Cambridge Rugby Club encouraged to maintain high standards after tough sequence of National League One fixtures

Director of rugby Richie Williams is pleased with how his Cambridge side negotiated their way through a tricky run of National League One fixtures.

In recent weeks the Blood and Sand have been pitted against the other teams in the top five and won three of those fixtures, losing just once.

It leaves Cambridge sitting second in the table with a four-point gap to league-leading Rams – the only team to have defeated them this term.

Speaking after their latest win – a 24-22 triumph at Rosslyn Park on Saturday – Williams said: “We’re really pleased.

“We’ve been up against really tough opposition and won three of those four. If you compare that to last season then we are comfortably ahead of where we were.

“It was pleasing to keep the run going on Saturday because historically we’ve struggled away at Rosslyn Park.”

Cambridge are now preparing to embark upon a run of kinder-looking fixtures, starting on Saturday (November 5) with the visit of second-from-bottom Esher.

However, while the opposition may not be as strong as what they have faced of late, Williams is not expecting his team to take their foot off the throttle.

“We’ve done well in this tough block of fixtures but we’ve now got to go and back that up,” he added.

“Our last home loss – at home against Leeds Tykes last November – came when they were bottom of the table so there will be no complacency.

“The players recognise the importance of (building on the good run). They were speaking about it after the win at the weekend.

“We’ve got to reach the same level because we’re under no illusion that these are going to be tough games as well.

“We’re going well, we’re second in the league and so we’re going to be a scalp for teams. That brings with it some pressure and we have to deal with it.”

Summer signing Seb Brownhill and Gareth Baxter could both return to the squad after recent injury lay-offs.