Match Preview

Last time the two teams met in Kendal, at the end of the 2015/16 season, two points separated them, and it’s the same again, although we are now at the opposite end of a different table.

Kirkby have followed our fixtures throughout the season, who we play one week they play the next, if we are at home, they play them away the following week (the exceptions being our two early reversed fixtures).

Nine of Kirkby’s twenty five points have come in bonus points, with four try scoring ones in each of their four wins (the bottom three plus us), plus five losing bonus points. Only five of ours have come from bonus points, three try scoring (from three of the bottom five) and two losing ones. They have three home wins and only one on the road, and we four away and only broke our duck at the new ground (just) last weekend.

Kirkby have a game in hand, and although it is against Hull, who are flying high, so were Preston, Lymm and Harrogate, but Kirkby got losing bonus points against all of them, the first two away from their home stronghold. Only three times this season have the come away from a game empty handed.

A Kirkby win on Saturday could take them back above Sandal (playing Harrogate) and us, but with the two teams immediately above us playing teams in the bottom three, a Kendal win will probably just keep us in touch with them, with one of them being the first visitors to Mintbridge in 2018.

TEAM : Yet to be announced,

WEATHER : A dry sunny afternoon – although there is a possibility of snow showers in the morning

The Second XV are also at Mintbridge on Saturday, playing Kirkby Seconds on the 4G kick off 12:30 – so why not come down early and see (most of) both games