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vs Stockport 2.15pm Kick Off Saturday (15th)

vs Stockport 2.15pm Kick Off Saturday (15th)

Mark Hodgkiss14 Feb - 20:00

First XV & Second XV at Home - Wasps v Harrogate OFF

The Wasps game game on Sunday is unfortunately OFF

No reason given but assume Harrogate were unable to raise a team

The Wasps travel to League leaders Blaydon a week on Sunday (23rd) - Please note this game is NOT at Mint Bridge as maybe shown elsewhere

===

Another tough task but the team showed last weekend, as they have done several times this season, that they are capable of beating the best. It just hasn’t happened.... yet !

Stockport have scored over 50 points in both of their last two games, both also away, the fifth time they have done so this season (they also have several 40+), only Rossendale have scored more points in total.

They have won 9 of their last 11 games and the losses away at Wirral and home to Rossendale were only by 10 and 5 points.

The away game was one of their 50+ and we only scored three, but we did have an all forward bench and lost Dan Shorrock, Leo Mercer and Ben Dixon, ending up with Tom Keast on the wing.

TEAM :
The Bad news is no Ben Dixon after his injury last weekend. The Good News is timing his return perfectly, for a first game since he broke his collar bone in the away game at Stockport, Leo Mercer comes into the centre in his place.

The rest of the back division is as last weekend.

Up front Matt Houghton moves from the back to front row, with his place being taken by Patrick Wolstenholme coming off the bench. Steven Nelson and Greg Wrathall swap places with Wrathall starting from the bench.

The even better news for Patrick, is Devin Coyle is (a) back on the bench. So in the event of losing a back to injury there is one on the bench (no guarantee Patrick won’t find himself back on the wing, as we lost three backs in the away game). Ben Leacock retains his place (after Tom Keast found himself on the wing at Stockport, could it be Ben’s day there ?)

KendalStockport
Ben O'Halloran15Callum Owen
Dan Shorrock14Morgan Mohring
Leo Mercer13Tom Hughes
Tommy Calvert12Rory Atwill
Jack Lane11Luke Simpsom
Aaron Stephens 10Ewan Holt
Olllie Rose9Rory Austin
Glenn Chesher1Paul McGookin
Matt Houghton 2Sam Grady-Graham
Barney Coxon3James Cross
Oscar Coxon4Matt Lawrowitsch
Alex Ryder5Callum Hibbs
Patrick Wolstenholme6Tom Metcalfe
Alistair Thompson7Kevin Mzwakhe Hlupheko
Steven Nelson8Simon Green
Greg WrathallrepJames Shaw
Ben LeacockrepKieran Hibbs
Devin CoylerepGaz Thomas

WEATHER :
Overcast with a chance of light rain

OTHER GAMES
After a catch up week (and before another) a full set of games with everyone involved, and some big games

Leek W Stoke on Trent
Manchester W Birkenhead Park
Newport (Salop) W Blackburn
Penrith W Anselmians
Wirral W Rossendale

In the first meeting of our two opponents for the second relegation place, they shared 79 points with Stoke winning by just three. Two recent big defeats for Leek, but both away to the top two, and before that they had started to gather a lot of points. Stoke have only picked up three losing bonus points in their last five, including a heavy loss at Birkenhead Park. So everything points to a home win.

Despite being well beaten last weekend, Manchester should run in a big score against Birkenhead Park

The wheels seem to have completely fallen off Blackburn’s bandwagon and with Newport getting a big win against previously second place Manchester, it looks like more agony for them

Only Wirral and Manchester have won at Winters Park this season (and only by 7 and 8 points), and Penrith got a double bonus point at Wirral last weekend, whilst Anselmians had just about enough to get past us. So Penrith will be up to make the current second place team another scalp

A big win for Rossendale last weekend, after a few recent wobbles, squeezing past Stockport, drawing at Penrith, then being well beaten by Anselmians. A fourth home game in a row for joint second place Wirral, but a loss against Manchester and only a narrow win against Penrith suggests this one could go against home advantage.


The first of four key weekends at the wrong end of the table - so who do we want to win ?

Answer. It doesn’t matter as it is in our hands and if can get two good wins on the next two weekends (so getting maximum points and deny our opposition anything) we should be in a strong position regardless of how the other two do.

A low scoring draw may be the best result for us, but if there is a winner a Home one would probably be better, as we have a bigger gap to Stoke, and have to visit them, whilst Leek have an almost guaranteed 5 points to come with a visit from Birkenhead Park.

We all have positives

  • We and Stoke have a game more to play than Leek (against each other)
  • We have 2 points more than Leek and 5 more than Stoke
  • We have the better points difference
  • Leek have home advantage against Stoke, but have to travel to us
  • Stoke have a Home game against us, but have to travel to Leek.
  • We have Leek at home, but have to travel to Stoke
  • Leek still have a home game against Birkenhead Park.
  • Of the other games Stoke probably have the most “winnable” in a visit from Penrith
  • We will all want to be safe before the last game as they are all tough against top teams wanting to finish their League season on a high.

Kendal LeekStoke
Points292724
Played161716
Points Diff (-)99249185
Feb 15th StockportStokeLeek
22ndStoke-Kendal
Mar 1st LeekKendalPenrith
8th PenrithBirkenhead ParkNewport
15th Free
22ndNewportStockportWirral
29th Free
April 5th WirralManchesterRossendale
at Home in BOLD.

Whilst Birkenhead Park could mathematically still survive, with a 13 point gap, only one game to play against the other bottom three, and that is away, and we all have games against each other (so someone gets the points), it’s not going to happen.

Whilst Blackburn have a horrible run in with the top four to face after this weekend they are probably safe with 15 point gap to Stoke

If (!) we can win our games again the two below us, could we still catch Blackburn for 8th place ?

SECOND XV
Are also at MINT BRIDGE on Saturday, also against Stockport

It looks a stronger selection with a few more with First XV experience in the team

KendalStockport
Luke Atkinson15Jack Greatbatch
J Rankin14Ben Turner
Jordan Johnson13Arthur Carrol
L Cuthbertson12Matt Blackman
Joe Cook11Oliver Wakefield
Mark Carruthers10 (c)Kenzie Leach
Dan Greenwood(c) 9Dudley Southern
N Halhead1Dave Burr
Jack Blocksidge2Regan Stubbs
Connor Lees3Charlie Sadler
W Patterson4Lawrence Hiney
Taghg Butler5Isaac Wall
E Beatie6Seb Valentine
Luke Middleton7George Parker
Anthony Gage8Dom Sheratte
Liam HaytonrepLucas Worthington
F StalkerrepLucas Shelbourne
R MoorerepToby Graham

WASPS
As shown above the game against Harrogate scheduled for this Sunday has been CANCELLED

The Wasps are next in action on Sunday 23rd away at Blaydon

Their next HOME game (their last of the season) is Manchester on March 23rd

SENIOR COLTS
Have a few weeks off and will return on 2nd March with a HOME game against Widnes.

Further reading