20 www.RUGBY TIMES.com 22 May 2009
NATIONAL LEAGUE TWO 2008-2009 REVIEW
CHANGES to the league structure had a knock-
on effect in National League Two with just champions
CAMBRIDGE - 2nd REDRUTH - 3rd TYNEDALE - 4th
Birmingham & Solihull promoted to next season’s
Championship. With four teams relegated the competition from
top to bottom was intense throughout the campaign.
PAUL ENGLISH takes a look back over the season of a
W
HEN a Premiership player of
the quality of Darren Fox
arrives at a club two divisions
division that will have a new look next season as a 16-team
R
EDRUTH fans can be excused
for thinking 'what if' at the
end of an exciting campaign.
below the top flight, then alarm bells
T
YNEDALE enjoyed a
remarkable first season in
National League Two where,
competition.
The Reds finished as the 31st best
start ringing all around the league.
thanks to their excellent home
club in the country, by far their best-
Fox wasn’t the only close-season
form, they remained on the fringe
ever finish and one that the Cornish
recruit at Cambridge; players like Rob
of the promotion race for much of
club can be proud of. In director of
Hurrell, Mike Guess, Dave Archer, Matt
rugby David Penberthy and coach
the season.
Miles and Dan Legge have long-
Nigel Hambly the Cornish side have
The north-east side were the
established reputations and their arrival
two men who are Red through and
surprise package of the division under
at Grantchester Road certainly installed
through.
coach Tom Borthwick and their
the East Midlands outfit as one of the
The pair had endured a nightmare
excellent unbeaten home record, which
favourites for promotion to National
2007/08 season but their confidence in
spanned the best part of three seasons,
One.
the club and their players was always
lasted until their final home game of
And those named so far were only in
of the highest order and justified by
the campaign, and was then only
the pack that had the knowledgeable Bob
their performances throughout the
broken by champions Birmingham &
Crooks installed as forwards coach for
past season.
Solihull.
the new season. The backs were given a
The Reds started the season in fine
As well as taking the
boost of their own with Ben Patson and
style by beating the pre-season
championship with a 45-22 victory at
James Hinkins making the short journey
‘favourites’ Birmingham & Solihull 35-
Tynedale Park, the Midlands outfit also
from Bedford.
28. With just four exceptions they
gained revenge for a 28-24 defeat to
Cambridge, though, were not short of
posted 30 points or better in every
Tynedale in December.
talent of their own and players like Stef
game up to the Christmas break,
In fact, once Tynedale adjusted to
The Bees celebrate promotion Liebenberg, Chris Lombaard and Luke
included in that sequence was wins
the pace of rugby at level three their
PIC: Barry Wheway
Fielden are often a handful for any over local rivals Mounts Bay and the
away form improved and on their
opponents at this level. Cornish All Blacks, the latter by a 19-13
travels in 2009 they only lost at
Indeed, Fielden and Guess will be margin.
Blackheath and Cambridge. They can
BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL - 1st
plying their trade in the Championship The first setback came at the end of
be proud that they defeated every team
next term with Bedford and it will be November when Cambridge left
in the division.
Although some opponents will
T
HE Bees were fine champions
often tend to find their best in the
interesting to see how they fare. Cornwall with a 19-18 victory. And the
of National Two under the
second half of a season, which would
Fielden for one had a remarkable general assessment at the turn of the
claim that Tynedale’s success has been
guidance of Russell Earnshaw
be the make-or-break time for the Bees.
campaign, scoring 27 tries including a year was that despite losing just once,
built on the back of on-loan Falcon
and Eugene Martin.
The Bees secured their promotion
four-timer against Waterloo and hat- Redruth faced a tough ask in 2009.
Academy players, the club does have a
strong backbone of homegrown talent,
Whilst the Bees didn't always have
with a 31-7 victory over Redruth at
tricks against Blackheath, Mounts Bay Indeed, 2009 started as though
though their relationship with the
things their own way - just ask
Sharman’s Cross Road on what should
and Westcombe Park. Redruth had been mulling over the
Falcons has seen players make the
Redruth and Wharfedale - they did
have been the last Saturday of the
But rugby is all about being a strong comments of others; a draw at Blaydon
move to Tynedale when Newcastle
dominate the division and once they
season; they still had an outstanding
XV and while others will also depart, was followed by a home defeat to
contract offers have not been
overhauled Redruth for the top spot
fixture against second-placed
Miles through business commitments Wharfedale and at the Cornish All
forthcoming.
the others were always playing catch-
Cambridge the following week, a
being an example, one would expect Blacks.
One such player, Rupert Harden,
up.
game they eventually lost but by then
Cambridge to again have some high- Redruth managed to avoid the bad
certainly proved that if you play well
In Mark Woodrow and Simon
the result simply didn’t matter.
profile recruitment. weather of the early months of 2009
in National Two then there’s no reason
Hunt, the Bees had two players who
What did matter was that the Bees
It might not be a big-name and that allowed them to remain at the
why you can’t get a second
finished as top points and try-scorers
had, up to and including that Redruth
Premiership player, more likely robust head of the division, but eventually
opportunity at Premiership level after
in the division; Woodrow setting a
victory, put together an unbeaten 12-
players who will be well rounded at this they were overhauled and, as the
signing for Gloucester.
host of divisional and club records
match run, with the last ten of those
level. season closed, they lost on their travels
And when colleague Ross Samson
while Hunt ran-in 31 tries in a free-
games producing maximum points.
