National 1 Prediction league 2022 week 24

Bishop's Stortford 1-5 Sale

Cambridge 5-0 Chinnor

Leeds 1-4 Birmingham Moseley

Plymouth Albion 4-0 Blackheath

Rams 5-1 DMP

Taunton 2-5 Cinderford

Tonbridge Juddians 0-5 Caldy

cambridge 5 0 chinnor

leeds          4  1 birmingham m

plymouth    5  0 blackheath

rams           5  1 dmp

taunton        1 4 cinderford

tonbridge j    0 5 caldy

Cambridge 5 v 1 Chinnor     

Leeds Tykes 4 v 1 Birmingham Moseley     

Plymouth Albion 1 v 4 Blackheath     

Rams 5 v 1 Darlington Mowden Park     

Taunton 0 v 5 Cinderford     

Tonbridge Juddians 0 v 5 Caldy

Bishop's Stortford 1- 5 Sale

Cambridge 4 -1 Chinnor

Leeds 4 - 1 Birmingham Moseley

Plymouth Albion 1 - 4 Blackheath

Rams 5 - 0 DMP

Taunton 1 - 5 Cinderford

Tonbridge Juddians 1 - 4 Caldy

Cambridge 4 v 0 Chinnor     

Leeds Tykes 4 v 1 Birmingham Moseley     

Plymouth Albion 4 v 0 Blackheath     

Rams 5 v 0 Darlington Mowden Park     

Taunton 0 v 5 Cinderford     

Tonbridge Juddians 0 v 5 Caldy    

After another weekend of great games and we have learn’t a little more.

Park are now in a proper battle and dog fight (no pun intended) at the top, the Sale result, Caldy winning with Cindy and Rams coming up on the rails fast, means that they cannot afford more than one more slip up, only one side has ever gone up losing 6 games from National 1 that being Ampthill, that was in 18/19 when OEs finished 2nd having lost one game less in 5, so as history tells, you will do well to go up having lost 6 games and the City Slickers have got Cindy to visit very soon as well as Caldy and Cambridge to play in the run in, two out of those are very much in the mix!  So I’d say they can afford one more loss at most. At the bottom the loss by Blackheath  has really put them in a very very dangerous position, which might explain why they have doubled the win bonus to the players for the rest of the season this week! If the sides around them win the games in hand, Blackheath are second to bottom, thats a fact, and looking at the trap door. The next 2 weeks are make or break for Blackheath I would say, with games against Plymouth and Leeds both of whom have games in hand as well. What I cannot for the life of me understand was the selection at 10 last week by club, arrogance to the nth degree as its only TJ's  who are bottom, and we are the best side in Kent, well that back fired in a big way, that result may well come back to bite them on the backside and cost them their place in Nat 1 when the fat lady stops singing. Hennessy (m of m v Chinnor a win no less 2 weeks before) was moved to 15 to accommodate this as well, but is back to 10 for this weeks game, let’s hope he does not also turn up in a pair of tights! Very  very strange!  TJ’s great result in what was a must win game and local bragging rights, but it is a little too late I think!

Anyway, thats the top and bottom covered so onto this week.

Bishop's Stortford v Sale FC    1-5 Stortford can play, just ask Park and DMP who have both been dealt with in the last 2 home games, but there is something about Sale and that never say die feeling at the moment. This is going to be close, but that Sale heart keeps pumping till 80 minutes plus, just ask Park! Unless they get stage fright that the gap at the top will be closed Sat night, it could end up being 47-48, but the win and 5 points with it is all thats required, it does really not matter how they get it!

Cambridge v Chinnor     5-0 Cambridge, oh why oh why did you not take a kick at goal last week. You had plenty of chances to, may not win the game, but even one kick out of the five you turned down, to go to the corner would have given you a point to take back home, this could be a massive  error of judgement as this is so tight at the top  even the 1 point might make a massive difference come the end of the season and it would have stopped putting Caldy 4 more clear of you! Chinnor, season over as I said last week, cannot go up, cannot go down, will go through the motions now, the DMP result says it all, they are 0 from the last 4 games it took them 30 minutes to get going and up for it last week, at which time the bonus point was already in the DMP changing room. If Cambridge take a leaf out off DMPs book, they could be over the hill and out of sight come half time.

