Stour boss calls on fans

In what would soon become one of the more embarrassing moments to scar the memory of sports fans, cooking supremo Delia Smith addressed Norwich City's apprehensive and cringeing fans.

"Where are you?" she bellowed, in an attempt to galvanise Carrow Road's faithful to inspire her beloved team to glory.

Her efforts failed miserably in the end when Manchester City won 3-2.

Despite that unforgettable precedent, Stourbridge coach Neil Mitchell has a similar proposition to local rugby fans.

He is unlikely to take to the pitch with a microphone but he is nonetheless appealing for supporters to become his team's 16th man as they bid to make history by securing a place in National League One.

They are sweeping teams aside with a brand of rugby befitting any league in the country at the moment, but the coach is cognisant of the fact that they would prove tougher to beat if they had more support.

The Stourton Park outfit cemented their place in the automatic promotion spots at the weekend after beating Cambridge 32-8.

Tries from Sam Robinson, Ben Hughes, Ally Muldowney, James Tideswell and some superb kicking in testing conditons from Ali Bressington accounted for the points.

It was the biggest home defeat the East Anglian side has suffered since joining the national leagues, beating the previous record which was, coincidentally, held by Stourbridge.

But more revealing was the manner in which the side won at Wests Renault Park, the first to do so this season. At times, they made a difficult task look simple.

Mitchell's side are on the brink of achieving promotion to the second tier of the country's rugby pyramid, a level they have never before achieved.

Indeed, it is worth noting that the highest league placing Stour have ever achieved in National Two is seventh.

Of course, talk of promotion is being kept quiet within the confines of Stourton Park but there is no hiding the simmering sense of anticipation at what might just be come April.

Yet despite playing the best rugby in the division, the club is still only recording crowds in the region of 300.

Compared to some lower-placed sides in the division - like Cambridge and Henley - who regurlarly attract between 750 and 2,000 through the turnstiles, it is clear to see Mitchell's point.

"Some of our play on Saturday was immense, it was a great result." he said.

"We need to have a real go at filling the ground.

"If we did that, it would have a massive impact on the players.

"We are one of the top 30 in the country and only one of seven which is not full-time.

"If we keep playing like the way are now we will have a good chance of getting promoted - but we are not thinking about that.

"This is now the defining time of the season for us. We have Blackheath on Saturday and that will be massive."

The Londoners, currently third, and one of only two teams to have beaten Mitchell's second-placed side this season, travel to Stourton Park.

Mitchell described the showdown as his side's cup final.

A bonus point victory would put them eight points - effectively worth two games – ahead of Harvey Biljon's side, whose remaining tough fixtures are away from their capital haven.

Mitchell said: "Our backs have started playing, as we knew they would eventually, and they look great. In my view we have the two best fly-halves in the league in Sam Robinson and Dan Lavery, who was brilliant when he came on on Saturday.

"A lot of people were eager to see what he could do and some were questioning whether he was ever going to play for us because he has had such a terrible time with injuries, about six mionths off and on.

"But he showed a few people against Cambridge what we know he is all about.

"He has the most incredible versatility, which he showed against Cambridge.

"On top of that, both our second rows scored at the weekend, my back-row options are absolutely full of quality, we have three excellent scrum-halves, and in the front row Ben Gerry is man of the match nearly every week. Our depth is incredible."

Mitchell's squad was further boosted this week by the return of veteran prop Adrian Olver, who has come out of retirement saying he feels no pain in the neck that caused him to contemplate packing up earlier in the season.

He will be used sparingly by Mitchell, primarily for his influence and experience, until the end of the season.

Olver will probably be used at some point on Saturday and one hopes his entrance into the fray will be received by rapturous applause from a full house.

Or in the words of one Mrs Smith: "Come on, let's be 'aving you!"