NEIL Mitchell feels Stourbridge RFC have proved they can win in any conditions after victory in a Luctonians mudbath.

The Saxons got back to winning ways at the first time of asking after their shock defeat to Bromsgrove with a 13-5 victory in Herefordshire last Saturday.

They were made to work hard in conditions Mitchell later described as “swamp-like” and which made the result more important than the performance.

He said: “The pitch was horrendous. Getting the four points was all important.

“The pleasing thing is they (Luctonians) were desperate to play in those conditons.

“That is their forte, playing on heavy ground and in heavy weather.

“The skill set was always going to be governed by the ground, the ball at some stages was like a dinosaur egg and it was never going to be a try-fest.

“In the end the result was never really in doubt and it would have been 13-0 had they not managed to score at the end.”

Mitchell believes playing the past two weeks when nearly every other side in National Two North has been sidelined will give Stour an advantage for the run-in, despite the fact they lost to Bromsgrove.

He said: “We are the only team with 20 games played and will get the benefit of three free weekends between now and the end of the season.

“Granted there is the danger of losing momentum but at this time of year the rest can be all important.

“This is very much the business end of the season and every side in the league is starting to feel the strain but we have 10 games to go and six are at home.

“The way things are looking Hull Ionians will have played eight weeks straight before they face us.

“Getting Luctonians out of the way is a definite advantage, their pitch will be in a state for the next few weeks.”

Stour host Caldy this Saturday at Stourton Park, with scrum-half Pete White fit to return to the squad.