Guernsey director of rugby Jordan Reynolds revealed yesterday that he has told his group ‘this is the business end’ of their campaign and while the desire is for a top-half finish, they also have to be aware that they are not safe themselves yet with the likes of Esher, Henley and Sevenoaks below them having all picked up surprising wins last month.
‘We have got three really tough games to go,’ Reynolds said.
‘After Canterbury at home, we have got Barnes away which is always tricky, and then we will be facing a possibly desperate Henley side who are wanting to get out of relegation danger.
‘There is still a chance we could get pulled back into that, too, so it puts the emphasis these last three games and that’s where the coaching and playing group really earn their stripes.’
Raiders will begin this block in confident mood, having scored 10 tries in their 62-19 victory over London Welsh last time out
We have the opportunity to build on the last game and maintain that momentum, which is unusual for us at this stage of the season because normally we are running on fumes.
‘If we can replicate our performance against London Welsh over the next three games, that bodes well for us.
‘If we can get them all right, we could be sitting in the top seven, maybe even top six, at the end of the season, so our aim is to win these three games and wherever we end up in the table will take care of itself.
‘If we get it wrong, though, it could go terribly wrong for us because I cannot remember a league like this one where we are almost at the end of the season and anyone from us in eighth downwards could still be pulled into the relegation play-off spot [12th].
‘It certainly makes it exciting. This time last year we were around seventh without anything really to play for and you can lack motivation in that case, but I do not see that in this group this year – they want to end the season with some big performances.’
Raiders have delayed naming their side for Saturday while they waited on updates on a couple of players, but Reynolds reported that he will be able to field a strong match-day squad who have been working hard over the last three weeks.
‘It would have been good to keep playing on, especially with that form we showed against London Welsh, but having that break no doubt allowed us to focus more on our cardio which is usually hard to do during the season because bodies are fatigued and sore,’ said the head coach.
‘Having the opportunity to push ourselves over the last couple of weeks has been good, then we have put a focus this week on our preparation.
‘Both teams have had a lengthy break, so it is really important we try to exclude that from any excuse-making because we have been training well.
‘In terms of having that two weeks off, I will not know if it has been good or not for us until Saturday because it is dependant on the result, but in terms of getting players back it has certainly helped. Aside from Liam Welch who is still sidelined, we have almost a full-strength squad to choose from.’
Canterbury arrive at Footes Lane this weekend having not played in a month due to the postponement of a home match because of the recent meningitis outbreak in the area before the fortnight-break all the division have enjoyed.
They sit sixth in the table having won 13 of their 22 matches, with any losses they have suffered since the turn of the year all coming by narrow margins.
They beat Raiders 34-8 in the reverse fixture in December.
‘Canterbury are always excited for their trip to Guernsey and it is always a tough contest,’ said Reynolds.
‘They put us to the sword at their place and they have shown themselves to be really consistent throughout the season, especially at home. They put 50-plus points on Oundle there only a few weeks ago and that is no mean feat.
‘The real threat comes from their back-line. They have played exceptionally well all season and we found them difficult to handle first time around, so that is going to be a huge challenge for us on Saturday.
‘But realistically, the game is going to be decided up front and they have a good set-piece, but if we can get a little advantage there it might be the difference between winning and losing.’
Guernsey Raiders against Canterbury kicks off at 3pm tomorrow at Footes Lane.
