Newbury Blues reaction pleases head coach Paul Archer as they bounce back to winning ways against Trowbridge

Newbury Blues head coach Paul Archer was delighted with his side’s reaction after two league defeats as they beat Trowbridge 34-7 at Monks Lane.

The bonus-point victory ends their recent winless run in South West 1 East after losing to Oxford Harlequins and Sherborne in quick succession.

Blues started the game with purpose and dominated proceedings throughout, which is something that thrilled Archer.

He said: “The response was good and against Trowbridge we put in a really great performance and it was a positive step for us.

“After a couple of weeks not being at our best, it was a step in the right direction because going forward we were excellent and, if anything, we left some points out there.

“Defensively we were solid, we played the conditions really well and it was a really good performance from us.”

The Blues head coach was also satisfied after seeing his side secure the points after a couple of missed opportunities in previous weeks.

“We had a tough game against Oxford Harlequins – they were deserved winners and it was a physical game because we struggled.

“Against Sherbourne, we were disappointing and we had more than enough opportunities to win the game and we couldn’t get it done.

“The reaction to that loss and the way we lost it was really positive,” he said.

“The boys knew we had to be on it because we’re not owed anything in this league and we have to perform.”

Even though there were positives in the performance and result, Archer knows they can still improve as a group.

“You never play a perfect game, right? There is always stuff to find, but the great thing is that these improvements aren’t coming from the top down.

“It is largely coming from within the group and the players know there are tougher days ahead and we’re going to need to keep improving.

“Everyone else around us will keep improving and the boys are really motivated to do that which is great to see.”

With the business end of the season approaching, the head coach knows how crucial it is to keep the pressure up on the teams above them.

Blues are currently fourth in the table, 14 points off leaders Banbury, with nine games remaining.

He said: “We’re at the stage of the season where we won’t be making big changes, it’s all about sharpening up.

“We have less than 10 games to go and if we keep performing the way we have been then I have no doubt that we will have a positive end to the season.”