A shaky start to the new year for Harborne, which saw them away to top-of-the table Handsworth. The home team had a fairly simple game plan that involved using their heavy pack to run hard and fast at the lighter, more mobile visitors and it worked well. Harborne didn't seem to be able to get out of first gear. Their handling wasn't crisp, their attack was flat and they struggled to get past a great rush defence. Under pressure they gave away far too many penalties, mainly for infringements around the breakdown, and ended up 17-5 down at the break.

Second half saw Handsworth turn the screw and, with the hill on their side, their large forwards ran straight through the usually reliable Harborne defence. Despite sterling efforts by the visitors, rewarded with a further try and conversion, the game ran away from Harborne and the home team ran out 44-12 winners. Handsworth played well and to their strengths, but this was a day when little that Harborne tried seemed to work and they couldn't seem to find their rhythm.

The following week saw Harborne again on the road, this time at mid-table Willenhall. Another game that saw a clash of styles as the home team looked to smash holes using their big pack while the visitors looked to restore their usual fluid running game by throwing the ball wide at every opportunity. On a bitterly cold day it was uncertain which approach would come out on top. A hill and the low sun also played their part. For once it wasn't about attack, but two diligent defences that both repelled wave after wave of crash ball for Willenhall and wide passing from Harborne. A difficult game for both teams ended in a draw, 17all.

Harborne remain second, but have scored more points than any other team and are just 17 points of the 600 total that was set as their target at the beginning of the season.

Harborne 2nd XV also only had 1 league game in January, but continued in the same dominant manner with which they had finished 2014. 53-7 against Camp Hill and another great exhibition of 15 man running rugby. Harborne Twos are third in the merit league but with games in hand over the second and first place teams. More importantly with 536 points scored, 50 plus more than the top placed team, and a number one points difference of 423 points they have set themselves up as the team to beat.

The club is still attracting new players and recent successes along with the 20th anniversary of the clubs founding have encouraged enough players to allow two 3rd team fixtures in January. Despite both being losses against more established sides they still showed that the Harborne way of free-flowing rugby permeates the whole club.

The club has an anniversary lunch at Harborne Cricket Club on 31st of January and is still welcoming new players of any standard. Details on the web site http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harbornerugbyfootballclub/ or via the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/harborneRFC/.

Courtesy of Roger Saunders.