Mitchell: It’s all in the timing (From Halesowen News)

Mitchell: It’s all in the timing

2:57pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in Sport

NEIL Mitchell will make certain Stourbridge will time this Saturday’s arrival at Leicester Lions much closer to kick-off.
It follows their earlier than expected appearence at Hull where Saxons had to sit around for almost two hours before play commenced.

Director of rugby Mitchell believes the wait had a big bearing on Stourbridge’s performance which resulted in a less than impressive 36-22 success.
He said: “There’s only so much you can do for two hours stuck in a nothing more than makeshift changing room with a couple of showers.
“We had a similiar experience at Caldy, while we arrived far too late for the game at Huddersfield after we got stuck in roadworks.

“We really do have to plan our journeys much better than this. It doesn’t help the players to focus when they are left hanging around with nothing to do.
“The less time we spend at some of these grounds, the better.”
Travel arrangements weren’t the only factor in Stourbridge’s somewhat subdued display at Hull.
The absence of injured second rowers Richard Stott and Rob Hurrell appeared to upset the balance and led to Stour conceding far too may points for Mitchell’s liking.

He said: “We seem to find it far more difficult when we’re playing away from the euphoria of a huge home crowd.
“Consequently the performance at Hull was a bit of a mixed bag.”
That didn’t stop Stourbridge from making it nine straight wins, complete with the bonus point after running in six tries.
Three tries arrived in the opening half hour from Caolan Ryan, Ejike Uzoigwe and James Hearn.

But Hull were allowed back into the game before the break with two converted tries to make the score 17-14.
An excellent Tom Jarvis try within five minutes of resumption settled the nerves before Nathan Bressington bagged another.
Although Hull secured a third try, Will Harris then provided the icing on the cake with Stourbridge’s final try - his first for the club having risen through the youth ranks.
Mitchell now expects the next four games to define Stourbridge’s season.
After Saturday’s trip to sixth placed Lions, Stourbridge host third placed Darlington Mowden Park, followed by a trip to fourth in the table Sheffield Tigers.
That game is followed by the visit of second placed Hull Ionians to Stourton Park, the Ionians like Stourbridge sport a 100 per cent record so far in National Two North.