Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 11, 2017 15:05:23 GMT
Sat 15-04-17 @ 15:00
Job done last Saturday, well done Knights we are through to the Promotion Play-offs (thanks to Richmond beating the Cornish Pirates); now our second consecutive home game this time against London Irish. This game plus Ealing Trailfinders against Carnegie at Headingly will decide which team finishes third and fourth. The Trailfinders are currently third, two points above the Knights so if we win and the Trailfinders score nothing or a maximum of one losing bonus point, we will finish third and play Carnegie in the Play-offs. If the Trailfinders win or draw they finish third and we play London Irish in the Play-offs. Again there’s no point worrying about other results, we must focus on the one who’s score we can affect. Plus I doubt that we would be able to score four or more tries against the Irish after they have conceded an average of just over two per game.
It’s ironic how top plays fourth and second plays third in the last game of the Championship Season Stage One to decide who will finish third and fourth for the Play-offs.
The Irish don’t need much introduction as they are the runaway leaders in the Championship, a massive 18 points above second-placed Carnegie. Next season sees the reintroduction of automatic promotion, in which case the Irish would swap places with the bottom team in the Premiership; Bristol (again) this season. Although Bristol aren’t confirmed as being relegated from the Premiership, they are eight points behind Worcester Warriors with three games to play. It is highly likely that Bristol will be playing in the Championship and Hartpury College are definitely coming up from National One. I believe that Hartpury College have won National One more convincingly than any other team has won it and they weren’t favourites to win at the start of this season. I doubt that anyone in their local area would have considered that Hartpury College would be playing in the same league as Bristol, a mere 34 miles away! Rotherham Titans are fortunate that London Welsh collapsed because they have finished bottom of the Championship but there’s no relegation this season.
The Irish have only been beaten once in the Championship and that was by four points at St Peter’s in Jersey against the Reds on 25th March. Irish have collected 690 points (36/game) and relinquished 285 (15/game) over the 19 Championship games played. The Knights have scored 509 (27/game) and conceded 402 (21/game). The Knights have conceded the second fewest number of points in the Championship; unfortunately it is the Irish that have conceded fewer. The net result is a points scored difference of 405 to the Irish and 107 to the Knights. En-route the Irish have scored 14 try bonus points to the Knights’ nine. According to Statbunker the Irish have scored 97 tries all season (5.1/game) and the Knights have scored 69 (3.6/game). Each team has conceded 41 and 47 tries respectively; less than three per game. There may seem a large disparity in the results apart from defence of the try-line but the Knights are either closest or one of the closest to Irish’s impressive scoring figures.
Ex-Saracens, now Irish Wing/Full Back Ben Ransom is their leading try-scorer and he is equal-seventh in the list of top Championship try-scorers. Fijian International Centre/Wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma and England-capped Hooker David Paice have scored one try fewer with double World Cup winning New Zealand prop Ben Franks, ex-Leicester Tigers Hooker Scott Steele and Scottish International Flanker Blair Cowan just one try below them.
Irish try-scoring has had and almost 60:40 split, Backs:Forwards with the Wings scoring about 40% of the Back’s tries. Similarly nearly 40% of tries scored by Forwards have been by the Front Row. The Knights must watch in particular for Ransom and Tikoirotuma down the wings and Franks or Cowan powering over from the set piece. They must also be wary of Steele darting from behind the forwards.
Tries conceded has had a similar 60:40 split, Backs:Forwards; The majority of tries scored against the Irish exiles have been scored down the wings then by the Back Row. The good news for the Knights is that our Wings and Centres have both scored as many tries as the Irish positional equivalents. Irish Forwards have conceded a try more than the Knights with the Half Backs and Front Row conceding two more each. Again accentuate the positives because there aren’t many compared to the Irish. The Knights are one of four teams to have scored over 500 points this season; they have conceded the third fewest number of points and have scored the fourth highest number of points per match. They have conceded the second fewest number of tries and have recorded the fourth highest number of try bonus points. The Irish won’t be looking forward to playing the Knights at Castle Park, let’s display a home performance like last week against the Reds and the time before against Carnegie. We have only lost two games (edit - one in the Championship) at Castle Park so far this season; bring on the Irish.
Don’t forget the dates for the Play-offs with third and fourth placed teams to be decided on Saturday 15th April. Ealing Trailfinders are two points above the Knights before this game…
Fourth v London Irish - Sunday 30/04 (KO 15.00)
Third v Carnegie - Friday 28/04 (KO 19.45)
Carnegie v third - Friday 05/05 (KO 1945)
London Irish v fourth - Saturday 06/05 (KO 13.15)
(Thanks Shedtugger & TheHeadlessKnight on the Forum)
Can we become the second team to beat London Irish in the Championship after Jersey Reds did it three weeks ago? I believe that the Knights can do it with their home advantage.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
