Fylde RFC bid to end Rotherham Titans' unbeaten record

Rotherham are one of the four teams to have defeated Fylde in National Two North this season, though Loney’s side have won all eight home fixtures and enter this 3pm contest in fine form.

The Titans may be the league’s last unbeaten club but they are two points behind third-placed Fylde, having played three fewer games and drawn twice.

One of those draws came two Saturdays ago against a Bournville side that leaked 73 points at Fylde in October.

Joint head-coach Loney told The Gazette: “We have three of the top five still to play at home and we know we need to perform in those games.

“Our season isn’t over if we don’t win on Saturday but we will be massively motivated.

“Rotherham are unbeaten but teams have run them close. Bournville nearly did the double over them and we beat Bournville really comfortably here. As I keep saying, it’s a tough league and you have to be on the money every week or you won’t do well.”

Fylde have been on the money since the mid-season break and have won their last four games in all, conceding just one try in each of the last two.

Loney said of last weekend’s 33-8 victory at Harrogate: “We were really happy with the win. We’d had a big win over them at home (scoring 80 points), so we talked about them being motivated for a reaction. We had to be ready for their emotion and guard against any complacency.

“The pitch was very sticky and slowed us down but we felt we were always in control.

“We’ve got another five points and it was definitely a pleasing aspect to keep them to another low score .

“We knew we couldn’t take our eye off the ball in the first three games after Christmas. We’ve won those and now can focus on a really big game.”

Fylde could welcome back top scorer Tom Carleton and centre Scott Rawlings, who sat out last weekend’s game.

“Both have niggles,” confirmed Loney. “They could have played if needed last weekend but it’s about managing a squad for the whole season and you have to mix it up.”

In Rawlings’ absence for the last two games, Joe Bedlow has stepped in on a dual-registration deal from Sale Sharks and Loney added: “Joe had a great home debut against Huddersfield and was steady again last weekend.

“He’s still a young player working out his role but he’s everything we hoped he would be in terms of ability and potential.

“It’s not just game by game with Joe – we’re hoping he’ll be with us for a few months, so we can support his development. It’s a two-way thing.”

Fylde’s players can afford to leave nothing in the tank against the Titans, knowing they have a fortnight to recover before their next outing at Wharfedale.

Most of their rivals will play a catch-up game a week tomorrow but Fylde are the one club in the competition to have played every match on their fixture list so far.

Loney added: “We’ve stuck to the schedule and got our week off, which hopefully will benefit us later on in the season.”

Rotherham last visited the Woodlands in 1999 on their way up to the Premiership.

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney will attend tomorrow’s match as guest of Fylde great and World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

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