From the touchline – Sat 30th March

Today we welcome to Cinderford to Crow Trees for this return league fixture and we hope they survive the long travel in the current inclement weather!

Last week our visitors’ game at home with Old Albanian was, like three others in the league, postponed with Loughborough Students being unable to travel to Macclesfield.

Since the advent of league rugby in 1988, this period of weather has undoubtedly the worst ever experienced in late March and indeed today several games could be at risk notably Wharfedale v Coventry up in the Dales. The end result is that games will be played on the 4th and 11th May. Thankfully, Blaydon do not have any backlog!

The weather has caused Cinderford many problems – they have not played since 9th March and prior to that their last game was 16th February.

When the teams met on 17th November last, we recorded our first ever victory at Dockham Road coming away with a 24 – 10 result with tries by Robbie Kilbraier and Rob Bell (2) and Baggy kicked three conversions and a penalty in what then was his seventh 100% kicking record of the season.

Since then, we have climbed to second in the table losing narrowly last week to Ealing 12 – 11 in probably the worst conditions experienced for many years, their winning try coming in the 77th minute.

Cinderford had a bright start to the season winning three and drawing two in their first five matches but since then they have been somewhat inconsistent winning only twice since the Christmas break against Tynedale and Fylde.

Last week’s club games saw the Development XV beat Novos by 70 points and surprisingly the Bricks, after their winning County Cup Semi Final the previous week, lost to Ashington 2nds 60 – 12, a side they had previously beaten 59 – 0 at home.

League results last week, with only two other games played, saw the London derby go to Rosslyn Park when they defeated Blackheath 29 – 9 and our neighbours relieved their relegation problems with a good 30 – 15 victory over Richmond.

At the top, Ealing are 17 points clear of ourselves in 2nd place with Rosslyn Park and Esher, who meet today, two and three points behind us respectively.

At the other end of the table, Cambridge and Sedgley Park seem doomed for the drop with Macclesfield and Wharfedale fighting it out for the third spot although mathematically it is still possible for others to be involved in the relegation issue. However, with six games to play, one of which is against each other, it will probably be down to the aforementioned two.

Jim Huxley

BLAYDON vs CINDERFORD – kick off 2.00pm
REFEREE : Shane Lewis
ASSISTANT REFEREES : Fraser Gill/Barry Dalby
FOURTH OFFICIALS : Richard Hailes/Jim Knight

LAST WEEK’S CLUB RESULTS:
BLAYDON GEORGIANS – NO GAME
DEVELOPMENT XV 70 – NOVOCASTRIANS 0
ASHINGTON 2nds 60 – BLAYDON BRICKS 12

THIS WEEK’S CLUB FIXTURES:
DEVELOPMENT XV v BRAINTREE
BLAYDON BRICKS v BRAINTREE