Bedford Blues preview
Jan 31, 2022 11:22:42 GMT
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Post by Jamie Crawford on Jan 31, 2022 11:22:42 GMT
Bedford Blues preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Rescheduled Round 14, Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues, Castle Park,
Saturday 5th February – KO 2:30 pm
Bedford Blues
Bedford hasn’t got a league football club; thus their rugby club is well supported. The Bedford support is very loyal and partisan, especially at their Goldington Road home.
Bedford Blues have had great success in the past, they have had 41 players that have won full international caps. This includes three England Captains. 83 further internationals have made one or more appearances for Bedford.
The Blues’ recent success in the Championship; from the 2009/10 season over seven seasons Bedford were semi-finalists in the RFU Championship Cup four times. They were finalists in 2012/13. The Blues were second in the league behind Harlequins in 2006, they were also runners-up in 2011 and 2012 and third in 2013, 2018 and 2019.
Last time out
Bedford Blues welcomed Hartpury to Goldington Road and lost 10-34. Hartpury were just above Bedford in the Championship but had previously not lost to them in Bedford. Mike Rayer (Bedford Director of Rugby) described the Hartpury performance as outstanding and Bedford’s performance as disappointing.
Doncaster Knights had a bad day at their Castle Park home office, with an under par performance and not playing to the windy conditions but they still managed to beat Ampthill 19-13. Ampthill took advantage of a penalty kick in extra time that was no gimme in the strong wind. Said wind appeared to die down temporarily as the kick was slotted but perhaps that was just as seen from a Knights perspective.
Recent head to head performances
The last four games have seen the home team win.
01/10/21 Bedford Blues 31-23 Doncaster Knights
02/05/21 Doncaster Knights 27-19 Bedford Blues
29/02/20 Bedford Blues 29-5 Doncaster Knights
02/11/19 Doncaster Knights 22-18 Bedford Blues
Over these last four performances the Blues have scored 97 points to the Knights’ 77.
Bedford’s danger men
Blues’ wingers Dean Adamson and Pat Tapley are both equal-fifth on the list of Championship top five try-scorers. Adamson, a 2017/18 Championship Dream Team member, scored 60 tries over 85 games that season. Tapley is a previous Dream Team member and is the Blues' longest serving current player.
Wing/centre Mathew Worley is equal-ninth after scoring one try fewer.
Blues’ fly half William Maisey is the second highest points scorer in the Championship. The Knights were deprived of the losing bonus point by Maisey scoring a late penalty last October to win the game 31-23. Maisey has scored nine more points than our own Sam Olver.
Team strengths and weaknesses
The Blues are the third highest scorers when playing away in the Championship, the Knights are fifth. They have the fourth strongest defence away from home by conceding the fourth fewest number of points, the Knights are fifth again. The Blues have scored the 3rd highest number of try-bonus points. However, the Knights and Jersey Reds have the strongest fortress.
Ex-player, now head coach Mike Rayer has introduced a free-flowing style of play. This leads to many points being scored and conceded. Bedford have scored the joint-second highest number of bonus points with Jersey.
Saturday’s game
Seventh-placed Bedford Blues and second-placed Doncaster Knights have both played the same number of games and will both catch up to Coventry and London Scottish, who have played 15 games in this fragmented season. Ampthill are the only team to have played 16 games but Ealing Trailfinders and Cornish Pirates have only played 12 games, yet they are first and third consecutively.
Rugby World magazine reckon that Bedford play the most exciting rugby in the division, so an exhilarating game is expected. The Blues are seventh, one point below Ampthill, who gained their losing bonus point against the Knights last Saturday. Bedford would be sixth if Ampthill hadn’t scored their point last Saturday.
