By Elliott Josypenko
February 1 2006

Fans heading for Sharmans Cross Road between now and the end of the season are being offered blood, sweat - and probably more blood and sweat in lieu of tears - as Pertemps Bees battle at the wrong end of National One. Increasing numbers from 14 to 16 is expected to mean no relegation this season but pride, establishing a pecking order and laying down markers for next term are

still major driving forces in what is becoming one of the most competitive leagues in English rugby.

From sixth-placed Exeter to bottom club Sedgley Park the gap is just 17 points. From third bottom, a place above the normal relegation zone, to sixth the gap is 11 points.

The result is hard, physical battles between evenly-matched sides and it left Bees counting the cost this week with a chipped shin bone, a dislocated shoulder, a broken nose, stitches and endless cuts and bruises among the squad.

The battle between the bottom two left Sedgley Park firmly in last place while Bees, 12-6 winners, have edged up four places higher.

Director of rugby Phil Maynard is grateful that he has a free week for recovery, adding: "It gives us a chance to evaluate because we have another difficult month with Coventry and Penzance away and Bedford and Exeter at home coming up.

"That will pose us a significantly different set of problems but it is not what everyone else does, it is still in our hands and we just have to keep taking this work ethic and see it through. "Our scrummaging is better than it was, our line-out is much improved. It is still not 100 per cent but it is in the top 70-80 per cent bracket which is enough really and we just need to take things forward a little bit now.

"It is still not going to be pretty but we know we can rest on our defence.

"Some people might think it is a negative way of thinking but it is always a go-to game.

"The first step is to stop them scoring and keep the shape in defence. In any close game you don't see 56-55 scores. It is more for the purists our game at the moment."