THE changing room on Monday morning was oozing positivity.

Saturday’s performance against the Titans, though far from perfect, was a huge step in the right direction.

As mentioned last week, it was important to stamp our authority over Rotherham.

We needed to send the message that our previous meeting was no true reflection of our ability as a team and we achieved that.

Another strong defensive effort allowed us to keep a clean sheet.

As our impressive away record for conceding very few tries continues, we look to transfer this form to Sixways, starting against Esher on Saturday.

The boys have been working hard on defence, putting in the hours to practice our decision-making.

Another area we will be focusing on is our tackle height. There have been many occasions where we make hits well in front of the advantage line, only to lose yards from wrestling up too high.

To reap the benefits from the blitz defence, we must adopt a low tackle focus and it is this the boys are currently focusing on.

Saturday at Clifton Lane was a day for the forwards. They well and truly ‘beat-up’ the Rotherham pack on a short, narrow pitch.

Not only was this pleasing for everyone watching, but also I know those playing relished the physical challenge.

Greg Rawlinson and Neil Best put their bodies on the line, putting in some huge hits and some strong ball-carries.

Miles Benjamin and Marcel Garvey once again found themselves on the scoresheet and we can feel fortunate to possess such finishing power on our wings.

The comedy duo of Chris Fortey and Adam Black also had very good games.

We will welcome Esher to Sixways on Saturday looking to improve from our recent home performances.

It will also be an opportunity to impress for some of the guys who have had less game time so far this season.

With the British and Irish cup competition approaching fast, we will see the strength in depth we possess both in the first team squad and in some of the academy players pushing through.

Esher have had a poor run of luck recently, unable to find a win in the last six matches.

We know they will be hugely fired up anyway but looking to stop their losing streak will no doubt add an edge to their game.

Esher suffered a big defeat to Bedford last weekend and we know only a repeat of this will satisfy both ourselves and the fans.

Last time out, we managed to win 48-3 and we will be looking to better that score.

Saturday may also be the last opportunity to witness some of the country’s finest top lip foliage as Kai Horstmann’s ‘Movember’ team continue to groom their tashes.

There truly are some fantastic examples on display. Neil Best’s, for me personally, deserves a special mention due to its thickness and shape. It’s all for a good cause and donations can be made to the Prostate Cancer Charity via Movember.com.

My soup-strainer and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday!