Post by Jamie Crawford on Feb 9, 2016 12:57:26 GMT
Stats taken from Rugby Round-up
Its second v third as the second-placed Knights welcome third-placed Carnegie (or is it fourth? Please see later) to Castle Park. Whichever, they are equal third so it’s another BIG game and another Yorkshire derby but this time its South v West Yorkshire. This game carries more significance on the league standings than the Titans game, which was more about overdue (for the Knights) South Yorkshire bragging rights. The winner stays/goes second whilst the loser goes/stays third OR possibly fourth depending on how Jersey fare on their travels to Goldington Road to face Bedford Blues. Jersey will hope to hit a purple patch of form when their red shirts mix with Bedford’s blue shirts!! (Sorry it just came to me.)
Last Saturday second-placed Knights drew with second-bottom-placed Ealing Trailfinders. The following day third-placed Bedford Blues just beat fifth-placed Nottingham by two points 18-20 and fourth-placed Carnegie beat seventh-placed Cornish Pirates 33-26. Nottingham, Carnegie and the Pirates all won a bonus point.
Thanks to the two points gained in the draw, the Knights remain second but Carnegie leapfrog the Blues courtesy of their bonus point win (or do they?); although both teams have equal league points. Carnegie are now third with the Blues fourth. Carnegie and the Blues have the same number of league points but Carnegie have a point’s difference 57 higher the Bedford’s.
Bedford have won 10 and lost five; Carnegie have won nine and lost six but have scored four more bonus points.
Surely Bedford should be above Carnegie if this is the case? Is that correct please John or anyone?
On to the game in hand; the Knights have won ten, drawn two and lost three of their fifteen games played. After playing 15 games, Carnegie have won three more winning plus three more losing bonus points than the Knights plus their points difference is 43 better (average of nearly three/game).
Carnegie are the leading try-scorers in the Championship with 62 (average of just over four/game) compared to the Knights’ 44 (average of nearly three/game). Fortunately for the Knights, Carnegie’s try-scoring has been more prolific at home with nearly a 60%:40% split of tries scored at home:away. Similarly it is virtually a 60%:40% of away tries that are scored in the second half: first half.
Carnegie easily lead the Championship with four penalty tries that have been awarded; these have probably been scored collectively by forwards in a set piece. But the Knights are second with two penalty tries being awarded, so two strong packs.
Carnegie have conceded three more tries than the Knights over fifteen games.
It’s the Championship second-strongest defence of the try line (after Jersey) v the Championship’s strongest assault over the line. Unfortunately for the Knights the net difference of tries scored/conceded is 19 in Carnegie’s favour. HOWEVER we’ve got the home advantage which makes this net difference just one in Carnegie’s favour.
Nottingham’s Paul Grant has overtaken our own Latu Makaafi again as the top try-scorer by two tries. One of Carnegie’s Flankers Josh Bainbridge has scored just two tries fewer than Latu with Carnegie’s Jonah Holmes (wing) just three tries-scored behind Bainbridge
Carnegie’s Harry Leonard is the eighth top scorer in the Championship topped by our own Dougie Flockhart. However Dougie is injured and Bristol’s Gavin Henson is only one point behind. Leonard has an 86% strike rate of conversions and a 100% conversion rate of penalties, so kickable penalties WILL be punished.
The Knights can try to force penalties that lead to a yellow card because only Ealing Trailfinders have received more yellow cards than Carnegie have. Carnegie have spent a total of two hours this season with only 14 players on the field. - Simples the Knights must keep their discipline and not give away penalties whilst causing Carnegie to repeatedly infringe and fall fowl of the ref’s whistle.
Other Championship fixtures:
Friday
Top-placed Bristol welcome eleventh-placed Ealing Trailfinders to Clifton Lane.
Saturday
London Scottish (8) V Cornish Pirates (7) @ Athletic Ground
Bedford Blues (4) V Jersey (6) @ Goldington Road
Moseley (12) V Rotherham Titans (10) @ Billesley Common
London Welsh (9) V Nottingham (5) @ Old Deer Park
The Knights are fourteen points above Nottingham in fifth, so still comfortably in the Promotion Play-offs. Three wins (two with a bonus point) to our three losses plus there is a pints difference of 78 in the Knight’s favour with seven games to play. Each win brings us closer, even a draw would require Nottingham to need four wins (three with a bonus point).
In addition to all of that, both Carnegie and the Blues are two points closer to fifth.
John, what is your Lowedown?
