Carnegie prepared for Esher challenge

Back in action on Sunday
By Richard Payne
February 20 2009

Our visitors from Surrey are not to be taken lightly, in October Leeds put in a professional display which saw us dispatch them with a 52-8 victory with us running in 8 tries to 1, even the bright pink kit sported by Esher didn’t help them (but it did help charity so good on em). Exeter were not so lucky when they drew 12 all in December falling further back from leaders Leeds

We are 22 games through the season and 8 games remaining Leeds have won all 22 and have a total of 103 points leaving us 12 clear of Exeter with 40 still to play for. Esher sit in 12^th having played 20 games having won only 6 and are keen to play their part in the title race by being the first team to beat Leeds.

Here is a little bit of history for Esher RFC, the club came into existance in 1923 when four rugby enthusiasts (in a pub!) decided to start a club. One of the contingent was Welsh and insisted they adopt his native clubs colours, hence why Esher play in the colours of Black and Amber as do Newport. They won promotion to National One after they topped National 2 in the 2006/2007 season winning 23 of their 26 games. They finished 12^th in their first season in National 1 with 10 wins under their belt and looked to build on that for this season. They have won their last two games (against Manchester and Newbury) and, as admitted by their DoR they have nothing to lose this weekend.
Last weekend saw Leeds face their toughest challenge so far this year by facing a determined Coventry team at the Butts Park Arena. The match took place on a poor pitch but Leeds should have been able to dispatch a team who we have put 109 points past in two games but alas this was not the case. In a battle against a very competitive Coventry team Leeds came out the victors 15-11 but were not entirely convincing and will have to play much better this weekend.

With the IRB Sevens tournament on a break Biggs and Vickerman will be back in the country but the latter is rested with Biggs unusually starting at 13. The wings have strength and pace with Scud on one and Blackett on the other with Henry Paul taking his place on the bench. Calum starts at 7 after captaining the England Under 20’s with JD starting at Number 8. This is a strong team and we have a point to prove following last week and the threat Esher pose cannot be underestimated.

See you this Sunday in the South Stand!
Team to face Esher:

15. Jon Goodridge
14. Lee Blackett
13. Tom Biggs
12. Scott Barrow
11. Scott Armstrong
10. Jason Strange
9. Joe Bedford
1. Mike MacDonald (c)
2. Rob Rawlinson
3. Tommy McGee
4. Phil Murphy
5. Jon Pendlebury
6. Kearnan Myall
7. Calum Clark
8. Jon Dunbar
16. Adam Hopcroft
17. Phil Nilsen
18. Tom Denton
19. Jacob Rowan
20. Scott Mathie
21. Henry Paul
22. Richard Welding

Carnegie prepared for Esher challenge

Posted by: TykesRugby.co.uk (IP Logged)

Date: 20/02/2009 19:16

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