Lewis remains confident of avoiding drop

PLYMSTOCK

- By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE Rugby Union correspondent

Mike Lewis

PLYMSTOCK Oaks coach Mike Lewis remains confident the side can pull away from the wrong end of the Western Counties table before getting emersed in a relegation battle.

Back-to-back-defeats by Redruth Quins and now Truro, who left Horsham Fields on Saturday with a 23-10 win, have left Oaks three off the bottom of the table.

As the third-bottom team will go into a relegation playoff at the end of this season - a new innovation promoted by league bosses - Oaks need to start winning.

Said Lewis: “I wasn’t that worried about where we were in the table, until I looked at in on Saturday night.

“We have played over the last two weeks when sides around us haven't - and we have lost both times.

“Instead of getting away from where we don’t want to be, we've now played more games than the sides either side of us, and made virtually no headway”

Lewis said Oaks have what it takes to play their way out of danger, but are not doing it.

“It feels like we are playing mid-table rugby, but we are not doing it for long enough to beat other teams,’ said Lewis.