Yorkshire trio seek respite in the cup of little cheer
THE start of the oft-maligned British & Irish Cup does not only mean a raft of youngsters and fringe players are about to get some long-awaited action.
Admittedly, this is often the case when the competition gets underway around this time of year.
However, it also offers the opportunity to make some early assessments of how clubs are faring in the Championship.
The break-off into B&I Cup action means they have now completed six rounds of the league campaign, enough to garner some initial impressions.
Last season’s beaten Championship finalists Yorkshire Carnegie, for instance, have not, perhaps unsurprisingly, had a comfortable ride so far.
Given the number of high-profile departures and the reduction in playing budget, it was always going to be unlikely James Lowes’s side would get underway with a 100 per cent record.
The opening-day loss at London Scottish, it could be argued, was understandable after a preseason friendly was cancelled.
They have struggled to convince since, though, Saturday’s 31-20 loss at part-timers Richmond, after a narrow success over Cornish Pirates and draw at Hartpury College, underlining how this could be a transitional term.
Lowes bloods a number of youngsters in their B&I Cup opener at Jersey this evening with the club no doubt looking to those Academy products eventually to form the backbone of their first XV further down the line.
Doncaster Knights, meanwhile, also lost last weekend, falling 29-27 at Hartpury, the promoted side who are becoming increasingly in tune with their new surroundings.
Granted, Knights have won four of their opening six league games to illustrate that they could, for a third year running, be a top-four side.
They are still enduring a number of long-term injuries including to backline regulars Paul Jarvis, Mat Clark and Dougie Flockhart, so they should be strengthened down the track, while Clive Griffiths remains one of the shrewdest operators in the division.
Nevertheless, with Junior Bulumakau now injured, too, and fellow winger Curtis Wilson serving a four-game ban, their B&I Cup match against Leinster A at Castle Park is likely to see a muchchanged team, too.
It is Rotherham Titans, though, who are in real dire straits and will be longing for this cup competition just, if anything, to get some respite from their dismal league start.
New head coach Andy Key is still yet to secure his first win since taking over for this season with the South Yorkshire club – who diced with relegation last term – mustering just one solitary bonus point so far.
The numbers are alarming; six league losses at an average scoreline of 42-19 does not bode well and they require a boost of any sort to get them moving in the right direction.
Like Doncaster, Rotherham also have Irish visitors tomorrow with Connacht A arriving at Clifton Lane.
Hopefully they will end their barren run and finally get their first win of 2017-18 to inject some much-needed confidence in their ranks.
It is imperative they do; Rotherham are at in-form Richmond in the B&I Cup next week before returning to a daunting Championship fixture list.
Key’s side host second-placed Ealing Trailfinders on October 28 before following up with a trip to big-spending leaders Bristol on November 11 so, quite conceivably, could soon be eight league games without a win.
Meanwhile, Carnegie have agreed a new three-year partnership deal with Leeds Beckett University.
They will work together on initiatives, including the development of co-funded community-based projects, sport-related academic research, the provision of opportunities for Leeds Beckett students as well as projects designed to increase rugby participation in the region.
The agreement also provides integrated degree-level and postgraduate programmes to Carnegie players in order to develop their academic skills as well as the joint development of a regional Centre of Excellence for Rugby.
Lowes includes 13 Academy products – some longer in the tooth than others – in tonight’s game in Jersey including teenage fly-half Harry Davey plus young wingers Tom Bullough and Rian Hamilton. Centre Andy Forsyth, 27, adds experience and said: “We have a good Academy team and this is a great chance for those boys to play alongside some firstteam players and get experience.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to help them stay composed as there will be some nerves in there and I can be the calm head to keep things steady if needed.”