Winning streak ended by rivals

Whitstable

Whitstable player-coach Mal Graves remained upbeat despite seeing his side’s 12-match winning streak ended by Shepherd Neame Kent 2 promotion rivals Royal Bank of Scotland. Blues went down 39-6 at an RBS side unrecognisable from the one which they had beaten 23-21 at Reeves Way in November. The result saw the bankers climb over Whitstable into second – a point ahead – while Blues are also now just a point ahead of fourth-placed Foots Cray, whom they host this weekend (3pm). Graves admitted: “RBS are a good outfit – certainly a lot stronger than the one that played at our place and they were clinical. That was the best side we had played in two years. If they had that side out every week, they’d have won this league by a long way.” Graves admitted they had been deservedly beaten, adding: “We played some decent rugby, it was just in the wrong part of the pitch. We just couldn’t get any territory. “It’s the nature of sport, you will win and you will lose. It hurts a little bit after 12 wins but it’s worse when you lose when you should have won. They were just too good on the day. We have to take it on the chin and move on.” With four games to go after Foots Cray, the hunt for the second promotion spot behind champions elect Old Gravesendians looks set to go to the wire, with Graves adding: “We said last week that if we won it wouldn’t be done and if we lost it wouldn’t be desperation. “We are still going for promotion. Saturday will be a different game and a different challenge. They are a big, heavy side, whereas we thought we might have the physical edge against RBS.”