Post by Jamie Crawford on Mar 7, 2017 13:25:14 GMT
15.00 Sunday 19th March live on Sky
It’s the Yorkshire derby to end all Yorkshire derbies this season when the third-placed Knights entertain second-placed Carnegie that hail from Leeds.
We lost 24 – 6 last November at Headingly, the try-count was 2 – 0 and the penalty count was 4 – 2. Let’s not let Carnegie do the double over us this season.
The net tries scored count (edited; over the season) is 15 in our favour yet Carnegie have scored 476 points to our 437. We have also conceded 22 fewerpoints (edited - tries) over the sixteen games played but, as ever it’s when and how you score and concede the points that matters. There’s no denying that Carnegie are favourites but if we cling to the positives, mainly our recent form, perhaps we can re-write the form book and end the game victorious.
Carnegie is the first of our last three home games to the end of the normal season; we have one away game against the Cornish Pirates next week. Hopefully we’ll reach the Promotion Play-offs and extend our season. Our last three home games are against two teams already in the Play-offs plus one of our competitors to reach them. At Castle Park we play Carnegie, Jersey Reds and then unbeaten London Irish but let’s take each game as it comes.
Last time out for the Knights, “The Knights made it three away wins in a row and four successive victories over the Exiles as they ran in eight tries on the way to a bonus point victory at The Athletic Ground.” (drfc.co.uk) Let’s keep the impressive away form going. Thirteen tries have been scored by the Knights in their last two games (5 + 8) and only conceded three (1 + 2). OK Carnegie have scored more (10: 2 + 8) but they have also conceded more (6: 4 + 2). The net try scoring/conceding result over the last two games is therefore ten for the Knights and four for Carnegie. Again recent form is in our favour.
Recent Carnegie try scorers have been:
Against the Titans: Full Back Chris Elder (2), Full Back playing on the left wing Taylor Prell (2), Wing Jonah Holmes, Prop Lewis Boyce, Utility Back playing Scrum Half Alex Davies and ex-Knight Full Back Stevie McColl.
Against the Irish: Jonah Holmes and a penalty try were scored.
Carnegie Fly Half Joe Ford is the third highest points-scorer in the Championship and Jonah Holmes is the second highest try-scorer. Carnegie Prop Robert O’Donnell is the equal-third highest. McColl and Wing/Centre Sebastian Stegman have also scored a handful of tries each.
Last weekend’s results were favourable for the Knights with the unbeaten Irish exiles beating second-placed Carnegie and fifth-placed Pirates losing to sixth-placed Jersey Reds. The results leave us seven points below Carnegie, one point above fourth-placed Trailfinders and five points above fifth-placed Pirates.
Although Carnegie’s form has been questionable of late; losing just one of their first thirteen games and then losing two on the bounce does make you question if they are resting their key players until they play us, (their closest rival) and the Play-offs. Except their last loss was to unbeaten London Irish, so no surprises there.
Scottish international prop and ex-Knight Michael Cusack brought his career full circle by returning to Leeds Carnegie for the 2016-17 season having agreed a two year contract with Carnegie.
The Doncaster-born prop made his senior debut as a teenager back in 2003 and now 13 years later he returns to his first club. The 31-year-old made his Scotland debut prior to last year's World Cup having qualified through residency after five seasons at Glasgow Warriors. Additionally Stevie McColl, Oli Goss, Ollie Stedman and probably a few more players are ex-Knights? There are too many familiar names for me to remember! Additionally Chris Walker has played for us on dual registration.
Other games that could affect the top four (well third and fourth) are:
Saturday 18th March
Undefeated London Irish welcome the Cornish Pirates (5th, 5 points below) to their Madjeski Stadium
Ealing Trailfinders (4th, 1 point below) welcome Nottingham (9th) to their Sports Club
Jersey Reds (6th, 6 points below) host Rotherham Titans (10th) at St Peter’s
Although Jersey can’t catch us this weekend, their recent form v the Titans’ recent form would suggest a home win. The Reds could be one or two points below us if they won AND we lost to Carnegie.
The Knights will know the results of those games played the previous day and know the consequences of their result.
If we win today we stay third, anywhere between two and five points below Carnegie, potentially one game away.