The rest of the Championship
As a reserve weekend there are no matches that were scheduled to be played, however the RFU website records three catch-up games:
Friday 4th February
Nottingham (10) v Jersey Reds (4)
Saturday 5th February
Richmond (9) v Cornish Pirates (3)
Hartpury RFC (5) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Doncaster need a bonus-point win to stay in touch with Trailfinders but a Knight win will see them rise to the top if Trailfinders lose.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Rescheduled Round 14, Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues, Castle Park,
Saturday 5th February – KO 2:30 pm
Bedford Blues
Bedford hasn’t got a league football club; thus their rugby club is well supported. The Bedford support is very loyal and partisan, especially at their Goldington Road home.
Bedford Blues have had great success in the past, they have had 41 players that have won full international caps. This includes three England Captains. 83 further internationals have made one or more appearances for Bedford.
The Blues’ recent success in the Championship; from the 2009/10 season over seven seasons Bedford were semi-finalists in the RFU Championship Cup four times. They were finalists in 2012/13. The Blues were second in the league behind Harlequins in 2006, they were also runners-up in 2011 and 2012 and third in 2013, 2018 and 2019.
Last time out
Bedford Blues welcomed Hartpury to Goldington Road and lost 10-34. Hartpury were just above Bedford in the Championship but had previously not lost to them in Bedford. Mike Rayer (Bedford Director of Rugby) described the Hartpury performance as outstanding and Bedford’s performance as disappointing.
Doncaster Knights had a bad day at their Castle Park home office, with an under par performance and not playing to the windy conditions but they still managed to beat Ampthill 19-13. Ampthill took advantage of a penalty kick in extra time that was no gimme in the strong wind. Said wind appeared to die down temporarily as the kick was slotted but perhaps that was just as seen from a Knights perspective.
Recent head to head performances
The last four games have seen the home team win.
01/10/21 Bedford Blues 31-23 Doncaster Knights
02/05/21 Doncaster Knights 27-19 Bedford Blues
29/02/20 Bedford Blues 29-5 Doncaster Knights
02/11/19 Doncaster Knights 22-18 Bedford Blues
Over these last four performances the Blues have scored 97 points to the Knights’ 77.
Bedford’s danger men
Blues’ wingers Dean Adamson and Pat Tapley are both equal-fifth on the list of Championship top five try-scorers. Adamson, a 2017/18 Championship Dream Team member, scored 60 tries over 85 games that season. Tapley is a previous Dream Team member and is the Blues' longest serving current player.
Wing/centre Mathew Worley is equal-ninth after scoring one try fewer.
Blues’ fly half William Maisey is the second highest points scorer in the Championship. The Knights were deprived of the losing bonus point by Maisey scoring a late penalty last October to win the game 31-23. Maisey has scored nine more points than our own Sam Olver.
Team strengths and weaknesses
The Blues are the third highest scorers when playing away in the Championship, the Knights are fifth. They have the fourth strongest defence away from home by conceding the fourth fewest number of points, the Knights are fifth again. The Blues have scored the 3rd highest number of try-bonus points. However, the Knights and Jersey Reds have the strongest fortress.
Ex-player, now head coach Mike Rayer has introduced a free-flowing style of play. This leads to many points being scored and conceded. Bedford have scored the joint-second highest number of bonus points with Jersey.
Saturday’s game
Seventh-placed Bedford Blues and second-placed Doncaster Knights have both played the same number of games and will both catch up to Coventry and London Scottish, who have played 15 games in this fragmented season. Ampthill are the only team to have played 16 games but Ealing Trailfinders and Cornish Pirates have only played 12 games, yet they are first and third consecutively.
Rugby World magazine reckon that Bedford play the most exciting rugby in the division, so an exhilarating game is expected. The Blues are seventh, one point below Ampthill, who gained their losing bonus point against the Knights last Saturday. Bedford would be sixth if Ampthill hadn’t scored their point last Saturday.
The rest of the Championship
As a reserve weekend there are no matches that were scheduled to be played, however the RFU website records three catch-up games:
Friday 4th February
Nottingham (10) v Jersey Reds (4)
Saturday 5th February
Richmond (9) v Cornish Pirates (3)
Hartpury RFC (5) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Doncaster need a bonus-point win to stay in touch with Trailfinders but a Knight win will see them rise to the top if Trailfinders lose.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
