West League Update - 12 January 2020

With so few games on, it's just a quick update this week.

We only have five games played across the West Regional leagues, three of them going against the Predictor Index (and by some margin).

Only one game in West 1 this weekend.  A win for Glens would have seen them go top, but it was Stewartry who made the most of the conditions, claiming a 14 nil win.  This moves Stewartry into second - one point behind Kilmarnock and one ahead of Glens.

West Region Results - 11 January 2020

With a game in hand, Glens may still be slight favourites for the league, but it's tight, and there's loads of great games still to come.

However, there's far more to the title race than the top three.

Garnock are in fifth, 14 points behind, but they have three games in hand, whilst East Kilbride are a further five points off the lead, but they have four games in hand. 

The second half of the season looks like being an absolute cracker - before the months out, we have Glens v EK, Kilmarnock v Lenzie, Stewartry v Garnock and Lenzie v Glens.

Each of the title contenders have still to face each other, so there's loads to play for before we know who will be playing National league rugby next season.

Gosh, if only the Union employed some marketing folk who could take advantage of the intriguing competition that we are about to be presented with.

The battle at the foot of the table might not involve as many Clubs, but it is just as close - three Clubs, also sepearated by two points.

Endrick are at the foot, but have a couple of games in hand - and guess who they're playing this weekend, that's right, Cambuslang, the Club one point ahead of them, whilst Irvine are playing second place Stewartry.

West 2

We had three games played in West 2 at the weekend, which saw Strathaven increase their lead at the top of the table following a 57-7 win over Uddingston.   Cumnock lost 34-17 at home to Oban Lorne, leaving them 12 points behind the leaders - surely too big a gap for them now.

Dalziel are in third, 13 points behind, but they do have three games in hand, so it's looking like the title will be between these two.

This week, Strathaven make the trip up the A82 before turning left at the Green Welly for the visit to a perhaps rejuventated Oban Lorne, whilst Dalziel go in the opposite direction, down the A77 to Stranraer to take on Wigtownshire.

Shires win over Clydebank will give them some confident when welcoming Dalziel, who will need to be cautious as it will have been six weeks since their last competitive game.  

It's also a two horse race at the foot of the table, with Uddingston three points behind Helensburgh.  With wins hard to come by for the two of them (only three between them), bonus points and any further points deductions could be the deciding factors as to who plays West 3 rugby next season. 

West 3

Only one game in West 3 at the weekend, but it was a biggie. 

In the first half of the season, it looked like the Uni Medics were cruising to top spot in Conference 2, with the only blot on their copy book being defeat to Loch Lomond (Conference 1 leaders).  But 2020 hasn't got off to a great start for them, a 22 - 5 home defeat against Bishopton.  The win pulls Bish right back into the play-off race. 

Bishopton are now 10 points behind the Medics and five behind Birkmyre, but they have a game in hand on both of them.

Mull in third are two points better off than Bishopton, whilst also have a game in hand on both Uni Medics and Birkmyre. 

In Conference 1, Loch Lomond are well clear (14 points ahead), but the battle for the second play-off place should be good - Lochaber are one point ahead of Cumbernauld, with Lochaber having a game in hand.  But don't rule out Hyndland, who although they are another six points behind Cumbernauld, they've had victories against both Lochaber and Cumbernauld in the run up to the festive break.

This Conference set-up in West 3 really looks to be paying dividends with plenty of Clubs maintaining an interest in the competition for a play-off place.

Photo Gallery:

Cumnock v Oban Lorne

Previous West Region Updates:

9th December 2019 
25th November 
17th November 
11th November