Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 2, 2017 13:02:35 GMT
After the Cornish Pirates beat us last Sunday and ended our purple patch, they are now four points below us in the Championship table but they need to score five league points to go above us as we have won a game that they drew.
As has been evident for quite a while now; London Irish and Carnegie are confirmed as finishing in the top four with the Irish exiles top and the only way that Carnegie won’t finish second is if they lose their last two games and Ealing Trailfinders win both of theirs – unlikely that both will happen. That leaves Ealing Trailfinders third, one point above us in fourth. Jersey Reds are fifth, two points below us and the Cornish Pirates are sixth, four points below us. Just five points separate the four teams from third to sixth with only two able to make the Promotion Play-offs.
Our website said, “…The loss has left the Knights with two massive fixtures against Jersey Reds [April 8th] and London Irish [April 15th] and they now know that a positive result is needed in both to secure a play-off place…”
We have the toughest game as the final game of the season; the Irish exiles have only been beaten once in the Championship this season. The Knights and the Reds will both play this as a must-win game to reach the Play-offs, although the Reds have an easier task for their last game against current bottom Richmond.
Jersey will be on cloud nine after being the only team to beat London Irish all season last weekend. That was at St. Peter’s, hopefully they will be less confident away at Castle Park. To date Jersey have won 75% of their home games compared to winning 40% of their away games. The Knights have scored three more try bonus points than the Reds but the Reds have finished within seven points of the winner five times more than the Knights. The Knights are the third highest try-scorers in the Championship after scoring 67 tries; the Reds are ninth after scoring 51 tries. The Knights have only conceded six fewer tries than the Reds and the Trailfinders have now conceded fewer than us in addition to the Irish exiles. Although the Knights have scored more tries in total; the Red’s Front Row and Back Row have scored more tries than the Knights’ Front and Back Rows.
Overall the Knights have won eleven and lost seven of their 18 games played; the Reds have won ten and lost eight of theirs. The Knights have scored 485 points (27/game) and conceded 382 points (21/game); the Reds have scored 411 (23/game) and conceded 410 (23/game) of theirs. This puts a points difference of 102 in the Knights’ favour. Fairly similar results but the Knights must use their home advantage.
Elsewhere this weekend:
Ealing Trailfinders (3rd, 1 point above welcome London Scottish (7th) to their plastic pitch. Only Carnegie, the Pirates and the Irish have beaten the Trailfinders at home this season. They were all very close, apart from the opening game of the season. Since then the Trailfinders lost two home games by a total of six points. A major home advantage?
Cornish Pirates (6th, 4 points below) travel to play bottom-placed Richmond who have lost 78% of their games played this season.
…and next weekend to end the season:
Trailfinders travel to Headingley to play second-placed Carnegie
Reds welcome current bottom-placed Richmond to St Peter’s
Pirates have a home fixture against current eighth-placed Bedford Blues at The Mennaye
You must accentuate the positives and start the game with confidence. The Knights have had two weeks to review and correct the myriad of unforced errors in Cornwall and focus on what they do well.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
As has been evident for quite a while now; London Irish and Carnegie are confirmed as finishing in the top four with the Irish exiles top and the only way that Carnegie won’t finish second is if they lose their last two games and Ealing Trailfinders win both of theirs – unlikely that both will happen. That leaves Ealing Trailfinders third, one point above us in fourth. Jersey Reds are fifth, two points below us and the Cornish Pirates are sixth, four points below us. Just five points separate the four teams from third to sixth with only two able to make the Promotion Play-offs.
Our website said, “…The loss has left the Knights with two massive fixtures against Jersey Reds [April 8th] and London Irish [April 15th] and they now know that a positive result is needed in both to secure a play-off place…”
We have the toughest game as the final game of the season; the Irish exiles have only been beaten once in the Championship this season. The Knights and the Reds will both play this as a must-win game to reach the Play-offs, although the Reds have an easier task for their last game against current bottom Richmond.
Jersey will be on cloud nine after being the only team to beat London Irish all season last weekend. That was at St. Peter’s, hopefully they will be less confident away at Castle Park. To date Jersey have won 75% of their home games compared to winning 40% of their away games. The Knights have scored three more try bonus points than the Reds but the Reds have finished within seven points of the winner five times more than the Knights. The Knights are the third highest try-scorers in the Championship after scoring 67 tries; the Reds are ninth after scoring 51 tries. The Knights have only conceded six fewer tries than the Reds and the Trailfinders have now conceded fewer than us in addition to the Irish exiles. Although the Knights have scored more tries in total; the Red’s Front Row and Back Row have scored more tries than the Knights’ Front and Back Rows.
Overall the Knights have won eleven and lost seven of their 18 games played; the Reds have won ten and lost eight of theirs. The Knights have scored 485 points (27/game) and conceded 382 points (21/game); the Reds have scored 411 (23/game) and conceded 410 (23/game) of theirs. This puts a points difference of 102 in the Knights’ favour. Fairly similar results but the Knights must use their home advantage.
Elsewhere this weekend:
Ealing Trailfinders (3rd, 1 point above welcome London Scottish (7th) to their plastic pitch. Only Carnegie, the Pirates and the Irish have beaten the Trailfinders at home this season. They were all very close, apart from the opening game of the season. Since then the Trailfinders lost two home games by a total of six points. A major home advantage?
Cornish Pirates (6th, 4 points below) travel to play bottom-placed Richmond who have lost 78% of their games played this season.
…and next weekend to end the season:
Trailfinders travel to Headingley to play second-placed Carnegie
Reds welcome current bottom-placed Richmond to St Peter’s
Pirates have a home fixture against current eighth-placed Bedford Blues at The Mennaye
You must accentuate the positives and start the game with confidence. The Knights have had two weeks to review and correct the myriad of unforced errors in Cornwall and focus on what they do well.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
