Guernsey 27- Bracknell 8

It was an early start for the Rory and the 1XV squad, to get to Gatwick airport and fly over to Guernsey for the 1.30pm kick off.

In the meeting between these two sides earlier this season, it was Guernsey that came out the eventual winners despite being 22-6 down at one point. So far this season Guernsey had lost only one match at home, so the team knew they would face a demanding task to win, in this first ever league meeting at Guernsey’s Footes Lane ground.

Bracknell started the game in their changed black strip, to avoid the colour clash with the green of Guernsey.

The early exchanges saw Guernsey take the 8-3 lead, through an unconverted try by tight head prop Layton Batiste, crashing over from close quarters, and a penalty to Bracknell’s sole penalty.

Guernsey added a converted try through Glen Walters before the break and at half time it was Guernsey that lead 13-3.

In to the second half, Guernsey further extended their lead with a try from winger Dave Davison, conversion was kicked Owen Thomas

Guernsey's bonus point try was scored by second row Nick Merrien. Try was converted by Owen Thomas. Bracknell’s finally got some second half points onto the scoreboard with a consolation try from winger Ian Burch.

Full time: Guernsey 27- Bracknell 8 (Points: Guernsey 5 Bracknell 0)

The result means that Guernsey leapfrog Shelford to sixth in the league standings. It also means that Guernsey have ‘done the double’ having beaten Bracknell home and away something that their fellow Channel islanders Jersey have never managed in the league.

Next Saturday, tenth placed Bracknell take on ninth placed Colchester at Lily Hill. A for win for Bracknell could see them leapfrog Colchester. A Colchester win could see them jump to eighth in the league, so plenty to play for. There is also a Former Players pre match lunch. To book please contact Steve Ward.

Finally, well done to the Stags and the threes who recorded league wins yesterday over Henley and Reading respectively.

Bracknell: 1:Jonny Mirza ( C ) 2:Joe Pickett 3:Rob Baragwanth 4:Leo Bailey 5.Lachlan Valentine 6:Sam Richardson 7:Tom Deveraux 8:George Milligan 9:Jack Conway 10:Lewis Dennet 11:Stuart Mackay 12:Dan Faamatuainu 13:Neil Higgins 14:Ian Burch 15:Ben Yates Subs: Stuart Silvester, Josh Kronman, Sakeasi Yabia

Pete’s Predictions
If I could sum up Bracknell’s season so far in comparison to their last 3 seasons it could be described as lack lustre and below par – rather like my predictions this week. With a full house a couple of week’s ago and just one slip up last week, this week’s 4 out of 7 are rather uninspired. To my credit however, I did say last week that 3 of the predictions were “firmly in the doubtful category” so I got that correct if little else.

Wimbledon’s losing streak runs to 6 games and for the first time this season they lost to a side below them in the league. In a game in which the outcome was always going to be uncertain East Grinstead brought Hertford’s 6 game winning streak to an abrupt end with what was also Hertford’s first home defeat of the season. The 3rd result I got wrong was Shelford’s home win which will have put a small but noticeable dent in Westcombe Park’s title aspirations

Something that has become apparent over recent weeks is that National League 3 London & SE has really turned into a league of 2 halves and is split right down the middle. In the last 5 league weeks, the sides in the top half of the table have a combined total of just 6 loses out of 35 results while the sides in the bottom half of the table have won just 7 times in the same period leaving a 19 point gap between the side in 7th and the side in 8th

Promotion candidates.
2 of the top 5 lost this week which hasn’t happened since mid-November and every time one of these sides loses it weakens their challenge a bit. If anyone is going to catch the top two they can’t afford many more slip ups but keeping in mind that Irish have a very tough run in I reckon there is still the chance of some last minute position changes at the top

Win of the week.
There is a rather predictable pattern to “Win of the Week” in that if anyone manages to buck my predictions then they are in with a shout, so this week we’re not short of candidates.
Shelford and Colchester’s wins might have been enough in previous weeks, both beating sides higher placed in the league but…..they were both at home. When you travel away from home and inflict the first home defeat on any side at this stage of the season it’s worthy of recognition so this week’s “Win of the Week” goes to East Grinstead.

Relegation worries.
2 sides in the bottom half of the league managed a win, Chichester and Colchester, who feature for a 3rd week running. With 3 wins on the trot I reckon Colchester are safe but I said that about Bracknell a few weeks ago so being described as “safe” shouldn’t be taken too seriously – I’ve got to write something – and neither side can afford to take their foot off the gas. Chichester’s win may just sneak them into the same “safe” bracket – it’s not the fact that they can’t be caught it’s more about what realistic opportunities remain for the sides below them to make up the ground. I sticking with the prediction I made at the season’s midway point after week 12; that this week’s bottom 3 will take the drop.

Next week’s fixtures
2 of the sides I have just described as “safe” meet each other as Bracknell host Colchester and my prediction is that with the sides on equal points, home advantage edges the encounter. Another prediction I can be surer of however, is that the winner will certainly feel “safer” than the loser at the end of the day.

Other tasty fixtures include Hertford (league position 5) and Westcombe Park (3) and East Grinstead (4) hosting Tonbridge Juddian (1 or 2 depending on what league you look at)

With the vast majority (and I mean at least 5) of the following being by no means certain, here are my predictions for week 18 in league fixture list order.

Home win
Home win
Away win
Home win
Away win
Home win
Away win

Go BRFC