Can the Knights avenge the 27-20 defeat at Headingly last October to remain second in the Championship or will Carnegie be the first team to do the double over the Knights in the Championship this season?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
Its second v third as the second-placed Knights welcome third-placed Carnegie (or is it fourth? Please see later) to Castle Park. Whichever, they are equal third so it’s another BIG game and another Yorkshire derby but this time its South v West Yorkshire. This game carries more significance on the league standings than the Titans game, which was more about overdue (for the Knights) South Yorkshire bragging rights. The winner stays/goes second whilst the loser goes/stays third OR possibly fourth depending on how Jersey fare on their travels to Goldington Road to face Bedford Blues. Jersey will hope to hit a purple patch of form when their red shirts mix with Bedford’s blue shirts!! (Sorry it just came to me.)
Last Saturday second-placed Knights drew with second-bottom-placed Ealing Trailfinders. The following day third-placed Bedford Blues just beat fifth-placed Nottingham by two points 18-20 and fourth-placed Carnegie beat seventh-placed Cornish Pirates 33-26. Nottingham, Carnegie and the Pirates all won a bonus point.
Thanks to the two points gained in the draw, the Knights remain second but Carnegie leapfrog the Blues courtesy of their bonus point win (or do they?); although both teams have equal league points. Carnegie are now third with the Blues fourth. Carnegie and the Blues have the same number of league points but Carnegie have a point’s difference 57 higher the Bedford’s.
Bedford have won 10 and lost five; Carnegie have won nine and lost six but have scored four more bonus points.
Surely Bedford should be above Carnegie if this is the case? Is that correct please John or anyone?
On to the game in hand; the Knights have won ten, drawn two and lost three of their fifteen games played. After playing 15 games, Carnegie have won three more winning plus three more losing bonus points than the Knights plus their points difference is 43 better (average of nearly three/game).
Carnegie are the leading try-scorers in the Championship with 62 (average of just over four/game) compared to the Knights’ 44 (average of nearly three/game). Fortunately for the Knights, Carnegie’s try-scoring has been more prolific at home with nearly a 60%:40% split of tries scored at home:away. Similarly it is virtually a 60%:40% of away tries that are scored in the second half: first half.
Carnegie easily lead the Championship with four penalty tries that have been awarded; these have probably been scored collectively by forwards in a set piece. But the Knights are second with two penalty tries being awarded, so two strong packs.
Carnegie have conceded three more tries than the Knights over fifteen games.
It’s the Championship second-strongest defence of the try line (after Jersey) v the Championship’s strongest assault over the line. Unfortunately for the Knights the net difference of tries scored/conceded is 19 in Carnegie’s favour. HOWEVER we’ve got the home advantage which makes this net difference just one in Carnegie’s favour.
Nottingham’s Paul Grant has overtaken our own Latu Makaafi again as the top try-scorer by two tries. One of Carnegie’s Flankers Josh Bainbridge has scored just two tries fewer than Latu with Carnegie’s Jonah Holmes (wing) just three tries-scored behind Bainbridge
Carnegie’s Harry Leonard is the eighth top scorer in the Championship topped by our own Dougie Flockhart. However Dougie is injured and Bristol’s Gavin Henson is only one point behind. Leonard has an 86% strike rate of conversions and a 100% conversion rate of penalties, so kickable penalties WILL be punished.
The Knights can try to force penalties that lead to a yellow card because only Ealing Trailfinders have received more yellow cards than Carnegie have. Carnegie have spent a total of two hours this season with only 14 players on the field. - Simples the Knights must keep their discipline and not give away penalties whilst causing Carnegie to repeatedly infringe and fall fowl of the ref’s whistle.
Other Championship fixtures:
Friday
Top-placed Bristol welcome eleventh-placed Ealing Trailfinders to Clifton Lane.
Saturday
London Scottish (8) V Cornish Pirates (7) @ Athletic Ground
Bedford Blues (4) V Jersey (6) @ Goldington Road
Moseley (12) V Rotherham Titans (10) @ Billesley Common
London Welsh (9) V Nottingham (5) @ Old Deer Park
The Knights are fourteen points above Nottingham in fifth, so still comfortably in the Promotion Play-offs. Three wins (two with a bonus point) to our three losses plus there is a pints difference of 78 in the Knight’s favour with seven games to play. Each win brings us closer, even a draw would require Nottingham to need four wins (three with a bonus point).
In addition to all of that, both Carnegie and the Blues are two points closer to fifth.
John, what is your Lowedown?
Can the Knights avenge the 27-20 defeat at Headingly last October to remain second in the Championship or will Carnegie be the first team to do the double over the Knights in the Championship this season?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
