Since enduring a blip in form in late January, Blackheath have turned their fortunes around putting distance between themselves and Chinnor in fifth place. Although the gap from fellow east London rivals Old Elthamians is nine points, Blackheath can be encouraged by their recent showing and will believe that there are still enough games in the season to catch their rivals.
Cinderford have also stopped a recent rot which has seen them suffer three consecutive defeats. Last weekend they earned a hard-fought win over Caldy. The Gloucestershire-based side currently sit in ninth place, seven points behind Chinnor in fifth.
Recent Form
Despite only winning three of their last five, Blackheath have still been able to gather points in every game. The South-East London side lost back-to-back games to fellow title rivals Rosslyn Park and Ampthill in January, but were able to gather losing bonus points in both games. Since then, Blackheath have been back at their best, with two away wins, 18-32 against Sale and 17-27 against Birmingham Mosely, and a 46-32 home win against Caldy a fortnight ago.
For Cinderford, their recent form has been the story of their season. A 26-0 whitewash over Esher five weeks ago showed their quality, but subsequent losses to Plymouth Albion, Ampthill and Cambridge pushed them back towards the bottom half of the table. They were able to get back on track with a 27-25 win over Caldy last week but will go into the game this weekend as significant underdogs.
Glimmer of Hope
However, there is a slight glimmer of hope for Cinderford. In the reverse fixture between the sides, Cinderford were able to take a draw, back when Blackheath topped the table. The result is likely to fill the team with the belief they need to win the game.
This year is the first time both Blackheath and Cinderford have been in the same division since the 2015-2016 season, where Blackheath won both games in convincing fashion.
The game is set to kick off at 3pm at Well Hall on Saturday 9th March.
