Doncaster v Ampthill :14:30

Love that - funny how the three of them have exactly the same voice! Brilliant.

Doncaster v Ampthill  5 - 1

Please note that the final fixture in this list should read:

‘London Scottish v Ealing’ - not that it’s likely to affect many predictions.

Doncaster v Ampthill  5 - 0 hoping for the lads maintaining their fortress Castle Park track record

Donny 5-0 Amps At home Donny to go nap.

Blues 2-2 Pury More likely 4-1 either way but I will punt for a draw

Cov 1-5 Pirates - The visitors looked great against Notts and are hitting form at the right time

Scottish 0-5 Ealing - Exiles forwards will make Ealing work but unless its a really heavy pitch Ealing should take this by at least 3 clear scores.

Any streamed games this weekend?

Doncaster v Ampthill  4 - 1 

2 defeats in a row doesn't constitute a season falling apart TB! The Reds lost successive games to Blues & Donny either side of NY, gaining nil points - twice - for the only occasions so far this season & seeing a 7-game unbeaten home run crash & burn. Disappointing, but not the end of the world, and we managed a battling win to get the train back on the track last w/e... 

Those clubs have players that are demanding wages way above what the Knights will pay, and pretty sure the Reds too - not sure how the Pirates budget is these days - and we know Ealing is swimming in cash (ish). The Semi-Pro clubs are still paying big bucks or giving opportunities in the City to work that pays nicely.

Luck and Injuries may have a part to play admittedly 

Where the real disappointment is, we have performed (expect Ealing) well against the top 4 clubs, beat Jersey and Knights at home, arguably could’ve beat Pirates away despite playing with 14 men for 40mins and Jersey away was close early on.

We seem to be lacking a bit of confidence at the moment and struggle against the lower teams more. We destroyed Ampthill away but at home it was one of the most boring Blues performances I have seen, which just kept dragging on.

Although the championship has a number of teams who train in the evening as opposed to in the day, i'd argue it's still very much a professional league.

One key reason being as pointed out above is a number of full/time players earn less then their part/time counterparts, regardless of the fact they train in the evening. These players are earning part-time what others earn for their living, in the same league.

Regarding Jobs in the city, i don't think any club currently provides these as a sweetener for players to join that are based within London. 

The only "proper" semi-pro teams i'd argue are Richmond and potentially London Scottish who i'd guess have the smallest and second smallest budget in the league. The others are either hybrid or in-between models or just plain and simple full/time train in the day outfits.

Whilst potentially receiving lower wages then part/time counterparts, full/time clubs IMO have an advantage in the fact that they're full-time, they have a much larger amount of contact time both to train but also to gel as a squad, they'd likely have a longer pre-season aswell. They would have more time for stuff such as S&C, Skills, Analysis , those 1%'s that as fans sometimes it cannot be seen but come matchday across a season those marginal gains can have a big impact. 

My source is our Head Coach - who has stated that offers he has made to players have been declined on the basis that they are being offered more at the Semi-Pro clubs. The Semi-Pro clubs also tend (in a number of situations) to get more DR players meaning their income stream can focus on paying their direct contracted players more. One thing for sure is that the Knights do not have a top 4 budget, however by focussing on a younger, smaller squad they can offer great coaching and playing opportunities which is attractive to these players starting out in their rugby careers

As for city jobs - these might not be directly supplied by the clubs, as a sweetener. but via sponsors etc. / also there is the access to higher paying jobs just because that is how the market is - the nearer the city of London the higher the pay opportunities are / the more jobs there are for well educated people (and we should recognise that in rugby union a lot of the players have been to university thus implying "well educated"). In Doncaster access to these roles are more restricted so there is less potential for these youngsters to get these opportunities.

Jersey 4 v 1 Richmond - A tricky one because Richmond have started hitting some form again but Jersey will probably grind out a close victory.

Doncaster 5 v 0 Ampthill - Close for probably 60 minutes but then Donny’s extra quality to show. Ampthill are making themselves hard to beat though so I’m not expecting a cakewalk. Donny by 10. 

