Rugby preview: 'Double-pointer' – Maidenhead set to scrum down with rivals Camberley

Maids in action against Bracknell before Christmas. Photo: Paul Morgan

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Camberley v Maidenhead

Maidenhead return to league action on Saturday with a game at Camberley that could have huge repercussions for the rest of their season.

Head coach David Mobbs-Smith has already called this clash a ‘double-pointer’, with Camberley, like Maidenhead, having struggled for points and wins this season.

Maids currently have the edge on Camberley, having notched up 21 points from their 13 matches so far. But Camberley claimed one of their two victories this season at Braywick Park when they edged out their hosts 22-33 on October 4.

Another bonus point win for Camberley on Saturday would see them leapfrog Maids and move out of the bottom two, so there’s potentially a lot riding on the outcome of the clash.

Both teams will be keen to finish outside of the bottom two automatic relegation places this season, but it looks very much like two from Hammersmith & Fulham, Camberley, Wimbledon and Maidenhead will be relegated this season, while the teams finishing ninth and 10th will then face relegation play-off matches to determine which league they’ll be playing in next season.

Maids signed off for 2025 with a thrilling game against derby rivals Bracknell, which unfortunately went the way of the visitors.

The home side more than played their part in the contest and were on for two losing bonus points – at the very least – until the final play of the match.

Having scored an exceptional solo try earlier in the half, Lucas Norton then spilled Bracknell’s kick-off with the home side trailing 28-32. Bracknell made their final play count with a sweeping move out wide that saw O’Connor crash over for his second try and the conversion saw the visitors run out 28-39 winners.

Camberley come into Saturday’s clash off the back of two thumping defeats, away to Farnham by 61-33 on December 20 and home to Worthing by 53-22 on December 13. However, they have had the Christmas and New Year break to regroup and go again for the second half of the campaign. Scoring tries and points doesn’t appear to be the issue for Camberley but keeping them out very much is.

They’ve conceded 565 points this season, more than anyone else in the division, with Maidenhead the next most generous side, having conceded 523. To put that in contest, Hammersmith – who are being cut adrift a little at the bottom of the table – have only conceded 489 points. Camberley have also scored more points than Maids over the course of the season – 326 to 306 – yet Maids have registered four wins to their two.

It promises to be an intriguing clash, and the winner will go a long way to ensuring they finish outside of the automatic relegation spots.

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Harpenden v Windsor

In the Regional 2 Thames Division, Windsor will look to put further distance between themselves and the bottom two when they visit Harpenden on Saturday.

The Royalists have been in generally very good form, having beaten Harlequins, Grasshoppers and Aylesbury Men in the weeks before Christmas. However, they were well beaten by second placed Beaconsfield in their final game before the break, going down 57-12 away.

Andy Symons will hope that result hasn’t knocked confidence as he’ll fancy his side’s chances at eighth placed Harpenden. Like Windsor, Harpenden have also recently got the better of Aylesbury, winning 28-38 in their final match of 2025. But they’ve been conceding plenty of points, both at home and away and Windsor will be keen to exploit any defensive weaknesses.

Windsor head into the game in 10th, a point behind Grasshoppers but an encouraging seven points above the bottom two.

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Marlow v Grasshoppers

A little further up the table, seventh placed Marlow will look to build on their big win at Oxford Harlequins just prior to Christmas.

The visitors won 35-58 in a festive thriller on December 20 and will fancy their chances of backing that up with another positive result at home to Grasshoppers on Saturday.

Marlow had won four matches in a row prior to consecutive defeats to the division’s top two sides Brunel University and Beaconsfield, but they bounced back in a high-scoring game against Quins.

Having shown decent form of late, Marlow must feel a top six finish is well within their grasp, however, a gap of nine points has already opened up to fifth placed Old Priorians.