Stourbridge anticipate scrum half shortage for National One clash with Blaydon

Dec 28 2010 by Brian Dick, Birmingham Mail

STOURBRIDGE are steeling themselves for a scrum-half shortage when they resume their disrupted National One campaign in the New Year.

By the time the Stourton Park outfit go to Blaydon on January 8 they will have not played for nearly month, since beating Cambridge on December 11.

But despite the enforced lay-off and the cancellation of what would have been a lucrative Boxing Day fixture against Coventry, director of rugby Neil Mitchell will have his resources stretched to the limit.

Stalwart Tom Richardson will be away skiing while Worcester duo Ollie Frost and Louis Silver could be involved in the Warriors’ Championship and British & Irish Cup campaign.

That will leave Stour short in a crucial position, the prospect of which will force Mitchell to look beyond Sixways for a short-term solution.

“We’ll have to look slightly further afield,” Mitchell admitted.

“I don’t mind going into the game without a scrum-half on the bench as we did at Cambridge but you don’t really want to go to Blaydon – who should never be underestimated – with a makeshift.”

One option is Matt Bradley, who played for Manchester last season and is studying at Hartpury College.

Mitchell must also turn his attention to reorganising the clash with Coventry and while a nominal date of March 19 has been set, the former Blue and Whites second row is also pondering moving the game to midweek. Coventry counterpart Phil Maynard would be amenable to the idea of freeing up a weekend.