After a well earned two week break following 13 Champ fixtures in just 14 weeks, London Scottish returned to training this past week refreshed and ready to take on a Nottingham side who sit middle of the pack in seventh in the league.
We sat down with Head Coach Joe Gray to discuss his thoughts going into the second half of the season and delve into where the game is going to be won and lost on Friday night.
“First of all it’s great to be back with the boys in training, we had a great session on Saturday which really set the tone for the year. We don’t get as long to spend with each other as other sides so coming together for a whole day was really crucial for us.
Nottingham will be a stern test for us, they were the better side when we took them on at the RAG at the start of the season but we know we have come on a long way since then so we are looking forward to stepping up this Friday at Lady Bay where we’ve had some excellent nights.”
“I’m also really excited to welcome back a few boys this week, we’ve had a tough time with unavailabilities and injuries this season to to get the likes of Will Prior and Fraser Honey back in the mix is massive. They’ve already brought so much energy to the group and I can’t wait to see them rip in on Friday night.”
Comparing the two sides ahead of Friday night poses some interesting questions. London Scottish kick the second most out of any team in the Champ whilst Nottingham kick the third least.
However, both sides seem relatively comfortable out of possession. Nottingham have made the most tackles in the league, just shy of 2000 across 13 rounds. Whilst carrying the 10th most out of the 14 sides.
Scottish carry even less frequently, with only one side having few carries this season. Whilst having the 5th most tackles of any side in the league. This game as a result, will likely come down to a jostle for territory and field position, with both sides only likely to pounce when it is on. That means when a side does pull the trigger be ready for some exciting action.
Games can also be won and lost at the set piece in this league. The stats tell us that it is likely to be a very even battle between the two sides. There is just 0.1% of a difference between Nottingham and London Scottish’s line out success rate both sitting in the low 80s.
At scrum time it’s even more equal with both sides winning 90.8% of their own ball. The only place where the sides differ is in recent form. London Scottish have outperformed their season averages over the last five games, whilst Nottingham have dipped slightly. This could be an area where Scottish look to gain dominance but it will be a tantalising contest nonetheless.
