Consistency the key to promotion challenge, says Sharp (From Stroud News and Journal)

Consistency the key to promotion challenge, says Sharp

STROUD RFC coach Andre Sharp is confident his side can fight their way back into the South West 2 West promotion race providing they can instil greater consistency into their game.

Currently fifth in the table, Stroud struggled to an unconvincing 25-13 home win over Torquay on Saturday to keep pace with the teams above them, but Sharp still feels they can achieve promotion over the last six games of the campaign, if his players can up their work rate and consistency levels.

"We have just got to be a bit moire professional at times, but I felt that in the ten minutes before half time and for 20 minutes after we played very well," said Sharp.

We had a bit of a bad run before Christmas, but in the last two games we have played better rugby and managed two wins, so it's not doom and gloom by any stretch of the imagination.

"We haven't given up on a promotion challenge and we are just trying to win as many games as we possibly can.

"If you look at last week we beat Brixham, who had beaten Exmouth the week before and they were unbeaten at home before we went there, so I think anything can still happen.

There is not a massive points difference between the top six teams and there is still a lot of rugby to be played,"he said.

Sharp admitted that his side had not produced their best form against Torquay but felt there were good as well as bad points in the performance.

"I think we started quite positively and played some good rugby but then all of a sudden we had a funny ten minutes when we lost the plot a bit especially in the forwards," he said.

"We gave away stupid penalties, there was a bit of this and that off the ball and we lost the shape of our game. We have played well in phases and then we fall asleep, but we just need to be more consistent for the whole game.

"Some of the passing out of contact today was very good and sometimes the support play is brilliant, but at other times we are just very sloppy so there is still a lot of work to be done," he said.

Stroud are due to host Clifton in the Gloucestershire Roadchef County Cup quarter-finals on Saturday (2pm) and despite injury and unavailability problems, Sharpe is hoping his side can go though to the semi-finals by beating their old rivals, who are currently a division above them in South West One.

Centre and goal kicker Andy Westley limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury after just five minutes against Torquay, while flanker Stuart Cale is also doubtful after he came off with a leg injury.

With centre Mike Thornley set to return to New Zealand and hooker Rupert Wakefield also unavailable, Sharpe has a few selection problems, but he feels Stroud still have a good chance, especially if they can play on a dry pitch to assist their running game.