bridgendravens.myfreeforum.org :: Celtic Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers preview

Crusader Cymru

Sunday 10th September 2006

LHF Healthplan National League Two
Celtic Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers (3pm, Brewery Field, Bridgend)

There's no doubt about it. This is Celtic Crusaders' biggest match of the season so far. The winner of Celtic Crusaders v Featherstone Rovers at the Brewery Field on Sunday will finish third in LHF Healthplan National League Two, earn a week off in round one of the play-offs and will only have to win one more match to get into the final. The losers of Sunday's match will have to win three.

The last time the two sides met, a month ago at Post Office Road, Featherstone ran out 11-10 winners thanks to a Jamie Benn drop goal that was deflected over the crossbar. It was that close then and the return match on Sunday is expected to be no different.

Last week, the Crusaders beat Gateshead Thunder 28-16 to break a three-match winning streak that started with a victory against them. This week's match is exactly the same as Rovers haven't lost since their close win over the Crusaders three matches ago. Benn missed the last match after serving a suspension after being put on report for a high tackle on Grant Epton in the meeting with the Crusaders. He is expected to be the only change to the Rovers squad.

He will need to make a big difference to the side after Rovers ended their home league campaign with an unconvincing win over lowly Hunslet. Trailing 20-14 in the second-half, they won the game with two tries in four minutes from Carl Hughes and Richard Blakeway.

They will have to play a lot smarter if they are to beat the Crusaders who have an excellent home record.

Rovers’ boss David Hobbs said: “We’ve got to go to Wales and beat them – that’s what it’s about now. Everybody is fit and raring to go and our objective is quite clear this weekend.”

Crusaders’ coach John Dixon is happy with his side’s position as they prepare to enter the play-offs.

Dixon said: “Things have gone pretty well for us. We’re still in control of our own destiny – if we win our next three games we’re in LHF League One.

“For the Rugby League oriented, there is no better place to be than at the Brewery Field this Sunday. We are in a position to finish third on the competition table and earn a place in the qualifying semi-final. A win will secure that place for us. What makes today’s game more exciting is that it pits us against a team, Featherstone Rovers, who also have their eyes firmly on the same objective. The winning team will deserve the right to play in that semi-final.

“For me, the fact that we, the new kids on the block, are facing one of the great traditional Rugby League clubs in the UK gives added value to the contest. Our last clash with them was decided by the odd point and given the significance of Sunday’s game, the encounter promises to be a close and exciting one.”

Dixon’s dilemma this week will be who to leave out of the team after a fine performance last week at Gateshead.

Influential skipper Michael Ryan is back from Australia and is available for selection while Aled James is hoping to be fit again. The Welsh international has been out with a hamstring injury for the last month.

The Crusaders are expecting their biggest crowd of the season - all hospitality had sold out by the middle of the week - so fans are advised to get the Brewery Field early.

Crusaders (from): Tony Duggan, Carl de Chenu, Matt Hill, Damien Quinn, Paul Morgan, Grant Epton, Luke Young, Jace Van Dijk, Hywel Davies, Michael Ryan, Gareth Price, Ryan Barton, Chris Beasley, Neil Wyatt, Geraint Davies, Phil Cushion, Gareth Dean, Dean Scully, Aled James, Anthony Seibold.

BALDRAVEN

AND!

Crusader Cymru

AND we're on our way up!!!

Wild Raven

Crusader Cymru

Haven't forgotten "the local rugby club" (as said on the BBC last night). Who's your press officer anyway?

The BBC previews for the Crusaders last night were really good. Bob Humphreys, must have phoned me about five times to get info for the BBC1 report.

I'm just setting up a proper multi-media page for the Crusaders and have put these for download on the top. They're well worth downloading.

Click here to download. I think they're pretty okay.

photoden

Excuse me for asking but I thought this was the RAVENS RUGBY UNION site

Wild Raven

smurf

Congratulations to the Crusaders for securing third place - but if you thought WRU competitions were daft, try this one out:

2nd & 3rd place team (Sheffield & Crusaders) play off in 1 semi final

4th & 5th place teams play each other for the right to face the loser of the first semi-final in the second semi-final. So Crusaders can lose against Sheffield, but can then have another go, and if they get through would then play Sheffield again.

FFS..........

BALDRAVEN

Crusader Cymru

For those who weren't this, it was the best finish to a rugby game of either code ever (yes including Chris Joynt)?

It was a low scoring first half. 4-3 to Crusaders on 60 minutes. Then all this happened...

Wyatt was sinbinned on the hour for holding down in the tackle and Dickens gave Featherstone the lead from the resulting penalty kick. They took advantage of the extra man on 68 minutes when Nathan Larvin easily went in under the posts after Paul Hughes’ break. Dickens converted.

Crusaders looked dead and buried but they dramatically pulled a win out of the hat. Seibold’s knock-on on the half-way line with four minutes to go looked like that Featherstone had secured their win but when Crusaders regained the ball, they didn’t waste it and with a minute left on the clock, Duggan set up James to go over with Van Dijk’s kick putting the Crusaders to within a point.

Once again, Featherstone looked to have won the game when the final hooter went. The Rovers fans started celebrating but there was another twist to this dramatic tale. The referee had given the Crusaders a penalty on their own 30 metre line. Van Dijk kicked into touch and the Crusaders used up their last ounce of energy as two kicks down the centre made it a run chase for the finish line. Tony Duggan was the fastest and leapt on the ball to win the match and secure third place. Van Dijk’s kick was missed but no-one really cared by that point, apart from the 200-strong Rovers travelling support who, like the Crusaders fans, were a credit to their club on a dramatic day at the Brewery Field.

Has anyone properly recovered from last night yet? The Brewery Field must have been drunk dry.

Illawara

Yeh get yourself down to the Crusaders!
Away from your crappy union!

POSTER HAS BEEN BANNED for repeated troublemaking

Wild Raven

Illawara

You are crap!
Crusaders are good!

Quite simple really.

POSTER HAS BEEN BANNED for repeated troublemaking

Wild Raven

Crusader Cymru

I fully support your actions. The majority of us all get on and you're always going to get the odd idiot from either club. By the way, if you know his IP address, I might be able to track him down from our forums.