Bedford 5 v 2 Hartpury - I’ve given up trying to work out Bedford. It seems as though they can beat or lose to anyone, as the recent Ampthill and Richmond games have shown. I think they may edge this though. Hartpury have leaked a lot of points recently and that’s not a great habit to have when going to GR. 

Coventry 1 v 4 Cornish Pirates - The general feeling is that Cov have been poor this season yet I was looking through their results and they have still only lost one game at home (Ealing). Granted a lot of their wins at the BPA have been narrow scrapes against teams you would expect them to beat. I think Pirates will win this but Coventry will get something.

London Scottish 0 v 5 Ealing - Won’t be anything like the reverse fixture but the result should still be the same. Could Scottish score 4 tries?. Doubt it but hoping for a big upset. 

Doncaster 4- Ampthill A really good tight game . . again a full time home team should always be favourites against part timers . . if nothing else fitness should be significantly better!!!

Bedford Blues 5-2 Hartpury . . absolutely no idea here . .. so depends on how many loan players etc etc

Coventry 1 -4 Cornish Pirates  . . I cannot make my mind up here . . no doubt Cov will win!!!

London Scottish 0-5 Ealing Trailfinders  - Surely no mistakes from Ealing . . although LS motivated by last weeks result!!!!

Doncaster v Ampthill  5 - 0

Doncaster v Ampthill  5 - 0 Amps awkward team but not this time 5-0

Doncaster v Ampthill  5 - 1 - Top 3 club at home, yes, I think so. Donny very much on-form.

Nowt on the Donny site, so I'd imagine it's incorrect.

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/all/domestic-club-rugby-union/the-english-rugby-championship/347886/championship-preview-can-chasing-pack-catch-ealing/" rel="nofollow - Championship preview: Can chasing pack catch Ealing? (therugbypaper.co.uk)

agree 728, Reds were impressive after the break. Scrum hadn't got much change out of Mond in 1st period while LO had wobbled, but these areas were very efficient after HT, discipline good and when Mond tried to chase a late score, an error came and suddenly the margin was a wee bit flattering...

Agreed a good result for Jersey in the end but certainly made hard work by a robust Richmond.  It was a bit like the Ampthill game where possession and territory would indicate an easy win but it was far from that.  Fair play to Jersey for sticking with it like last week and grinding out the result.  Richmond were good value as ever and particularly disruptive at the line out and on another day....

That game at Castle Park today certainly wasn’t aesthetically pleasing!. It was a real slog of a game in extremely windy conditions. Donny did their best to lose the game by gifting Ampthill their two tries and squandering several chances in the red zone in the second half. That performance was not at the standards we’ve set at home this season. To their credit, Ampthill’s defence was excellent all game and their forwards more than matched a very good Donny pack. The A’s might feel that on another day they could have easily won the game. My overriding feeling is relief at the fact we got the W, it was too close for comfort. The best crowd of the season showed up today, well done to the 1,131 who braved the cold. It was freezing!. Still not totally warm now. 

Lord knows what the penalty count was against Cov, but sir's arm had birds4it and a few twigs on it by full time.

Nice to have it go the other way for once. As a Pirates supporter I'm well used to watching us concede 20+ penalties a game. 

Our one try was a lucky turnover from grubber through that got blocked, although very well finished by Adamson. Other than that I don’t think we threatened the try line, need to sort it out fast as I can’t see us even getting close in the next 3 matches, I hope I’m proved wrong.

I know I am completely biased and fully appreciate my view is not always shared by the opposition supporters or the officials but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ref take against one team quite so dramatically after half time. He was pretty even first half. Some disputable decisions either way but that’s always the case. Did someone say something rude to him at half time? I’m not one to usually complain about officials after a game and am fully aware we gave some silly penalties away. Usually it evens itself out over 80 mins but when he starts giving a mark to the opposition when the ball is caught outside the 22 then you know it’s not your day. And don’t start me on the winger’s offside and how the AR missed that I’ll never know. Right under his nose!

I am truly baffled. 