Every club no doubt goes into the at Tynedale, Cambridge and
signed for Edinburgh it proved that it
scoring Bees line-up.
Included in that sequence was two
season identifying a block of fixtures that Birmingham.
isn’t just Premiership clubs that are
Woodrow finished the season with
new club record victories. After
could be termed as “tricky”. In As Hambly reflected at the time, to
keeping an eye on the talent available
378 points to his name, just 26 points
winning 61-8 at Mounts Bay in
Cambridge’s case that was November, lose out on promotion was
in the division.
short of Steve Gough’s record for this
September they passed their previous
but unfortunately for James Shanahan disappointing but Redruth can take
Tynedale will obviously have to
division. But his 108 conversions easily
record of 68 points (against Moseley in
and his team a banana skin appeared the great heart from their highest-ever
overcome the departure of the talented
passed the previous record of 80
2002) when they posted 80 points
week before in the shape of Waterloo. finish in league rugby.
duo, but that aside they have plenty of
jointly held by Barry Reeves (Henley)
against Bay on home soil in March.
That defeat, in sporting jargon, put The prospect now facing the Reds
talent in their ranks to suggest they
and Neil Hallett of Esher.
And that tally was smashed out of
Cambridge behind the 8-ball. Further is to repeat last season’s performance
should be good enough to avoid falling
Full-back Reece Spee (15), Rob
sight against another relegated side,
setbacks at places such as Tynedale and and build on those results.
into the bottom three in the division
Connolly (15) and Cameron Mitchell
Waterloo, when the Merseyside outfit
Launceston left them hoping that The Reds will lack Pirates-bound
next term.
(11) also crossed for tries at regular
conceded 115 points at Sharmans
someone would do them a favour before Luke Collins and Rob Thirlby who has
If players like Jack Harrison, and
intervals for a Bees back line that was
Cross Road in April.
their end-of-season, “winner-take-all” opted to join a Moseley club that is
the Beasley and Murray brothers pull
always dangerous.
That afternoon Woodrow
game against Birmingham & Solihull. located nearer to his home. Richard
on Tynedale shirts next season, then
After suffering relegation from
compiled 35 of those points to beat a
Unfortunately for Shanahan and Carroll is to retire from playing to
they should have no problems. But the
National One 12 months earlier,
record set by Gough playing for the
Crooks that favour never appeared and concentrate on coaching duties but the
key question could be about those
Earnshaw recruited a well-balanced
Bees against Leeds in September 2000,
although Cambridge won 45-29 at Reds were due to announce a number
fringe players from Newcastle, the
squad and installed a degree of
and against Waterloo 12 different
Birmingham, the Bees had already been of signings at this week’s AGM.
likes of Eniola Gesinde?
confidence that proved to be well
players got their names on the
crowned champions. Former prop Sam Heard has been
He was on a season-long loan from
placed.
scoresheet with Petty and Hunt both
So near, but so far. Some will argue
strongly rumoured to be a Reds target
the Falcons but has now been released
South African back rower Shaun
grabbing hat-tricks.
that the mid-season decision by the RFU
following his release from the Pirates
Pamenter proved to be one of their
The Bees still have designs of a
to change the league structure was unfair,
and his former team-mate, Adryan
from his Newcastle contract and only
most astute signings while Aussie Rod
move to join with Solihull Borough,
indeed it was, but one thing is for certain:
Winnan, has also been strongly linked
time will tell if he’s on the Tynedale
Petty - who returned from nearby
though whether or not that journey
Cambridge will be wiser and the
with the Reds.
scene next term.
Stourbridge and contributed 12 tries -
will have been made in time for the
experience of last season will stand them
fitted in superbly at halfback.
start of the new season remains to be
in good stead.
The challenge for Earnshaw and
season.
Martin is to keep the continuity of the
BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL -
CAMBRIDGE - Results 2008-2009 REDRUTH - Results 2008-2009 TYNEDALE - Results 2008-2009
past 12 months going in the new
Results 2008-2009
Championship.
