In every dream home a heartache.

After seven rounds of the Championship two teams remain unbeaten, having won all seven games. On Saturday , at the Madjeski Stadium, that record will go for at least one of those teams as London Irish hosts Yorkshire Carnegie in the tie of the round.

Closer analysis of the form of both teams reveals that there is a major difference in their performances. Both teams have scored lots of tries in the first seven games. Irish have a much more frugal defence and are only conceding, on average, 11 points per game. Our boys have been much more generous. Despite not having played a serious contender yet carnegie has allowed every team they have played to score tries in every aspect of play leading me to suspect that "defend" is not what we do when the opposition has the ball, at least for much of the time.

After last week's porous performance against Jersey, a team close to the foot of the table, this week's opposition are the real deal. The Exiles retained the bulk of their squad when they were relegated last season. The seven wins have been forged on the foundation of a strong, disciplined pack and a rugged defence in all parts of play. London Irish start as firm favourites to win saturday's game imho. I expect the Exiles to perform much as they have done so far. The only thing that can change the outcome, in my view, is for the oppostion to play to its full potential. This means that the lads need to go into the game believing that they can win and then translating that belief into a winning performance.

For a while now, several seasons in fact, our team has been less than the sum of its parts. We have quality right through the squad and strength in depth. Saturday is the day to show that quality in a team performance against the best team in the league. Bryan Redpath has all the ingredients available to him to formulate a winning strategy for the Madstad. It is down to him to select the right men for the job and instill in them the tactics that will make the game a competitive spectacle rather than the one sided affair that most people are predicting.

I think that the front row hold the key to our fortune this weekend. We have some excellent props and in Asbo and Mayhew we have combative hookers who know what is needed. The other critical area is the channel that LI will exploit towards Joe Ford. Joe is not the best defender in the league so it will be vital that our backrow get into that area and help JF when necessary.

Now I can already hear the old lags in the Paddock saying that the result on Saturday is irrelevant. That is quite correct. What is important is the performance. A crushing defeat could see the start of a spiral into mid table not to mention the shot in the arm it would give the Exiles. However a rousing, disciplined performance from our boys will let the Irish know that it is not an easy road back to the Premiership for them. I will settle for a 0-0 draw but in the unlikely event that it happens then a low scoring game with the better team winning would be my second choice.

Can we win the game? We are the underdogs. Expectation, even amongst our own fans, is low. Time then for a surprise. I can remember winning down there in the Prem with a couple of break out tries. Perhaps Brush should dig out the video of that game and play it on the bus going down on Saturday.

Time to stand up and be counted lads.

To the Madstad and beyond.