Old Elthamians need to ‘keep feet on the ground’ - Lach

Old Elthamians are just focusing on the next task in hand starting with Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday, says Director of Rugby Gavin Lach.

The top two in National Two South collide this weekend at College Meadows with just two points separating the sides.

“I know it’s a cliché, but we are taking each game as it comes,” said Lach who has been in charge of the OEs for seven years.

"We have massive respect for Stortford, as we do for every side in this division, so we are under no illusion about the size of the challenge that awaits us on Saturday.”

OEs went top of the division for the first time in the club’s history last weekend after their 33-17 victory over Clifton whilst Bishop’s Stortford and fellow promotion candidates Chinnor slipped to defeats.

The Eltham side have accumulated the most wins (15) in the division thus far and this is their best ever start to a league campaign which is a superb achievement considering they have finished eighth in the last two seasons.

However with only 17 rounds of action completed this term, Lach is very keen to play down the progress he and his side have made this season and knows there is a long way to go in what has been a season of high drama in National Two South.

Lach added: "It’s a fantastic way to start the year but we are not getting carried away. As I keep telling the players, it’s feet-on-the-ground time now, we have achieved absolutely nothing yet.

“You don’t get anything for going top in January and you're there to be shot at.

"There is so much rugby still to be played and plenty of surprises and shocks to come.

“As the results from last Saturday proved, this is such a tough division to call because there are no straightforward games. Every side is capable of causing an upset."

Despite defeat to Cinderford last weekend, Stortford have lost just two of their last 12 matches and have won their last two on the road and Lach knows the quality which Andy Long’s side possess.

“They [Stortford] have been the most consistent side in the division for the last four seasons and have never finished outside the top three in that time,” he said.

With the greatest respect to Stortford, this game is important of course,  but no more or less than Clifton was last week or Worthing will be in a fortnight."

With a top of the table clash to wet the appetite this weekend, here is a look at the rest of the action in National Two South starting with third placed Chinnor’s trip to Barnstaple.

Barnstaple v Chinnor

Last weekend saw Barnstaple climb out of the bottom three in National Two South for the first time this season. The newly-promoted side, competing in their first ever season at this level, have performed superbly over the last couple of months securing four wins which has lifted them to 13^th place in the table.

Steve Perry will have been delighted with his side’s reaction towards the end of last year and would also have taken major positives from last week’s narrow defeat away at Canterbury. Barum battled back in the last 10 minutes to secure two bonus-points which once again highlights the character this side has. Their task this weekend will be tough against Chinnor, but the Devonshire side have been excellent at home with all five of their victories coming at Pottingham Road.

They may fancy their chances of adding to that this weekend against a Chinnor side that is currently going through their worst spell of the season. After 10 wins from 10, Matt Williams’ side were flying at the top of the table, but since then, the Black and Whites have struggled to maintain the high level they set themselves.

Chinnor travel to Devon this weekend having won just two of their last seven matches which has seen them slip to third in the table and five points behind leaders Old Elthamians. Williams described last week’s 29-12 defeat to Redruth as “poor”, but by no means are Chinnor out of this title race just yet. Their aim this weekend will be to end this below-par run of form and secure their fifth away win of the term.

Bury St Edmunds v Taunton Titans

Bury St Edmunds would have been relieved and extremely pleased to get 2017 off to a winning start after a run of four straight defeats to end last year. It has been a very mixed season for the Wolfpack who have won seven of their 17 matches this term and now Gavin Hogg and his side will be aiming for some consistency as they look towards the top half rather than behind them.

The Suffolk outfit do sit 10^th in the table, but are only eight points clear of the relegation zone so to get some early wins on the board at the start of the second half of the season could prove vital come April. Bury host Taunton this weekend aiming for their sixth home victory of the term.

It might have felt like a missed opportunity last weekend for Taunton Titans. With promotion rivals Bishop’s Stortford and Chinnor both falling to a defeat, a victory was in their grasp with minutes remaining against Barnes six days ago. However a late, converted try for Barnes meant that Taunton had to settle for three points rather than a maximum of five.

As a result, the Titans now sit seven points adrift of the top two, but Tony Yapp’s side are far from out of this promotion hunt. They are unbeaten in six matches as they head to Suffolk this weekend and in fact, the Somerset side have a better record on their travels than at home this season having accumulated seven victories from nine outings thus far.

Redingensians v Redruth

After ending 2016 with back to back victories, Redingensians will be hoping the inconsistent form which plagued them during the first half of this season isn’t going to occur in the final few months of this campaign. The Rams were narrowly beaten by Henley Hawks last Saturday which was their eighth loss of the term from 17 matches.

The men from Old Bath Road have accumulated eight wins this season too and with that record in mind, it isn’t a surprise to see them slap bang in the middle of this division. Redingensians may not mind though as once again they are keeping their distance between themselves and the bottom three as they continue to establish themselves as a fourth-tier club. They host Redruth in their second game of 2017 aiming for their fifth home win of the campaign.

It was a superb weekend for Redruth six days ago. A well-deserved victory over Chinnor was made sweeter when they saw that Taunton Titans and Bishop’s Stortford had both dropped points meaning Redruth were back in this promotion race.

