Having finally discovered how to keep their noses in front of opponents Birmingham & Solihull coach Eugene Martin has warned his players not to get ahead of themselves.
The director of rugby watched in delight on Saturday as his side whipped off six tries in the final quarter to beat Huddersfield 53-3 away from home to record their biggest win anywhere since the promotion season of 2009, when they put 100 points on Waterloo.
Since then consistency, of the winning variety at least, has been hard to come by as the National Two outfit have slipped to consecutive relegations. Even this season they have been moored near the bottom of level four.
However, five wins from their last seven games have seen the green shoots of recovery begin to blossom, culminating in what Martin feels was a ‘watershed victory’ at Huddersfield.
With seven games remaining sights are firmly set on climbing into the top half of the table as Martin’s young side grows in confidence.
However, the director of rugby thinks it is important not to look too far down the line. “As a team we have got to keep our feet on the ground,” he warned. “March is a massive month for us, the guys have set themselves high targets and, with the start we have made, we have a chance of hitting them.
“As a coach it’s wonderful to see at the moment because the boys are all playing with smiles on their faces. They are implementing what we work on in training, in games and there’s a real belief around the squad.
“But we can’t get ahead of ourselves, we’ve got to carry on doing what we have been doing to continue being successful. We need to work hard and keep listening.”
Bees’ hopes of making the top eight are still very much alive. They are currently in 11th place but are only six points behind eighth-placed Caldy with 35 to play for. And their run-in is far from demanding, with four of their remaining games to be played at home – where they have lost just once in three months.
Helpfully they also play the three sides directly above them, Bromsgrove, Luctonians and Caldy, as well as second from bottom Stockport.
And most pleasing on Saturday they not only kept 15 men on the field for the whole match, they prevented Huddersfield from crossing their try-line, which means only the division’s top four now have a better points-against record.
But it was what they did in attack that most pleased Martin. “It was the performance we have been looking for throughout the year,” he said. “The quality of execution, in soft conditions we have come unstuck in this season, was fantastic.
“It was a real watershed victory because we had players solving issues themselves in the middle of a game. It’s absolutely fantastic as a coach to see them growing as a side.”
Bees face Preston Grasshoppers at Portway this weekend when they will be looking to avenge the 29-13 reverse suffered when the sides met in October.
