'The players are aware of where we are and what needs to be done': Rotherham Titans ready for crucial grand finale

They take on in-form Sale FC at Clifton Lane (3pm) knowing that a point will be enough to see them crowned champions of National One and, with it, a place back in the Championship for the first time in eight years.

It’s a two-way scrap between the Titans and Blackheath, who must take maximum points in their finale at home to lowly Clifton and then hope Sale can beat Rotherham by more than seven points and restrict them to less than four tries in the process.

Given their razor sharp focus in recent weeks and prize at stake, Titans are in no mood to let that happen.

"The team is in good spirit and good form,” director of rugby Harvey Biljon told the Advertiser.

“You look at the points we’ve scored and the way they players stepped up defensively recently as well as the focus in training.

"With the combination of our form, being at home in front of our own supporters and what we’re playing for, I think they're ready to put on a performance.”

Sale upset Plymouth Albion 29-26 last weekend, consigning the ambitious Devon club to the play-offs.

Rotherham beat Sale 43-28 on the first weekend of the season but the Lancashire outfit arrive on a good run of form and they’re now guaranteed to finish fourth.

"We know it’s going to be tough. We respect Sale. They’re a team who’ve just turned over Plymouth,” said Biljon.

"We predicted when we went to Sale for the first game that this final game against them could be important.

"They will will be buoyed and confident after beating Plymouth and they’ll want to finish the season strongly.

"Any team that finishes in the top four and anyone who does that has had a good campaign.”

Even though the Rotherham camp are well aware of the maths surrounding the fixture, it would be dangerous to be content to “just do enough”.

"I’ve never gone into a game trying to work out formulas,” said Biljon. "We will go in and work through our process as we do in every single game.

"The players have really embraced this situation and showed how focussed they are in the last two weeks and I don’t believe that is going to change.”

There are one or two selection headaches for Saturday.

Injury ruled out No.8 Callum Bustin last week but he is back available along with second row Frankie Gascoigne and others.

Whoever gets the nod to play will ultimately depend upon the nature of the opposition and the scale of the occasion. The gate is expected to eclipse the season’s previous best of more than 1,200 against Plymouth.

"Let’s discuss the elephant in the room. It’s a big occasion. We can’t hide from that now,” added Biljon.

"We had four busloads of supporters follows us last week and it does lift the players, make no mistake. We’ll need the fans behind us again on Saturday.

"The players are aware of where we are and what needs to be done.”