Over-nighter to rest Rotherham Titans for long-distance away test
ROTHERHAM Titans are leaving nothing to chance regarding their next away assignment at the top of National One.
Players and staff are having an overnight stay before tomorrow’s match away to Tonbridge Juddians, who are based down in Kent.
Considering its a near four-hour trip on the best of days, it’s a wise move, although TJs’ home ground at The Slade is new territory for most of the travelling party.
"It’s a whole different challenge,” said team chief Harvey Biljon. “It’s somewhere I’ve never been and it’s going to be a new experience for a lot of the players.
"We are going to have to get pretty familiar with our surroundings when we get down there and no doubt Tonbridge are going to be at it.
"We’ll do our due diligence on the opposition with a focus on ourselves."
For Tonbridge, it’s third of three straight matches against the top three.
They lost 31-19 to Blackheath and then pushed Plymouth Albion hard in Devon last weekend before going down 26-20.
They managed to “nill” Albion in the second half and had the upper hand in the scrum at times.
Tonbridge’s tally of six bonus points is the highest in the division.
Titans outscored them 38-28 at Clifton Lane back in October after trailing 21-12 at half time.
Apart from their main grass pitch, Tonbridge utilize a 3G artificial surface in partnership with The Judd School.
That is said to be an alternative option should this weekend’s match be at risk of the weather, although Titans will hope it doesn’t come to that.
Their bonus-point win over Dings Crusaders kept them a point ahead of Plymouth at the top and Biljon’s men are most familiar with grass.
The last victory was achieved with the help of Harris Rutherford, who stood in for Rob Povey at no. 10 having impressed in training after joining the club from Gala in Scotland.
"He has come in and only had four or five training sessions,” said Biljon. "We need to find out about him and what he can offer the squad.
"He showed some moments which were very good but the most important thing is the competition for places and that’s not just at no. 10, that’s across the squad.
“We have rotated the squad well and that’s credit to the competition here. The players that have stepped in have done well and it is going to give us coaches a headache.”
Kick-off on Saturday is 2pm.