The Championship

BRISTOL PICKED up a valuable bonus-point win over Rotherham with relative ease, watched by their new director of Rugby, Andy Robinson. The former Scotland national coach’s first day at work will be on March 1st, when he will take up the reigns in a newly created role, working alongside head coach Liam Middleton.

WHILE HALF of the second tier clubs enjoyed the luxury of a rare free weekend, the other six had the pleasure of A re-scheduled league or cup fixture to fill the void. On Friday evening, London Scottish travelled to bottom placed Doncaster and came away with their first away win of the season.

DESPITE WINTRY conditions, four Championship games managed to go ahead, with only Newcastle and London Scottish conceding postponements. On Friday night Bristol reaped the reward of their ground staff’s efforts to gain revenge over visitors Leeds with a 12-9 win. But it was rain and high winds, not snow, that made things difficult for the players at the Memorial Stadium.

WINTERY CONDITIONS decimated the last week of pool stage action in the British & Irish Cup. Although seven of the 16 matches were postponed, all but two pools have been decided. Bizarrely, despite five wins from five, Bristol still require one point from Sunday’s postponed fixture against Cardiff at the Memorial Stadium to progress from Pool 1.

WITH THREE clubs already qualified and two others on the threshold of the last eight, it’s been a good year so far for Championship sides in the British & Irish Cup. Bristol hung on to an 8-14 lead at a wet and windy Deramore Park on Friday night to beat the Ulster Ravens and now require a single point from their final game against Cardiff on Sunday to make the quarter-finals.

LONDON SCOTTISH grab the spotlight this week after a storming 26-23 win over Bedford Blues at the Athletic Ground. Bedford, who started 2013 in second place behind the Falcons and had only lost to Newcastle and Bristol in the Championship, had no answer to the Exiles’ power and pace on Saturday.

THE HIGHLIGHT of the festive period was London Scottish’s performance at Kingston Park where they almost pulled off a shock win over Championship leaders Newcastle. In front of the Sky cameras on Sunday 23rd, the Exiles put their bodies on the line in atrocious conditions but ultimately had to settle for a losing bonus point as young Joel Hodgson

WITH TWO-thirds of the pool stage games now completed, four Championship clubs look certain to progress to the knock-out stages, while it looks very much like the end of the road for a further four. With this being the phase of the competition where clubs temper their ambitions according to their success, or lack of it, and rotate players to rest them for league action, a few freak results were recorded this weekend.

AS EXPECTED, Newcastle Falcons dominate the Championship at the half-way mark of Stage One after their 31-15 win over Plymouth at Kingston Park on Friday night.