Round 26 Review: Rotherham and Bury St Edmunds clinch titles on breathless final day
While league titles were being lifted aloft in South Yorkshire and Suffolk, play-off places were being locked in, survival was being secured, and relegations were being confirmed. (Photo Credit: Gareth Lyons)
National One
Tries from Jackson Barling (2) and John Okafor – along with seven points from the boot of Lloyd Hayes – put Rotherham 22-7 ahead, but nerves began to jangle in South Yorkshire.
Nathan Langdon and Nev Edwards both went over for Sale to reduce the deficit to just three points, but when Barling completed his hat-trick 12 minutes from time, it clinched the bonus point Rotherham needed to all but confirm their promotion.
The result was then thrown back into the balance when Andy Hughes crashed over, but Xavier Valentine settled matters on 78 minutes, sparking jubilation at Clifton Lane.
As for the relegation battle, Birmingham Moseley’s (11th) Tommy Taylor kicked a penalty four minutes from time to seal a 35-33 win over Bishop’s Stortford (6th) and guarantee the club’s place in National One for next season.
Moseley began the day in the bottom three, but things looked promising for Adam Balding and Ollie Thomas’ side when they led 32–19 on the hour,
However, a sin-binning for Tighe Maxwell-Whiteley and tries from Will Rogers and Chris Bolton shifted the momentum at Billesley Common and, with 10 minutes to go, Moseley were down 33-32 and staring at relegation.
Taylor, though, kept his composure to slot a penalty from just inside the Stortford half as Moseley saw out the closing stages to secure their survival.
That dramatic finale in the Midlands meant Clifton (12th) were the side to fall into the bottom three, suffering relegation after a 52-28 defeat at Blackheath (2nd).
The Lavender and Blacks’ courage to take their fight to the final day deserves immense credit, but the try bonus point they picked up in the capital was not enough to prevent an immediate return to National Two.
For Blackheath, a 10th straight victory ensures they will return to The Utilita to host Plymouth Albion in the National One promotion play-off on May 9th.
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They will be hoping the irrepressible Billy Harding can carry his remarkable try-scoring form into the play-offs, as his 47th try of the campaign on Saturday meant the Blackheath captain scored in all 26 regular-season games.
Plymouth Albion (3rd) will hope that is not the case, with Ryan Lamb’s side looking to exact revenge after losing both league meetings with Blackheath.
Albion head into the play-offs on the back of a 54-24 home victory over Leeds Tykes (9th), in which their own hooker, Rhys Williams, claimed a hat-trick in front of over 2,300 at Brickfields.
With Clifton losing, that result confirmed Dings Crusaders’ (10th) safety despite their 52-40 home defeat to Rosslyn Park (4th), who finished the campaign in fourth place.
Elsewhere, No.8 Willo Bicknell scored a hat-trick as Rams (7th) beat Sedgley Park (13th) 61-40 in a highly entertaining contest, while Curtis Barnes crossed for a remarkable six tries in Tonbridge Juddians’ (8th) emphatic 83–14 victory over Leicester Lions (14th).
National Two North
Otley (11th) secured their National Two North status in pulsating fashion, beating champions Sheffield (1st) 42-36 at Cross Green.
A bonus-point win for Otley – who had won just once since the middle of January – would guarantee their safety regardless of results elsewhere, but it was the visitors who led at the break.
Chris Hooper (2), Will Smith and Elliot Fisher all crossed for Sheffield, but Otley were more than holding their own, trailing just 24-21.
Fisher and Henry Acland then exchanged tries before Rhodri Campbell gave the champions an eight-point cushion.
However, the hosts dug deep and scores from George Lunn and Sam Hodge ultimately confirmed Otley’s place in the fourth tier for next season.
Otley’s five-pointer meant Rossendale’s (12th) relentless display in their 82-24 thumping of Hull (14th) was not enough to lift ‘The Stags’ fully out of danger.
Despite scoring 12 tries – with forward Maciu Nabogi helping himself to four – Rossendale will be involved in one of the NLR 2 Accession Finals against either Anselmians or Harrogate on May 9th.
With both sides above them winning, Scunthorpe (13th) needed to do the same away at Darlington Mowden Park (5th) to keep their survival dreams alive.
The Greens never backed down in the North-East but eventually fell to a 50-43 defeat, meaning Tony Wilkinson’s side have suffered an immediate return to the Regional Leagues.
Scunthorpe do still have their final fixture of the season to come, though, away at champions Sheffield next Saturday.
As for the battle for the play-off place, Tynedale (2nd) ran in seven tries in a superb 45-20 away victory at Wharfedale (7th) to secure second spot.
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Peter Southern’s side, who have now won eight of their last nine games, will host Oundle of National Two East in the National 2 promotion play-offs on May 9th.
