Bees- Guerillas of Nat 1

By Roger Clarke - Birmingham Mail
March 17 2006

Pertemps Bees have become the freedom fighters of National One, according to director of rugby Phil Maynard.

PERTEMPS Bees have become the freedom fighters of National One, according to director of rugby Phil Maynard.

"We are playing guerilla rugby - hit and run," he said. "We have defensive systems in place which make it difficult for teams to score against us, but most of the teams we play are full-time and as athletes are better conditioned than we are so we have to play hit and run."

Last weekend, though, Bees were hit by the run of the coin, which condemned them to playing with a strong wind at their backs in the first half. As is the way with such things, the wind then picked up in the second half, the sky went black, and snow and sleet were added to the mix to blow into the faces of the Bees defenders and the score drifted from 13-5 up to 21-13 down with the lead only being lost in the last 10 minutes.

Maynard said: "I sometimes wonder who I have upset in this life. It was a genuine heartbreaker. We deserved at least a point out of that.

"But with the nature of the squad as it is they are very upbeat and still full of confidence.

"What we have learned as a team is to draw a line under things like that, take the best bits out of it and move on.

"Against Cornish Pirates there were a lot of phases and only about four or five mistakes on both sides."

The defeat leaves Bees a place and two points off the relegation zone but with four out of the last six games at home Maynard has no fears that Bees could find themselves in one of the two relegation spots come the end of the season.

Next up are Bedford, second in the league who arrive at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday.

Maynard said: "It is an opportunity for us to continue our good form. We do not fear anybody and the point has to be made that we have not lost a home league game since November 12 and that was only by one point to Rotherham. Four months since we lost at home and look where we are in the league."

A boost for Bees at Truro was that lock Ed Orgee and winger Nick Baxter both went on as replacements and showed no ill effects from their respective injuries.