Bedford Blues Preview

Jamie Crawford
Director of Rugby

Posts: 1,859

Bedford Blues Preview Apr 14, 2015 14:37:30 GMT

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Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 14, 2015 14:37:30 GMT

The Blues are ninth and the Knights are tenth, after Saturday the winning team will either stay ninth or they will swap positions. i.e. If the Knights beat the Blues, they would switch places with the Blues and go to ninth in the Championship.

After playing twenty games Bedford have won seven and lost thirteen games. The Knights have won six, drawn one and lost thirteen of their games played. Bedford have scored 397 points, averaging19.8/game, the Knights have scored 385 points, averaging 19.2 points/game. Defensively Bedford have conceded 553 points or 27.6/game and the Knights have conceded 446 or 22.3/game. This leads to a points difference of 95 or 4.75 /game in the Knights’ favour. Both teams have scored nine bonus points although six of Bedford’s were by scoring 4 or more tries and six of the Knights’ were scored by finishing within seven points of the winner.

The Blues’ Japan International Full Back James Pritchard is ranked eighth on the table of Championship top scorers. Pritchard has a strike rate of 76%. (Pritchard isn’t Japanese in race but he plays rugby for Japan, so is he a Japanese International?)
Blues’ Winger Patrick Tapley is the Championships equal-eighth top try scorer, four players above Tapley play for Worcester Warriors! Second Row Paul Tupai has only scored a couple fewer than Tapley and Fly Half Jake Sharpe with Winger Dean Adamson are only a try behind Tupai.

Collectively Bedford have scored 54 tries (sixth), 74% of these tries have been scored by backs. The Knights have scored 37 tries but Bedford have conceded 70 tries to the Knights’ 50, a net difference of three in favour of the Knights.

Games to go:

The Knights play Bedford Blues at Castle Park this Saturday then Plymouth Albion at Brickfields.
Bedford play us then currently fifth-placed Nottingham.
Jersey play away at Bristol then at St Peters against Moseley.

COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…

Last Edit: Apr 14, 2015 14:40:59 GMT by Jamie Crawford

Tom Blair Mascot Someone has to wave the Flag!! Posts: 13	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 15, 2015 10:01:07 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Tom Blair on Apr 15, 2015 10:01:07 GMT I'm sure Pritchard plays for Canada and not Japan!!

Jamie Crawford Director of Rugby Posts: 1,859	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 15, 2015 17:21:07 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 15, 2015 17:21:07 GMT Thanks Tom, I stand corrected. Pritchard plays for Canada, I should check my facts and not rely on my memory! Who am I thinking of that plays in the Championship and for Japan but isn't Japanese race?

knightandday Player Posts: 282	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 15, 2015 17:37:25 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by knightandday on Apr 15, 2015 17:37:25 GMT Can't remember his name, but I think the Nottingham standoff from a couple of years ago played for Japan
	Last Edit: Apr 15, 2015 17:39:08 GMT by knightandday Winning isn't everything, it just makes the beer taste better,

clidge Mascot Posts: 9	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 16, 2015 7:02:10 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by clidge on Apr 16, 2015 7:02:10 GMT James arlidge was the10 for Nottingham that plays for Japan

Jamie Crawford Director of Rugby Posts: 1,859	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 16, 2015 9:45:19 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 16, 2015 9:45:19 GMT Thanks clidge. There you go then, I was only half wrong - they're both called James...

jon Mascot Posts: 36	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 16, 2015 11:34:06 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by jon on Apr 16, 2015 11:34:06 GMT Common name , Knightrider !

karlh
Water Boy

Posts: 236

Bedford Blues Preview Apr 17, 2015 8:58:29 GMT

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Post by karlh on Apr 17, 2015 8:58:29 GMT

Nice to see so many news items on the DRFC website, Twitter & Facebook about the game this weekend.

Oh wait - that's right one day to go and nothing posted to even acknowledge there is a game,

never mind an End of Season Lunch
or that it is the last home game of the season
or that the Knights are playing Championship rugby next season
or any announcements of who we might actually have playing next year (or Saturday for that matter although I'm sure that will be released shortly).

Have all the web site staff gone on holiday already?

Let's have a good team performance on Saturday and take Bedford's position in the league to show the boys should never have been in a relegation battle.