Leeds Tykes v Birmingham Moseley    1-5 Going with the away side, for the only reason that Leeds will have eyes on Blackheath and TJs coming up as the get out of jail card. Moseley with Nagel-Taylor driving them from 8 and Johnson back from his red card (I think) they will have too much and this win, will see Moseley safe I’d say.

 

Plymouth Albion v Blackheath     5-0 Massive game for both sides. So I see this as the Plymouth pack won’t allow Club to have the ball, they did that at Well Hall where they won and In my view the club line out and throwing in is just dreadful, watch the last play of the game v TJs if you want any proof. The Albi boys know that this is their cup final and they are at home, win this and then beat TJs in a couple of weeks also at home, you have light at the end of the tunnel and they will not be in the bottom 2. Club might think they have Leeds the week after at home and look to that, but they must not forget others all have games in hand on them, on a muddy field Herbie and the Albi boys will have been on raw meat all week and looking forward to this. Saying that, the new £500 win bonus per player, introduced by Blackheath this week, does do funny things to people and its a long trip home to count the money!

Rams v Darlington Mowden Park   5-1 Rams backed up the Park win with another decent home result. DMP were like a different side v Chinnor, where has that performance been all season?. This I think will be close but Rams can see the coat tails of the sides above them and will just hang onto them, just in case anybody slips up, which looking at the remaining fixtures there is every chance..

  

Taunton v Cinderford  1-5 As with Rams, Cindy will be refreshed from the week off and will know they must keep winning to be in with a shout, They win this, they have Park the week after at home, two wins the next two weeks and that will drag them right back into the mix and anything could then happen. Taunton are not the same side without the Exeter boys, Maunder is a loss at 9, just another statement to the RFU that National 1 rugby works and we don’t need a Champ or National 1 full of A teams, like this weeks proposal.  Going back to the game, I just think Cindy will grind them out and are much stronger in the front 5 with Porter and Taylor having the scrum on top form and sharpening the pencil ahead of the visit of the city slickers next week

   

Tonbridge Juddians v Caldy    0-5 TJ’s outstanding result at Club last week, I doof my cap, Caldy sent Cambridge back home with no points, which was as important as the result. With TJs , I think this will be very much after the “lord mayors show” , they have played 2 more games than Leeds and are 7 points adrift, they have played one more game than Plymouth and are 12 points adrift, as good as last weeks result was, the writing is on the wall and they will finish bottom I’m sorry to say. On the other hand Caldy, they know a) they pick up 5 here with Sale to visit them they are so much in the mix its like a dream b) TJs won’t be able to spring a surprise, as with every side in this league, you cannot  just turn up because you have a big name and expect to win (ask Club and Park the last couple of weeks) every side can beat each other on the day, so The Ravers will be fully aware of last weeks result and turn up fully prepared as this is a massive  week for them  and this cannot be a banana skin c) Not had a Nick Royle chip and chase for 2 weeks, to be fair came close last week, but the ball got stuck in the mud, will fancy his chances this week Im sure, especially as the amount the TJs 10 kicks the ball away, he will hope to get on the end of one or two of those kicks and lastly d ) 4 points or more and they hit top spot Sat night and that trip home for The Ravers will be very lively to say the least with Big Eddie at the wheel

Parks weeks off means we could have a change at the top. What I really think is good and something that the Prem has lost for now is we could have Caldy and Sale going up instead of Rosslyn Park , we could have Blackheath going down, now that in my book is what sport is all about, everybody has a chance no matter how big a name your club has or you think it has! Thats another reason why what has been written and spoken about this week, by the RFU, Prem clubs and others in the Champ of A teams going into the Champ and possible National 1, this will in my view destroy the club game in England inside 3 seasons. Nobody but nobody in their right mind would invest in a club thats not able to get to the top of the tree, would you want a Champ littered with A teams. Clubs will be engulfed by debit and we will lose many If this happens.

Stay safe with what’s going on in the world at present and as always these are my views, no offence to anybody or club meant!