Post by Jamie Crawford on Dec 2, 2015 9:09:12 GMT
The Knights are SECOND after London Welsh beat Carnegie last Friday and we beat Moseley on Saturday in what was a great day to celebrate El Presidente’s 25th Anniversary as Club Chairman, congratulations Tony.
Bedford Blues lost by a single point away in Penzance against the Pirates. The Knights are riding high after last Saturday but the Blues will be very disgruntled to lose to the then basement team, the Pirates. In their turn, the Pirates have risen to tenth after their difficult start to the season.
The Knights have won seven and lost three of the ten league games that they’ve played, the Blues record is won six, lost four; so there’s only one game that we won and the Blues lost. Similarly we have scored six more points and conceded 39 fewer points over ten games, so performances have been very similar. This season the Knights have had some close positive results that have consolidated our league position; last season they were negative and left us wallowing near the bottom. Not a time for complacency but the Blues need a bonus point win to overtake us.
The negative news for the Knights – no the challenge that presents itself is that we have won and lost 50% of our away games and Bedford have yet to be beaten at Goldington Road this season (but they’ve only had four home league games).
The Blues’ Fly Half Jake Sharp is the seventh highest points-scorer in the Championship and with a strike rate rounded up to 81% (80.65%) it is the same as Dougie’s rounded down 81% (81.48%).
The Blue’s George Perkins (Wing/Full Back) is the joint-sixth top try-scorer in the Championship, equal with our own Ollie Steadman. Latu Makaafi has been joined at the top by Nottingham’s Paul William Grant.
Given the prominence of the Back Row amongst the leading try-scorers, Perkins is the top try-scorer amongst the Backs in the Championship.
The Blues are the third top try-scorers in the Championship and they’ve scored four more tries than the Knights. Bedford’s Backs are comfortably the leading Backs try-scorers in the division by eight tries over second-placed Bristol. Bedford Wing/Full Back Perkins has scored five of the 29 tries scored by Bedford Backs. Blues Wingers have again scored the highest in the Championship; 14 tries, Centres have scored five and Half Backs have yet again scored more than any other Half Backs with six.
Conversely Bedford’s Forwards have scored the fewest tries in the division, equal with London Welsh. Over 80% of Bedford’s tries have been scored by Backs; this can be compared to the Knights’ 28% by Backs to demonstrate how ‘old school’ the Blues are. ‘Old school’ isn’t a criticism; it just seems to be in contrast to current try-scoring methods. Everyone has heard the saying about it being the Forwards job to win the ball for the Backs to score but this season perhaps more than most the Back Row are dominating try-scoring but not at Bedford!
Far more positive for the Knights is that only Moseley have conceded more tries than the Blues. Bedford have conceded 34 tries to the Knights’ 25.
Surprisingly Bristol and Bedford have conceded the most tries down the Wings and again only Mose have conceded more tries scored by the Back Row. Saturday could be an opportunity for Latu, Olly, Tyson, Dougie etc to raise their standing in the Championship top try-scorer charts.
Elsewhere this weekend:
On Friday
Jersey (7) welcome the Trailfinders from Ealing (12)
Fifth-placed Nottingham play at Nottingham’s Lady Bay ground against third-placed Leeds Carnegie
On Saturday
The Pirates (10) travel from Cornwall to Old Deer Park to play London Welsh (8)
Our neighbours, Rotherham Titans (6) travel down to play London Scottish (9)
Moseley (11) welcome Bristol (1) to Billesley Common in game that COULD see us go top IF Mose beat Bristol AND we beat the Blues! But that probably won’t happen (as in Mose won't beat Bris).
How often do we hear “never say never” or “don’t assume”!
Can the current form team, riding on the crest of a wave beat the team with a point to prove in their own back yard? Last season the Knights came away losers from Goldington Road after a game that they felt they should have and could have won. The Knights also have something to prove to themselves this Saturday.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