Two defeats from three matches in December threatened to put an end to any ambitions of a top two finish the Reds may have had, but victories either side of the Christmas break has seen the Cornwall-based side move to within two points of second spot. Granted, there is still a lot of work to do for Marek Churcher and his coaching staff, but a sixth away triumph of the season will be their first priority if they are indeed targeting the play-off spot.

Canterbury v Clifton

Despite a narrow defeat before Christmas against Old Elthamians which ended a remarkable seven game winning streak, Canterbury certainly did now dwell on that defeat over the festive period and responded to that minor setback in the best way possible. The Kent-based side edged out Barnstaple at home last weekend to maintain sixth place in the table in what has been an impressive season so far.

Next on the agenda is another home fixture as Canterbury look to add to their excellent recent run of eight wins in their last nine games. Considering the City Men won just three of their first eight matches shows what a turnaround it has been for a side that finished ninth last season. Now they go in search of their seventh home win of the term as they aim to further nail down a top six spot.

Clifton finished just above the relegation zone last year, but they too are having a good season this time around. It has not been on the same scale as Canterbury’s but considering they sit ninth in the table shows the solid progress which the side from South Gloucestershire has made.

The Lavender and Blacks have won on eight occasions this season, but seven of those victories have come in their last 11 matches which highlights that they are an improving side.  They take the trip to Canterbury this weekend looking to respond to their defeat against Old Elthamians last Saturday as they aim for only their fourth away triumph of the term.

Cinderford v Worthing Raiders

Are we now starting to see the real Cinderford? After a difficult start to life in National Two South following relegation last May, the Gloucestershire side are currently going through their best spell of form this season which was topped off by a superb victory over promotion chasing Bishop’s Stortford last weekend.

That victory for the men from Dockham Road means that they have won four of their last five matches and have moved up to seventh in this division. Another season at this level looks on the cards for Cinderford as things stand, but at the forefront of their minds will be continuing the positive feeling around the club. Their next assignment is a home fixture against Worthing Raiders and Cinderford have won six of their nine games on home soil this term.

In contrast, it has been a torrid season for Worthing Raiders so far. After winning the battle against relegation last season, it looks as though the Raiders will have to repeat that act again in this campaign as they head into this fixture with Cinderford on the back of a tough run of results.

Worthing began the 2016/17 campaign with four wins from six matches, but that now seems a long time ago. The men from Roundstone Lane suffered a narrow loss at home to Bury St Edmunds last Saturday which means they travel to Gloucester tomorrow having won just one of their last 11 matches. That latest defeat saw them fall into the relegation zone, but they are only one point from safety as things stand. They are desperate for their first victory in just under two months and their second away win of the season as they aim to kick-start a revival.

Exmouth v Henley Hawks

It is getting to a stage for Exmouth where fixtures are becoming “must win” if they are to survive immediate relegation back down to National Three. It has been a gruelling season for Jon Hill’s men and one of very few positives. As things stand, they sit rock bottom of National Two South and are currently 13 points adrift of safety.

It’s not all over for Exmouth, but it is a margin which is increasingly growing as the sides directly above them continue to pick up vital points. Exmouth have won just once all season – that coming against Barnstaple – and now they will be eager to double that tally when Henley Hawks visit Devon this weekend. That victory did come in front of their own supporters for Exmouth and Exmouth will be hoping home advantage can spur them on to a win this Saturday.

In terms of Henley Hawks, it looks as though they have found their feet at this level following a tough start to life back in National Two South. The 2014/15 champions of this division were immediately demoted back to the fourth-tier and the Hawks made a very slow start to this campaign.

They were languishing in the relegation zone, but now Henley are currently going through their best spell of form we have seen this term. Just two defeats in their last six matches has seen the Hawks move up to 11^th in the table and six points clear of the relegation zone. They are full of confidence heading into this fixture against Exmouth and will fancy their chances of collecting only their second win on the road this Saturday.

Barnes v London Irish Wild Geese

Both of these sides had positive results last weekend in National Two South as Barnes and London Irish Wild Geese continue their quest for survival in this division when they go head-to-head this weekend. For the hosts Barnes, they fought back valiantly to earn themselves a share of the spoils away at Taunton Titans which could be a vital three points for the South West London side.

Barnes remain in the relegation zone after that result, but are currently unbeaten in their last two and are only in the bottom three on ‘Games Won.’ It was the start to 2017 which Barnes would’ve hoped for and with a home fixture against a relegation rival this weekend, a fourth win of the season could see them jump out of the drop zone.

As for London Irish Wild Geese, they too have built up some good recent form. Back to back home wins either side of Christmas has lifted them up to 12^th in the table and four points clear of the relegation zone. Those consecutives home wins have come against Exmouth and Redruth, but now they must translate those performances on the road against a side fighting for the same goal as they are.

Wild Geese have won on five occasions this season, but only one of those victories have come away from Hazelwood. This fixture is sort of game on the road that Wild Geese need to be collecting points from if they are to avoid immediate relegation back down to National Three. This could be classed as a ‘10-pointer’ as both sides look to move away from danger.