STOURBRIDGE RFC director of rugby Neil Mitchell hopes his side can carry the momentum from an excellent opening day win when they tackle big-spending Sedgley Park this Saturday.
Mitchell’s men got their National One campaign off off to a flying start with a five try 29-10 win over Blackheath at Stourton Park last weekend.
Sedgley Park were relegated from the division above last season and Stourbridge’s trip to the Manchester-based outfit comes ahead of more tough fixtures with Cambridge and Launceston.
Mitchell believes his young side are facing a testing few weeks.
He said: “The next three fixtures are going to be very tough and we will go into each one as underdogs.
“Sedgley Park have maintained a lot of their players from last season so have players with experience.
“They will also have had the benefit of parachute payments after their relegation.
“It’s going to be a very physical game but we played well last Saturday and there is no reason why we can’t give them a tough time.”
New skipper Ben Hughes bagged two tries on Saturday while Mitchell was also pleased with the contributions from a number of debutants - three of whom got their names on the scoresheet.
Wingers Duncan Chance and Ali Hunter-Blair, who were playing for Stourbridge Lions and Ross on Wye respectively last season, gave the Stouton Park faithful a taste of their excellent finishing skills in the first hour.
And Stourport-based replacement back rower Wayne Cooper added Stour’s fifth and final try in stoppage time, supporting a fine break by scrum half Tom Richardson.
Mitchell was particularly pleased with the speed in which the new players fitted into the side, after a curtailed pre-season which saw Stourbridge play only one warm-up game.
He said: “We have only been able to play one pre-season match, so to gel so well against useful opposition, while integrating a number of new players is really pleasing.
“There has been a great intensity in pre-season training and the response from the players was terrific.”
He added: “There were a number of factors which went our way, Blackheath were missing some key men through injuries - something which always seems to happen to us.
“It was great to see Ben Hughes scoring a couple of tries.
“We have a very, very young sideand its got to be a good thing that we have steered clear of injuries.
“I think had we lost on Saturday it would have been an uphill struggle going into a tough run of fixtures but the win has given us great confidence.”
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