photo: Richmond FC

RFU Championship – Round 5 Preview

It’s slim pickings for Americas players in the Greene King IPA Championship this week. Justin Blanchet and Aaron Carpenter have joined Brett Beukeboom and Matt Evans on the disabled list with a broken arm and a head knock respectively. Djustice Sears-Duru and Shane O’Leary are left out the Ealing lineup, as is Gastón Cortes for Bristol.

Saturday’s matches see Ronnie McLean‘s Richmond travel to Castle Park to race Rotherham Titans in the Battle of the Basement. Rotherham have had a terrible start to the season with four consecutive losses and only a single bonus point, while Richmond managed their first victory against Jersey last weekend.

London Scottish will look to return to some kind of form when the host Doncaster. The Exiles were put to the sword by a score of 72-12 against Ealing a week ago. Kyle Baillie drops out of the starting lineup to the bench where his roommate Dino Waldren is also found.

Nicolás De Battista leads out Cornish Pirates for the fifth consecutive week when they face Yorkshire Carnegie in a mid-table clash on Sunday. Pirates are still without Americas trio Beukeboom, Evans, and Nicolás Coronel.

The biggest match of the weekend is undoubtedly at Ashton Gate, where two undefeated sides go head-to-head. Bristol are missing Ireland flyhalf Ian Madigan with a neck problem but will field All Blacks flanker Steven Luatua. Ealing Trailfinders will counter with the form player in the Championship, US Eagles flanker Andrew Durutalo.

About Americas Rugby News

Formally created in June 2015, this website's goal is to increase media exposure of the Tier 2 rugby nations, and create a hub with a focus on the stories of rugby in the Americas - North, Central and South.

Check Also

Rodrigo Isgró and Juan Cruz Mallía Shine for Harlequins and Toulouse

Rodrigo Isgró and Juan Cruz Mallía impressed this past weekend in Europe. The Pumas winger …