I’m the first to say fair play when the opposition beat you fair and square and the pirates deserved it on their 2nd half professionalism but I left feeling all the energy joy and hope had been sucked out of that game in the second half after a good open first half from both sides.  Fair play to Pirates - they did a job, used their nous and quietened the crowd etc but blimey too much of that 2nd half will turn the crowds away. 

Callum Patterson, dislocated ankle apparently. Awful luck for him as it was his second game back after a long term knee injury.

Still, you play the ref and Pirates were probably just worth the win.

I was at work yesterday, so missed the match. Sounds like I was lucky.

Seriously not being a stats person, i wonder how a lot of clubs will fare as the league element of the season ends. Six Nations matches coming up, will clubs with dual registered players see parent clubs recall them as other players join up with national teams?

I have calmed down a bit from last night and in the cold light of day have to take my hat off to pirates as they played the officials better than we did. They twigged the officials weren’t policing offside but we didn’t. I know the BPA calls for offside and always take with a pinch of salt  as I know both sides are as guilty but that one with the winger - really?

If that is the rule on claiming a mark then fair enough and I give way on that. I felt we were on the rough end of the officials with at least 3 penalties which I still can’t fathom today (but I expect I am not unusual in that). The problem with that against the pirates is you know that they will kick it to the corner and maul it over for a try whilst you are still scratching your head for what the original offence was but hey ho I suppose that happens to everyone and we’ll get the benefit on another day. 

Well done Pirates and we move on to the next game. 

Agree Cricks, Hartpury 9 and 13 were their stand out players, very quick feet, and their No.5, stood out in a different way being close to 7ft tall and taking 99% of line out ball for them.

If so, yes, he's excellent.

Another loaner I believe, but excellent.

What's gone wrong, you pulverised us at Dillingham Park last Autumn?

But since then Ampthill have tightened up enormously in defence and now look like a bottom of the top half of the table team, whereas Bedford have slipped down the table and have started losing to teams I would have expected them to beat.

You looked scintillating ball in hand in the Autumn, but perhaps that was just a reflection of how woeful Ampthill were then before Mr Turner and team whipped them into shape.

I wish I knew Baggins, we looked very good early on in the season, had a great, gutsy performance and win against Jersey, and now the wheels have fallen off. 

Like many teams, we seem to have multiple changes each game, which doesn’t make life easy, but yesterday, we just didn’t want it, well 12 of them didn’t seem to. We had no ambition, made only a few line breaks, it just wasn’t a Bedford performance we are all used to and love to watch.

I always feel Bedford play better when their is no wind, rain and firm ground. But we seem to struggle with winter weather. Which with a season ending in March is not allowing us much time to play the style we prefer. 

With two home games left (which seems daft as I write it) that Friday night v Coventry looks more important than ever.

I always feel Bedford play better when their is no wind, rain and firm ground. But we seem to struggle with winter weather. Which with a season ending in March is not allowing us much time to play the style we prefer. 

With two home games left (which seems daft as I write it) that Friday night v Coventry looks more important than ever.

Seems the weather in the UK is always going to be against Bedford then 

Seems the weather in the UK is always going to be against Bedford then 

Better weather suits our style of play for sure, but we are usually OK in the wet stuff, even if we still try to chuck it about. We just seem dull at the moment, no edge, no bite, going through the motions.

Better weather suits our style of play for sure, but we are usually OK in the wet stuff, even if we still try to chuck it about. We just seem dull at the moment, no edge, no bite, going through the motions.

Well as a DMP supporter I'm shocked that with the same pack as before plus a Wales U20 captain at flanker, we can no longer scrumage or compete. I can only say it must be down to a change in coaching, it's becoming somewhat embarrassing to watch. If we get the ball out the backs are phenomenal but they are just not getting any ball

As a matter of interest did I misinterpret the offside ruling on the second Ampthill try? Scrumhalf had his hands on the ball but it had yet to leave the ground or the ruck so how did the Ampts 6 get waved on by sir? 

https://twitter.com/DoncasterKnight?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="nofollow - https://twitter.com/DoncasterKnight?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

P.S. sorry I cannot seem to find the direct link so scroll down a bit for the highlights