More to come from Stratford RFC after positive start to season

RUGBY UNION

STRATFORD RFC feel well satisfied by their opening batch of matches after being switched to a new league – but there is also plenty more to come.

Mark Hibberd admits being placed in the South West One East from Midlands One West this season was always going to be an eye-opening experience.

But with Stratford having no game this weekend it is a convenient time to assess how they have fared in the first six matches.

A 27-20 win at home to Oxford Harlequins, courtesy of Jo Cook’s late winning try, left the Black and Whites with four wins and two defeats and sitting in sixth place, three points off third place.

“I think everybody at the club would have been happy with four wins and two defeats,” said injured prop Hibberd. “After the first game, when we lost 70-3 at Chippenham, we would be pretty happy to have won four of the next five.

“It’s been new to us in so many ways, the teams, the grounds, the players. But we’re getting more accustomed to the league.

“In the next batch of games, we’ll get an even better idea of how we might fare and how the teams compare.

“Overall I’d probably mark the first six games with seven out of ten. We are definitely improving and we can keep improving. We’re cautiously optimistic.”

Stratford also needed to show their steel to get over the line in recent wins, and last Saturday, proved the point against Oxford. It also highlighted a side putting together all facets of the game in the manner of their tries.

Jo Cook scored two,and Callum Cook and Charlie Powell also touched down.

“We had to hold out for the final ten minutes after going in front,” said Hibberd. “But the quality of our tries was exceptional. They were real team tries and for Charlie Powell’s score the ball probably came through half the team’s hands.”

After a fixture free weekend, Stratford return to action a week on Saturday with a trip to Royal Wootton Bassett.