Isaac Shaw buys into Rotherham Titans' winning mentality

Titans let some bonus points slip through their fingers last season on the way to an eventual third-placed finish in National One.

This time matches have been won more emphatically, with 16 of their 17 wins coming with the cherry of a “BP” for scoring four tries or more.

That, in part, is due to the in-match mental intensity driven home by team chief Harvey Biljon and coaches Alex Stajka and Matt Smith.

And with only one league point separating Rotherham from Plymouth in second place, not to mention a paper thin Points Difference of plus 86 to plus 85, keeping concentration in order to make small gains will be just as important as the business end of the season comes into view.

"Harvey has always drilled us in a professional way,” said Shaw, who has made the no.15 shirt his own since joining the club from Ealing Trailfinders last summer.

"No matter what, you have to stay composed, calm and collected. You can be top of the league or bottom of the league, it doesn’t matter in National One. Anyone can win and it shows through the results this season, not just from us but from other teams.

"If you don’t stay focussed, the next thing you know you’re losing to the bottom or next to bottom team and you’re wondering how. It’s because you lost focus. It kills you.

"You never take league points for granted. It creates separation and it creates pressure on other teams to play well.”

Titans ran in 15 tries in their previous two homes games against Clifton and Dings Crusaders.

They “nilled” Clifton, kept Dings off the scoreboard in the second half and did the same to Tonbridge Juddians last Saturday, which is testimony to their better all-round game these days.

“You can’t play a game for 60 minutes. It’s 80 minutes, often longer,” said Shaw, who scored tries in all three of those matches.

"We are used to defensive blocks where we are going four or five minutes, so when it comes to those three-minute blocks it becomes a bit easier for us because we’ve been going for four or five minutes in training.

“We’re ready to transition and go to attack if and when we turn the ball over and if it goes to a scrum our pack is ready to go again. They’re hungry. They’re waiting for that next penalty.

“Alex and Smithy and Harvey have worked really hard to keep us focussed and drilled no matter what the score or our position on the field.”

As previously reported by the Advertiser, Shaw is a sports videographer and photographer by trade.

He is also one of Rotherham’s best full-backs of recent times and the club is a good fit for him.

“I’m loving my rugby and where I am,” he added.

"The people at the club have put their around me. The way they support you and put their arm around you is second to none.

"They will come up after games and say ‘well played’ and see how you are and ask genuine questions and how your body is feeling and how are you mentally.

"There’s a duty of care. It’s proper parenting – brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts – that’s what it feels like.

"I feel like I made the right decision to come here.”

Titans are at home to Birmingham Moseley tomorrow (2pm).