Date Opponents Result Date Opponents Result Date Opponents Result
Date Opponents Result
Sept 6 Stourbridge (h) 8-6 Sept 6 Birmingham & Solihull (h) 35-28 Sept 6 Mounts Bay (h) 14-7
lndeed, Earnshaw has already
Sept 6 Redruth (a) 28-35
Sept 13 Westcombe Park (a) 40-5 Sept 13 Mounts Bay (a) 35-16 Sept 13 Blaydon (a) 5-24
stated that his desire is to make the top
Sept 13 Stourbridge (h) 31-14
Sept 20 Birmingham & Solihull (h) 29-33 Sept 20 Blaydon (h) 38-12 Sept 20 Wharfedale (h) 45-30
Sept 20 Cambridge (a) 33-29
Sept 27 Southend (a) 58-13 Sept 27 Wharfedale (a) 18-15 Sept 27 Cornish All Blacks (a) 27-29
eight, and in doing so avoid the Sept 27 Mounts Bay (a) 61-8 Oct 4 Mounts Bay (h) 76-3 Oct 4 Cornish All Blacks (h) 19-13 Oct 4 Blackheath (h) 16-15
bottom-four relegation play-off
Oct 4 Blaydon (h) 32-12 Oct 11 Cinderford (a) 21-17 Oct 11 Blackheath (a) 30-15 Oct 11 Westcombe Park (a) 18-18
Oct 11 Wharfedale (a) 12-41 Oct 18 Blaydon (h) 39-28 Oct 18 Westcombe Park (h) 44-10 Oct 18 Southend (h) 29-20
dogfight. Oct 18 Cornish All Blacks (h) 23-19 Oct 25 Waterloo (a) 13-18 Oct 25 Southend (a) 32-7 Oct 25 Cinderford (a) 22-29
That’s a good objective and one
Oct 25 Blackheath (a) 35-28
Nov 1 Wharfedale (h) 52-7 Nov 1 Cinderford (h) 51-12 Nov 1 Waterloo (h) 50-20
Nov 1 Westcombe Park (h) 47-7
Nov 8 Tynedale (a) 15-49 Nov 8 Waterloo (a) 35-17 Nov 8 Cambridge (h) 49-15
that will probably need the Bees to add
Nov 8 Southend (a) 39-14
Nov 15 Cornish All Blacks (h) 21-23 Nov 15 Tynedale (h) 15-5 Nov 15 Redruth (a) 5-15
to their ranks during the summer
Nov 15 Cinderford (h) 53-3
Nov 29 Cambridge (h) 18-19 Nov 29 Stourbridge (h) 24-15
Nov 29 Waterloo (a) 52-16*
Nov 29 Redruth (a) 19-18
months on the evidence of how
Dec 6 Tynedale (h) 24-28
Dec 6 Blackheath (h) 26-20 Dec 6 Stourbridge (a) 26-15 Dec 6 Birmingham & Solihull (a) 28-24
Dec 20 Stourbridge (a) 35-25
Dec 20 Westcombe Park (h) 22-17 Dec 20 Mounts Bay (h) 41-10 Dec 20 Blaydon (h) 8-5
previous promoted clubs have fared. Jan 24 Blaydon (a) 31-15
Jan 23 Mounts Bay (a) 28-3 Jan 3 Blaydon (a) 13-13 Jan 10 Cornish All Blacks (h) 29-17
It would be more realistic to expect
Jan 31 Wharfedale (h) 55-13
Jan 31 Cinderford (h) 27-3 Jan 10 Wharfedale (h) 14-15 Jan 24 Blackheath (a) 3-28
Feb 21 Blackheath (h) 58-12
Feb 21 Waterloo (h) 91-0 Jan 24 Cornish All Blacks (a) 8-19 Jan 31 Westcombe Park (h) 46-14
the Bees to finish in the bottom four. Mar 7 Westcombe Park (a) 29-11 Mar 7 Wharfedale (a) 35-14
Jan 31 Blackheath (h) 29-17 Feb 14 Southend (a) 28-12
That means they enter a play-off
Mar 14 Mounts Bay (h) 80-5 Mar 14 Southend (h) 31-22 Feb 14 Westcombe Park (a) 15-13 Feb 21 Cinderford (h) 31-10
Mar 21 Southend (h) 49-27 Mar 21 Tynedale (h) 32-18 Feb 21 Southend (h) 48-14 Mar 7 Waterloo (a) 38-14
system with the three other clubs to Mar 28 Cinderford (a) 36-10 Mar 28 Cornish All Blacks (a) 24-0 Mar 7 Cinderford (a) 25-20 Mar 21 Cambridge (a) 18-32
avoid dropping straight out of the
Apr 4 Waterloo (h) 115-0
Apr 4 Redruth (h) 21-18 Mar 14 Waterloo (h) 96-5 Mar 28 Redruth (h) 35-24
Apr 10 Cornish All Blacks (a) 35-16
Apr 11 Blaydon (a) 54-24 Mar 21 Tynedale (a) 24-35 Apr 4 Stourbridge (a) 31-27
division.
Apr 18 Tynedale (a) 45-22
Apr 18 Blackheath (a) 43-41 Apr 4 Cambridge (a) 18-21 Apr 10 Wharfedale (a) 14-10
And that might not be too bad a
Apr 25 Redruth (h) 31-7
May 2 Cambridge (h) 29-45
Apr 25 Stourbridge (a) 38-5 Apr 18 Stourbridge (h) 18-14 Apr 18 Birmingham & Solihull (h) 22-45
scenario because promoted teams
* Match abandoned after 70mins result stood
May 2 Birmingham & Solihull (a) 45-29 Apr 25 Birmingham & Solihull (a) 7-31 Apr 25 Mounts Bay (a) 32-14
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