If Carnegie win without us scoring a league point and other results are unfavourable, we could drop to fourth, equal with the Pirates and just one point above the Reds in sixth.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
It’s the Yorkshire derby to end all Yorkshire derbies this season when the third-placed Knights entertain second-placed Carnegie that hail from Leeds.
We lost 24 – 6 last November at Headingly, the try-count was 2 – 0 and the penalty count was 4 – 2. Let’s not let Carnegie do the double over us this season.
The net tries scored count (edited; over the season) is 15 in our favour yet Carnegie have scored 476 points to our 437. We have also conceded 22 fewer
Carnegie is the first of our last three home games to the end of the normal season; we have one away game against the Cornish Pirates next week. Hopefully we’ll reach the Promotion Play-offs and extend our season. Our last three home games are against two teams already in the Play-offs plus one of our competitors to reach them. At Castle Park we play Carnegie, Jersey Reds and then unbeaten London Irish but let’s take each game as it comes.
Last time out for the Knights, “The Knights made it three away wins in a row and four successive victories over the Exiles as they ran in eight tries on the way to a bonus point victory at The Athletic Ground.” (drfc.co.uk) Let’s keep the impressive away form going. Thirteen tries have been scored by the Knights in their last two games (5 + 8) and only conceded three (1 + 2). OK Carnegie have scored more (10: 2 + 8) but they have also conceded more (6: 4 + 2). The net try scoring/conceding result over the last two games is therefore ten for the Knights and four for Carnegie. Again recent form is in our favour.
Recent Carnegie try scorers have been:
Against the Titans: Full Back Chris Elder (2), Full Back playing on the left wing Taylor Prell (2), Wing Jonah Holmes, Prop Lewis Boyce, Utility Back playing Scrum Half Alex Davies and ex-Knight Full Back Stevie McColl.
Against the Irish: Jonah Holmes and a penalty try were scored.
Carnegie Fly Half Joe Ford is the third highest points-scorer in the Championship and Jonah Holmes is the second highest try-scorer. Carnegie Prop Robert O’Donnell is the equal-third highest. McColl and Wing/Centre Sebastian Stegman have also scored a handful of tries each.
Last weekend’s results were favourable for the Knights with the unbeaten Irish exiles beating second-placed Carnegie and fifth-placed Pirates losing to sixth-placed Jersey Reds. The results leave us seven points below Carnegie, one point above fourth-placed Trailfinders and five points above fifth-placed Pirates.
Although Carnegie’s form has been questionable of late; losing just one of their first thirteen games and then losing two on the bounce does make you question if they are resting their key players until they play us, (their closest rival) and the Play-offs. Except their last loss was to unbeaten London Irish, so no surprises there.
Scottish international prop and ex-Knight Michael Cusack brought his career full circle by returning to Leeds Carnegie for the 2016-17 season having agreed a two year contract with Carnegie.
The Doncaster-born prop made his senior debut as a teenager back in 2003 and now 13 years later he returns to his first club. The 31-year-old made his Scotland debut prior to last year's World Cup having qualified through residency after five seasons at Glasgow Warriors. Additionally Stevie McColl, Oli Goss, Ollie Stedman and probably a few more players are ex-Knights? There are too many familiar names for me to remember! Additionally Chris Walker has played for us on dual registration.
Other games that could affect the top four (well third and fourth) are:
Saturday 18th March
Undefeated London Irish welcome the Cornish Pirates (5th, 5 points below) to their Madjeski Stadium
Ealing Trailfinders (4th, 1 point below) welcome Nottingham (9th) to their Sports Club
Jersey Reds (6th, 6 points below) host Rotherham Titans (10th) at St Peter’s
Although Jersey can’t catch us this weekend, their recent form v the Titans’ recent form would suggest a home win. The Reds could be one or two points below us if they won AND we lost to Carnegie.
The Knights will know the results of those games played the previous day and know the consequences of their result.
If we win today we stay third, anywhere between two and five points below Carnegie, potentially one game away.
If Carnegie win without us scoring a league point and other results are unfavourable, we could drop to fourth, equal with the Pirates and just one point above the Reds in sixth.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
