Stourbridge face a pivotal weekend both in terms of their promotion campaign and a place in the club's record books when they face Hull Ionians on Saturday.

A thirteenth consecutive victory would not only see Stour open up at least an 11-point lead with less than half the National Two season gone, it would also set a new longest win sequence for Neil Mitchell's all conquering team.

And front rower Adam Sturdy, who has featured in the previous ten Stourton Park vintages, believes the current squad is worthy of that accolade.

Sturdy joined Stour in 2002 and he maintains the first XV has never been so good, well almost never. "The only other side I would compare to it in my time would be the one that almost got promoted to the Championship in 2008," he said. "We had Jim Jenner playing well and were a match for anyone.

"But we are still on a par with that side. It feels the same on and off the pitch, there's a really good atmosphere there now.

"This one is certainly a National One team and I think if we had this side last year we would not have come down, if anything we'd have been in the top five or six."

Not that Stour have actually achieved anything yet.

They still have to make up for a demoralising last campaign, when they malfunctioned for nearly nine months, by returning to the third tier.

They are well on course to do that but recent matches against Darlington Mowden Park and Sheffield Tigers have tested their resolve.

Logic suggests second-placed Ionians should do that even more.

"The record has been mentioned but it's not at the front of everyone's mind," Sturdy said. "I don't think there are many teams that ever go ten unbeaten never mind 13 so it's a great opportunity. It certainly won't be the focus on Saturday though. That first priority will be getting the win, the second making sure Hull Ionians don't get anything and the third will be trying to get the bonus point. The record will come with that.

"There is pressure but it's all about how you handle it. When you are top of the division you are everyone's cup final. Everyone raises their game for us and we've noticed when we've done analysis of opponents and whatever we have seen on the DVD doesn't show up in games."