Playoff in the Balance

This Saturday, in our final regular season game, we travel to Otley RUFC.  We kicked off the season in September with a 27-3 victory over Otley on a rain soaked Heywood road pitch and followed that up with 24 further wins that has left us on the brink of a home playoff for promotion to National One.  Otley’s season hasn’t been as successful recording only 11 wins, but last weekend put in a huge performance against Harrogate to ensure their survival in National 2 North.  This is essentially where Sale FC were 12 months ago, so we fully understand the relief that game will have brought them.

Sale FC go into this weekend knowing that a victory would ensure a home playoff even if Old Elthamians and/or Chinnor get five points.  Lose this match and we might find ourselves heading southwards to play the decider.

The system for deciding who plays in the playoff is fairly simple.  The two second placed teams in National 2 play each other to decide who will join Caldy and Bishops Stortford in National One.  In National 2 North, this is Sale FC currently on 119 points.  In National 2 South both Old Elthamians and Chinnor are on 117 points, but Old Elthamians are on 24 wins, so currently occupy second place.

This weekend Old Elthamians are playing Barnstaple at home, Barnstaple lie in 12th place in the league with only 9 wins this season and Chinnor are away to London Irish Wild Geese who lie in 13th with 8 wins.  Essentially Chinnor’s only real hope is a five point win and a slip up from Old Elthamians.  Either way, the home playoff is firmly in our hands.  Both National 2 South teams have had amazing seasons and it has come down to the wire for them.  We wish them both well this weekend and look forward to seeing one of them on the 6th of May.

KO on Saturday is 3pm at Otley.  If you can get there, we’d love some travelling support.