That result at The Avenue meant Macclesfield’s (3rd) late heroics to clinch a 38–34 win at Sheffield Tigers (8th) were ultimately in vain.
Still, the fightback from Rhys Davies and Matt Coleridge’s side was impressive, much like their overall season.
Samson Shute’s hat-trick try, along with a score from exciting Sale Sharks prospect Austin Keogh, turned things around at Dore Moor.
Elsewhere, Hull Ionians (4th) ended a positive campaign with a 36-22 win over Fylde (6th), while Billingham (9th) edged past Preston Grasshoppers (10th) 38-28 at Greenwood Road.
National Two East
Bury St Edmunds (1st) clinched the National Two East title and a historic promotion to National One in scintillating fashion, scoring 15 tries in a 95-28 victory over Old Albanian (3rd).
James Shanahan’s side knew any kind of win would see them earn a place in the third tier for the first-ever time, but the Wolfpack were keen to do it in style in the Suffolk sunshine.
Wingers Clark Macfarlane and Andrew Denham both scored hat-tricks for the superb hosts, who were relentless from the first whistle to the last.
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Bury’s sparkling win meant Oundle (2nd) had to settle for second place, but the Northamptonshire side will be more than pleased to be in the play-offs after earning promotion to Level 4 last year.
Their 39-29 victory away at Havant (8th) – in which Joseph Sagoe and Taylor Gourlay both scored twice – means they will travel to Tynedale on May 9th in the National 2 promotion play-offs.
In the battle to avoid the relegation play-off spot, both London Welsh (9th) and Esher (11th) took care of their own business with impressive wins.
Trailing 14-7 at half-time against Dorking (6th), tries from Osian McAvoy (2), Harri Lang and Adam Nixon – along with two penalties and a drop goal from Matt Hodgson – helped Welsh surge to a 42-19 victory in Cai Griffiths’ final game in charge.
As for Esher, they ran in 12 tries – six in each half – on their way to a 78-21 win at Sevenoaks (13th). National Two East’s top try-scorer, James Botterill, crossed four times to take his season tally to 32.
Both results meant Henley’s (12th) 57-19 victory away at Guernsey (10th) wasn’t enough to secure their safety and avoid the relegation play-off spot.
Luke Allen’s side, who have now won six of their last eight games, will face either London Scottish Lions or Letchworth GC in one of the NLR 2 Accession Finals on May 9th.
Elsewhere, Rory Kassapian’s last-gasp try saw Barnes (4th) come from behind to snatch a 31–29 win at Canterbury (5th), while Westcombe Park (7th) ran in 14 tries – including hat-tricks for Toby Wallace and Ben Fryatt – in an 88–29 victory over Oxford Harlequins (14th).
National Two West
Exeter University (12th) avoided the trapdoor in National Two West, but will still have to contest a relegation play-off after a 44–24 win over Taunton (4th).
Scores from Alex Osborn, Oliver Baston and Harrison Hall put Exeter into a 17-7 half-time lead, but that advantage was reduced when Matt Whitlock and Errol Pearson crossed for the visitors.
Tristan Arde and Josh Golden Clark – who were both on the scoresheet in Round 25’s key win at Hornets – added further tries before Luke Evans extended Exeter’s lead.
James Burgoyne responded for Taunton, but the five points were secure for Gareth Elliott’s side when Dewi Thomas and Jed Findlay went over late on.
With that result in mind, Loughborough Students’ (13th) 47-40 win over Redruth (10th) was not enough to preserve their place in the fourth tier as the African Violet suffered automatic relegation.
Exeter will now play for their National Two status against either Topsham or Stourbridge in the NLR 2 Accession Finals on May 9th.
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Elsewhere on the final day, newly crowned champions Camborne (1st) celebrated promotion in style with a 66-31 victory over Chester (11th), while Luctonians (2nd) were unable to secure a home National 2 promotion play-off tie.
Their 32-29 defeat away at Lymm (9th) means they will travel to National One side Birmingham Moseley on May 9th, while the other play-off clash sees Tynedale host Oundle.
That victory for Lymm also provided the perfect send-off for club legend Adam Fletcher, who has stepped down from his role as Director of Rugby after 12 years in charge.
Hinckley (3rd) finished the season with 11 successive wins, with Will Callan scoring a hat-trick in a 64-24 victory over Hornets (6th), while Cinderford (5th) ended the campaign in fifth following a 43-31 triumph at Syston (14th).
Also on the final day, Old Redcliffians (8th) concluded the campaign with another Scotland Lane success, beating Barnstaple (7th) 42-19, with No.8 Lex Valentino scoring his second hat-trick in three games.
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