Nuneaton draw strength from Tynedale heroics

NUNEATON delve into the deepest traditions of the game tomorrow when they travel to The Rectory Field to take on Blackheath. As their supporters never tire of reminding visitors, Blackheath are the oldest independent rugby club in the world – 151 years and counting and requiring no further introduction than The Club. But times have been hard for those proud pioneers of late, and they will

be in a desperate mood for a fixture that, give or take a bonus, could be an eight or even a ten-pointer.

Blackheath are currently second bottom in the National League One table with only hapless Manchester below them and the Nuns one place and five points ahead – and Mike Umaga’s men go into the game bolstered by last weekend’s heroics that saw them overturn a 17-point interval deficit to shade Tynedale 21-20 and end their worrying sequence of four successive defeats.

Umaga certainly won’t be fazed by his hosts’ history: “What’s gone before doesn’t matter, it’s all about what happens on the day.” But the Liberty Way chief conceded: “It’s an important game for us, and we need to kick on from Saturday’s win to make sure all that effort wasn’t for nothing. I wasn’t surprised by that performance because I’ve seen it before – the boys don’t panic and they work very hard for each other, and when you do that you’re always in with a shout.

“It was really top-drawer on Saturday, so if we can maintain that we’ll have a great chance.”

Flanker Nick Smith is doubtful after picking up an injury last week while Andy Daish and Alex, both on the bench against Tynedale, are with the Swedish squad preparing for tomorrow’s Test match against Holland in Trelleborg.