Post by Jamie Crawford on Dec 24, 2018 18:33:46 GMT
Carnegie in Championship Preview
sponsored by Porsche Centre Sheffield (www.porschesheffield.co.uk)
Round 10, Castle Park (www.drfc.co.uk) Sat 29th Sep, 2017 - 2:15pm
Back to Championship action for our last game of 2018. On Saturday we play Carnegie for the third time in five weeks. Carnegie have taken the honours in our last two encounters but the Knights are closing the score gap. Carnegie won each game, firstly 33-20 in Hull, then 18-20 at Castle Park. We gained seven points in our margin of defeat to lose by two, if we gain another seven points we’ll win by five – or is that flawed logic?!!
The last two games were in the Championship Cup but this Saturday is in the Championship league. Carnegie had resurgence in the Cup after being at the bottom of the Championship table for weeks and only winning one of nine games played. Carnegie’s massive spending spree, recruiting eleven players has obviously paid off. Chris Stirling (Carnegie DoR) said in the Yorkshire Evening Post last October that Carnegie are looking at round ten (this game) to mark the beginning of their winning form. The likes of Sam Nixon and Jacob Umaga have Premiership experience with Bath and Wasps respectively, while Myles Thoroughgood and Tom Hill have joined from New Zealand clubs. If the Championship Cup results are an indication, then I expect Carnegie to start their way up the Championship table from their next fixture; round eleven on 13th January when they host the Cornish Pirates.
Hartpury College will have noted Carnegie’s resurgence nervously as they are only three points above Carnegie in the Championship table plus they have got to play their tenth-round game to London Irish. Richmond are five points above the students and we are six points above.
New Zealand winger Elija Biko has scored a try in his each of his first two games for Carnegie, so keep an eye out for Winger Biko Knights.
There’s no point stating statistics over the first nine Championship games because we all know that we are going to play a very much improved Carnegie side. It was one win from nine Championship games up to the end of October. Since then Carnegie have won five out of six Championship Cup games. Coventry, ourselves and Nottingham are all above Carnegie in the League and so Carnegie should have lost every game. Cov were the only ones that beat them at their fortress; 51-32 @ Butts Park Arena. So Carnegie may be resurgent but not unbeatable and they haven’t got an impenetrable defence.
Other fixtures occurring around the UK that could affect our ninth place in the Championship are:
Richmond (10th, 1 point below) welcomed Bedford Blues (5th) on 22/12/18
Coventry (7th, 4 points above) travelled to Lady Bay to play Nottingham (4th) on 23/12/18
London Scottish (8th, 1 point above) travel to Cornwall to face the Pirates (6th) on 30/12/18
Richmond 11 – 27 Bedford Blues
Nottingham 15 - 15 Coventry
Cov are up to seventh in the table. Six points above us.
That means our worst case scenario is to remain ninth IF we lose to Carnegie; our best case is to rise to eighth if we win and the Cornish Pirates beat London Scottish on 30th
League standings in fixtures are before Round 10.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Porsche Centre Sheffield (www.porschesheffield.co.uk)
Round 10, Castle Park (www.drfc.co.uk) Sat 29th Sep, 2017 - 2:15pm
Back to Championship action for our last game of 2018. On Saturday we play Carnegie for the third time in five weeks. Carnegie have taken the honours in our last two encounters but the Knights are closing the score gap. Carnegie won each game, firstly 33-20 in Hull, then 18-20 at Castle Park. We gained seven points in our margin of defeat to lose by two, if we gain another seven points we’ll win by five – or is that flawed logic?!!
The last two games were in the Championship Cup but this Saturday is in the Championship league. Carnegie had resurgence in the Cup after being at the bottom of the Championship table for weeks and only winning one of nine games played. Carnegie’s massive spending spree, recruiting eleven players has obviously paid off. Chris Stirling (Carnegie DoR) said in the Yorkshire Evening Post last October that Carnegie are looking at round ten (this game) to mark the beginning of their winning form. The likes of Sam Nixon and Jacob Umaga have Premiership experience with Bath and Wasps respectively, while Myles Thoroughgood and Tom Hill have joined from New Zealand clubs. If the Championship Cup results are an indication, then I expect Carnegie to start their way up the Championship table from their next fixture; round eleven on 13th January when they host the Cornish Pirates.
Hartpury College will have noted Carnegie’s resurgence nervously as they are only three points above Carnegie in the Championship table plus they have got to play their tenth-round game to London Irish. Richmond are five points above the students and we are six points above.
New Zealand winger Elija Biko has scored a try in his each of his first two games for Carnegie, so keep an eye out for Winger Biko Knights.
There’s no point stating statistics over the first nine Championship games because we all know that we are going to play a very much improved Carnegie side. It was one win from nine Championship games up to the end of October. Since then Carnegie have won five out of six Championship Cup games. Coventry, ourselves and Nottingham are all above Carnegie in the League and so Carnegie should have lost every game. Cov were the only ones that beat them at their fortress; 51-32 @ Butts Park Arena. So Carnegie may be resurgent but not unbeatable and they haven’t got an impenetrable defence.
Other fixtures occurring around the UK that could affect our ninth place in the Championship are:
Richmond (10th, 1 point below) welcomed Bedford Blues (5th) on 22/12/18
Coventry (7th, 4 points above) travelled to Lady Bay to play Nottingham (4th) on 23/12/18
London Scottish (8th, 1 point above) travel to Cornwall to face the Pirates (6th) on 30/12/18
Richmond 11 – 27 Bedford Blues
Nottingham 15 - 15 Coventry
Cov are up to seventh in the table. Six points above us.
That means our worst case scenario is to remain ninth IF we lose to Carnegie; our best case is to rise to eighth if we win and the Cornish Pirates beat London Scottish on 30th
League standings in fixtures are before Round 10.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
