Maidstone Rugby Club chasing victory over Chiswick that will leave them 80 minutes from place in the RFU Intermediate Cup final at Twickenham
Published: 00:01, 13 March 2015
Maidstone will be one win from Twickenham if they beat Chiswick in the regional final of the Intermediate Cup.
The sides meet at The Mote on Saturday with captain Ben Williams fit to lead Maidstone after an ankle injury.
Coach Paul Hathaway knows little about the visitors, who sit second in London 2 North West. Instead, he’s concentrating on his own team.
He said: “I haven’t done a lot of research on Chiswick. Before the weekend I might give somebody I know at Crowborough a ring, the team they beat in the semi-finals.
“To be honest, it’s about concentrating on controlling the things we can manage, the intensity and so on. You can get preoccupied thinking about where the opposition’s strengths may lie."
Ben Pitkin is set to replace Nick Childs, who has returned to New Zealand ahead of schedule. The Kiwi scored 183 points this season, including 11 tries, but Hathaway is confident Maidstone will cope without him.
He said: “We were aware Nick would be going back but he went earlier than planned due to personal circumstances.
“Ben Pitkin started the season in the side and is slowly coming back after injury. We’re happy with the way he’s performed.”
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Craig Tucker