RFU Championship Round Eight preview and stats
Bedford Blues
If Saturday’s clash between Rotherham and Doncaster is anywhere near half as dramatic as their last meeting then supporters at Clifton Lane will be in for a treat.
Gary Law’s boomerang kick to win the match for Rotherham, in front of a record Doncaster crowd of over 4,000, will long be remembered by all those at the ground and watching at home on Sky Sports.
The 15-14 victory completed a season’s double for Rotherham over the Knights as they had won 23-10 at home earlier in the campaign.
These sides met five times the previous year, with Doncaster the dominant force on this occasion with four victories to their name in all competitions.
Rotherham’s only success was a one-point win at home during the regular season. Points from this match will contribute towards the Yorkshire Regiment Trophy.
Four other matches follow an hour later on Saturday afternoon, with the top-of-the-table clash between Bedford Blues and Newcastle Falcons being the pick of the three o’clock kick-offs.
Bedford lost their unbeaten record in going down 23-13 at Bristol on Sunday, while the Falcons arrive at Goldington Road on the back of a 33-0 victory over Rotherham – their seventh consecutive league win.
These sides last met in league action in the Premiership on April 8, 2000, when Bedford won 32-22. Ex-England internationals Paul Sackey and Andy Gomarsall were on the scoresheet for the Blues that day.
Nothing could separate Moseley and Cornish Pirates the last two times that the sides met at Billesley Common, each game ending in a draw 27-27 in 2011-12 and 26-26 in 2010-11.
Fresh from their first Championship win of the season, Jersey will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run to four games when they take on Plymouth Albion in St Peter.
Jersey managed to build on two good results in the British & Irish Cup with a 20-17 win over London Scottish.
Finally on Saturday, London Scottish play Leeds Carnegie at The Athletic Ground.
Leeds did the double over Scottish in 2011-12 but the Exiles managed to get a losing bonus point on each occasion, suggesting a tight match could be in prospect.
Sunday’s solitary fixture comes in the Midlands where Nottingham Rugby entertain Bristol Rugby at Meadow Lane.
The sides are certainly no strangers to each other having met nine times in the last two seasons alone.
Nottingham lost three and drew one of the four meetings in 2011-12, but recorded three straight home wins in all competitions over Bristol the previous year.
Saturday, November 8
Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights, 2pm
Bedford Blues v Newcastle Falcons, 3pm
Jersey v Plymouth Albion, 3pm
London Scottish v Leeds Carnegie, 3pm
Moseley v Cornish Pirates, 3pm
Sunday, November 9
Nottingham Rugby v Bristol Rugby, 3pm
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Weather for Bedford
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
