DIRECTOR of rugby Neil Mitchell has issued a stark warning to his Stourbridge players that they must stop playing as individuals or face being cut from the side.

Mitchell called a meeting with his most experienced squad members on Tuesday night to try to get to the bottom of the team's poor form this season.

He feels that even though the Stourton Park outfit has been hampered by injuries, many of his normally reliable players have failed to step up to the mark in recent weeks.

"The players have been performing as individuals and not as a team," said Mitchell. "Everyone needs to buy into what we are trying to do or face being moved on or cut from the side.

"Injuries have caused us a lot of difficulties but we need to do more. We are capable, even with the injuries, to deal with most sides in this division.

"We have been lacking leadership. That is not a reflection on captain Nigel Mukarati but the experienced players around him that needed to help him out."

Stour's poor form continued when they lost 37-23 at home to Otley last Saturday.

The game was overshadowed by a frightening injury to Otley fly half Ben Fairclough four minutes before the interval.

In an horrific scene, Fairclough swallowed his tongue and stopped breathing at one point. Thankfully, Stour's medical team came to the rescue and he was back breathing and talking by the time the ambulance arrived.

"It was a shocking incident but it seemed to affect us more than them," said Mitchell. "We were awful in the second half ."

Against Otley, Stour surrendered a 15-7 half time lead.

Otley re-started the game better and scored within 83 seconds of the kick off through Arnie Ellison.

The visitors were always a threat when they moved the ball wide and they began to expose Stour's fragile defence as the second half progressed.

Full back Ellison scampered over wide out before Hudson secured his second try. The accurate Stephen Depledge converted both tries and kicked a penalty for good measure to put Otley 24-15 in front.

Stour tried to repair the damage and an excellent break by Stef Shillingford just before the hour mark enabled Drew Harper to pick up and drive over.

Gary Dipple took over the kicking duties after Hearn left the field injured and missed the resulting conversion.

In contrast, Depledge kicked everything going.

He slotted over two more penalties for Otley as Stour's play became ever more error riddled.

Dipple replied with a penalty of his own to give Stour a glimmer of salvaging something with the score now 30-23 in Otley's favour.

At the same time, Otley were reduced to 14 when replacement James White was yellow carded.

But it was Otley who finished the game on top. They laid seige to Stour's line and forced a number of scrummages before referee Brendan McGaffney lost patience and awarded Otley a penalty try with Depledge inevitably adding the extras, while replacement forward Chris Depper was sent to the sin bin for good measure.

Stourbridge will travel to take on Broadstreet this Saturday.