – will be focused on their own job when they visit 10th-placed Havant.

Elsewhere, Guernsey (7th) host Old Albanian (9th) and Henley (6th) will be eyeing up a fourth win from their last five matches when they take on Sevenoaks (11th).

National Two West

Exeter University (11th) underlined a key win over Luctonians at the start of the month by clinching a dramatic 30-29 victory against old foes Loughborough Students (8th) in Round 18.

A last-minute try from National Two West Player of the Week James Boylan and a cool conversion from Benji Mills secured back-to-back wins for Gareth Elliott’s side to leave them 10 points clear of the danger zone.

The Green and Whites take a trip to Hornets (9th) this weekend before what feels like a crucial game in hand away at 13th-placed Macclesfield. If Exeter can collect a further win or two before the start of March, any fears of relegation may fade into the background.

Bournville (12th) don’t quite have the cushion of Exeter, so will be desperate to begin climbing the table after a run of just one win from their last 10 matches. However, to start in Round 19 could be extremely tricky with the Chocos visiting table-toppers Camborne who have won all nine of their home games this term.

The Cherry and Whites came through a stern examination of their title credentials in Round 18 away at Hinckley, while second-placed Clifton got the better of bottom-of-the-table Devonport Services 42-26 to remain six points behind their rivals.

This weekend, Matt Salter and Luke Cozens’ troops go to Macclesfield (13th) while elsewhere, third-placed Cinderford visit an in-form Redruth who lifted themselves to fifth in the standings last week.

Also in National Two West, Taunton (4th) will be aiming for three wins in a row for the first time since October when they face Luctonians (6th) while Loughborough (8th) welcome Old Redcliffians (7th) to the Midlands and Hinckley (11th) entertain Devonport Services (14th).

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