Post by Jamie Crawford on Mar 21, 2016 9:10:16 GMT
Let's get revved up for this BIG game live on Sky.
Sunday 27th March KO 13.45
After a week’s break from rugby action the Knights return to league action with their penultimate home game and their most difficult home game this season. It’s Knights v Bristol, second v first. Bristol will want retribution after the Knights beat them 27-39 at Ashton Gate last November but the Knights want to defend their Castle; only the Welsh exiles have been victorious this season at Castle Park in the league campaign. That was only by two points and it was the first league game of the season against a team that had been playing in the Premiership a few months before we played them. We gave them too much respect; Bristol are far better than the Welsh but we beat Bristol 27-39 last November.
Bris have only lost two of their 18 games played; to the Knights and against third-placed Bedford Blues 23-29 last September. The Knights have won 13, drawn 2 and lost 3 of their games played.
Bristol have scored 610 points (34/game) to the Knights’ 484 points (27/game) but each team’s defensive record is similar with Bristol being about 40 points (only about two/game) better than the Knights. London Scottish have the best defensive record of the try-line in the Championship, especially at home and we scored four tries at the Athletic Ground. As you would expect, Bristol have conceded the fewest points in the Championship but not markedly so, which indicates great discipline.
The Bristol Fly-Half going by the name of Gavin Henson is the top points-scorer in the Championship. It was ‘nip and tuck’ between Henson and Dougie Flockhart but Henson can forge ahead now that Dougie’s injured.
Bristol’s Back Row player Oliver Robinson is the third top try-scorer in the Championship and Tom Varndell (wing) is sixth. Mitchell Eadie (Back Row) has only scored one try fewer than Varndell. Jack Tovey (centre), William Cliff (Scrum Half) and Jack Lam (Back Row) are also easily capable of crossing the whitewash.
Whilst playing for Leicester in 2005/06 Varndell was the Guinness Premiership regular season top try-scorer.
According to the Bristol Rugby website Centre Ben Mosses is out injured until the play-offs. Mosses has five tries credited to his name this season.
It also mentions that two academy players are due to spend three months in New Zealand with Canterbury-based Sumner Rugby Club. They have been on loan to Clifton Rugby Club. Could this be an example to follow for selected Doncaster Academy of Sport players together with Doncaster College & University Centre?
Elsewhere in the Championship:
Friday
Jersey (5) v London Scottish (8) @ St Peter’s
Saturday
Cornish Pirates (9) v Moseley (12) @ The Mennaye
Ealing Trailfinders (11) v London Welsh (7) @ Trailfinders Sports Club
Rotherham Titans (10) v Nottingham (6) @ Clifton Lane
Super Sunday: 2nd v 1st & 4th v 3rd all live on Sky
Carnegie v Bedford Blues @ Headingly KO 16.00 after we have played
With only three games left after this weekend, the Trailfinders would go six or seven points above Moseley if the Trailfinders beat the Welsh exiles and Mose lose to Carnegie. Mose would go eleventh if they win and Trailfinders lose. In either scenario Mose are going to go all-out against us next week.
Carnegie and Bedford both have 58 league points with the Blues being third courtesy of the extra game that they won. Therefore a win or a draw by the Blues will see them stay third. Carnegie must beat Bedford to go third. Neither team can catch the Knights in one game and Jersey are twelve points off a promotion play-off place with four games to go.
It’s not all negative about Bristol’s unparalleled away performance because they only beat eleventh-placed Ealing Trailfinders away by five points last October. That could be something to do with their part-plastic, all-weather playing surface but it puts the Knights’ away draw to Trailfinders in perspective. Plus the Blues beat Bristol by just six points; we doubled that by beating Bristol by twelve points.
The Knights are out of the B & I Cup after losing 38-19 to the Cornish Pirates at Mennaye Field and have had a weekend off rugby. C’mon Knights perform well in front of the cameras and record Bristol’s first league away loss of the season.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
