EVERYTHING about Nottingham's clash with Bedford at Meadow Lane Stadium on Sunday (January 27 - 2.45pm kick-off) points towards an epic encounter.

DASHING: Rhys Crane running in a try against Bedford earlier this season. PIC: Alison Bowden

Only points difference separates the second place Green and Whites and the Blues in third on the RFU Championship ladder.

Both outfits are regarded among the most exciting attacking units in the competition and only a last-gasp converted try earned Bedford victory the first time they met this season.

A high-scoring affair is in prospect as both sides' average nearly four tries per game in league rugby, while six of the last seven meetings have yielded an aggregate of 50 points or more per game.

And there is much, much more to this battle...

By The Numbers: Nottingham Rugby V Bedford

NOTTINGHAM'S INDIVIDUAL RECORDS

Statistics in a MATCH

Tries  4 ArthurDerry(a)14 Feb 1925, Neil Back (h)18 Mar 1989, Gary Hartley (h)18 Nov 1989

Conversions  6 Simon Hodgkinson (a)21 Sep 1985, Andy Sutton (h)18 Mar 1989, Simon Hodgkinson (h)18 Nov 1989

Penalties  6 Simon Hodgkinson (a)17 Sep 1983

Drop Goals 1 Sandy Neilson (h)30 Nov 1907, Calvin Round (a)09 Sep 1950, Harley Atherton (a)20 Sep 1958, John Mawby (a)16 Sep 1972, Greg Colbourne (h)16 Sep 1978, Ben Thompson (a) 27 Dec 2004, James Arlidge (a) 22 Sep 2012

Points   20 Simon Hodgkinson (a)21 Sep 1985

Statistics in a CAREER

Appearances 14 Richard Byrom, Craig Hammond, David Jackson

                      13 Peter Cook, Simon Hodgkinson

                      12 John Pearce, Andrew Warner

Tries                 7 GaryHartley

                        5 Arthur Derry, Steve Holdstock, David Jackson

                        4 Neil Back, Matt Greenwood, Luke Sherriff

LAST 10 GAMES

2007/08  Lge-L2 29 Dec 07 (W) a 27-26 Alex Dodge (t), Andrew Savage (t), Luke Sherriff (t), Matt Smith (t), Tim Usasz (t), Ben Thompson (c).

2008/09  Lge-L2 26 Oct 08 (W) h 15- 7 Joe Duffey (t), David Jackson (t, c, p).

2008/09 Lge-L2 21 Feb 09 (L) a 16-23 David Jackson (t), Dan Montagu (t), Tim Taylor (2p).

2009/10  Lge-L2 25 Oct 09 (W) h 30-29 Phil Eggleshaw (t), Luke Sherriff (t), Tim Streather (t), Tim Taylor (t), Greig Tonks (2c, 2p).

2009/10 Lge-L2 16 Jan 10 (L) a 19-51 Ben Johnston (t, c), Ben Pienaar (t), Tom Youngs (t), Tim Taylor (c).

2010/11 Lge-L2 24 Oct 10 (L) h 13-24 Alex Shaw (t), James Arlidge (c, 2p).

2010/11 Lge-L2 29 Jan 11 (L) a 19-47 Andrew Savage (t), Cesar Sempere (t), Tom Youngs (t), James Arlidge (2c).

2011/12  Lge-L2 04 Sep 11 (L) h 26-28 Mike Holford (2t), David Jackson (t), Kieran Hallett (c, 3p).

2011/12 Lge-L2 25 Feb 12 (L) a 26-40 David Jackson (2t), Andrew Forsyth (t), Alex Lewington (t), Kieran Hallett (3c).

2012/13 Lge-L2 22 Sep 12(L) a 25-27 Rhys Crane (t), Nic Rouse (t), Brent Wilson (t), James Arlidge (2c, p, dg).