Last Edit: Apr 17, 2015 9:00:00 GMT by karlh

pshack Water Boy Posts: 147	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 17, 2015 10:11:40 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by pshack on Apr 17, 2015 10:11:40 GMT Yeh, just went to share it on my Facebook and Twitter feed and.....,....,,,,

Jamie Crawford
Director of Rugby

Posts: 1,859

Bedford Blues Preview Apr 18, 2015 7:15:52 GMT

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Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 18, 2015 7:15:52 GMT

Blues' Preview:

Bedford Blues will be aiming to finish their Championship campaign on a high note when they head to Castle Park to face Doncaster Knights for a fourth time this season.

The Knights won both games in the British & Irish Cup but the first league encounter at Goldington Road went the way of the Blues, 35-29, despite the visitors leading 23-9 at the interval.

Looking ahead to the clash with Doncaster, Blues Captain Nick Fenton-Wells said: "We are looking to finish the season on a high and the result against Moseley has been a real confidence booster for us. We know that we didn't played the best rugby and we made some silly mistakes but getting the win was a boost for team morale.

"Donnie away is always a massive fixture. They are a big physical side, they never stop playing and they are always coming at you so we know that we are going to have to work hard if we want to pick up the win."

The Blues make a handful of changes from the team that beat Moseley with Steffan Jones starting at fullback in place of James Pritchard who will be representing the Barbarians on Tuesday night against Heriots. Henry Staff moves to centre while Dean Adamson returns from injury to take his place on the wing. Camilo Parilli-Ocampo and James Currie are the starting props while Mike Howard comes into the second row and Hayden Thompson-Stringer starts at Number 8.

Starting Line-Up:

15. Steffan Jones
14. Pat Tapley
13. Henry Staff
12. Mike Le Bourgeois
11. Dean Adamson
10. Jake Sharp
9. Luke Baldwin

1. Camilo Parilli-Ocampo
2. Charlie Clare
3. James Currie
4. Mike Howard
5. Harry Wells
6. Justin Blanchet
7. Nick Fenton-Wells (c)
8. Hayden Thompson-Stringer

Replacements:

16. TJ Harris
17. Tom Williams
18. Phil Boulton
19. Paul Tupai
20. Darryl Veenendaal
21. Baden Kerr
22. Ollie Dodge

After all that about James Pritchard, he's not playing!

COYK
DONNY, DONN, DONNY...

Last Edit: Apr 18, 2015 8:05:08 GMT by Jamie Crawford

Rob Carville Administrator Posts: 186	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 19, 2015 10:57:52 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Rob Carville on Apr 19, 2015 10:57:52 GMT You'd have thought they'd have the decency to get Tom's name right - who's this Craig Davies bloke?!?

johnlowe
Global Moderator

Posts: 1,496

Bedford Blues Preview Apr 19, 2015 16:39:03 GMT

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Post by johnlowe on Apr 19, 2015 16:39:03 GMT

Was yesterday's referee the worst one we have had all season? Knowledge of what was happening in the scrum almost none existent; missed loads of line out obstruction in the first half; penalised not straight in the lineout when only a couple of inches off centre yet let both side feed the ball at scrums. Be interesting to hear the views of any qualified referees at yesterday's game

knightandday Player Posts: 282	Bedford Blues Preview Apr 20, 2015 7:49:35 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by knightandday on Apr 20, 2015 7:49:35 GMT I didn't mind his decisions, at least he was fairly consistant to both sides.
	Winning isn't everything, it just makes the beer taste better,

thomasmachin: It would appear that if we are to replace the departing players we had better be quick or all the available players will be signed by Ealing ,Coventry and Cornish Pirates! Apr 20, 2018 8:14:16 GMT

donnyknightsfan: that was absolutely dire today almost from start to finish apart from a spell in the 2nd half when we looked OK. players don't look motivated enough to me. they need a kick up the backside. the next two games v Bedford and Irish look a tough ask now. Oct 6, 2018 21:04:32 GMT

rodders: A bit random this one but are any Knights fans travelling to the Jersey game on Friday 1st March flying from East Midlands on the 10.55 flight out. 2 of us are looking for a lift to East Midlands airport unexpectedly. Happy to share costs of travel Feb 17, 2019 19:52:21 GMT