In the National League One fixture list, this is helped by the second half of the season mirroring the first. So as we played London Welsh on the first day of the campaign way back in September the return match last week at Old Deer Park was something of a milestone for us.

Firstly, I would like to say that London Welsh, and Newbury two weeks before that, deserve credit for the way they played the game. They hassled and disrupted us and didn’t panic when they had the ball themselves, preferring instead to work phases and have a go at breaking us down.

It is actually quite difficult to compare the two games against London Welsh. The squad they put out on Saturday had 12 different players from the 22 that travelled to the Gardens in September, including several players who had been at the World Cup in France.

This meant that they posed many different problems which we had to adapt to as the game went on. Moreover improved fitness levels were demonstrated in the pressure they put on us at the end of each half. In this respect I was happy that we only conceded the one try, although I would have preferred it if we had scored another of our own to earn the bonus point.

Nevertheless we are still undefeated and are still top of the table. As the season goes on the challenge for all of the players will be to not let this become an albatross around our neck. Since National League One was expanded a few years ago no one has gone through the season without losing at least one game.

As our last two games have showed, the standard of NL1 is improving all the time and if we make mistakes they will be punished. There will be the added bonus for the opposing team of beating the league leaders. We don’t want that to happen!

Having said that, today’s opposition, the Cornish Pirates, will be wanting this to happen very much. In the second game of the season they came very close to doing the job against us and led at half-time. In Gareth Steenson they have a goal kicker from the top drawer who can also run matches superbly from fly-half.

Their pack is formidable and the team as a whole comes here on a roll, having won five from their last six matches. We will have to up our intensity and concentration if we are to continue our own run.

Whatever happens today, it will be a different occasion when we visit Camborne again in three weeks time in the EDF Energy National Trophy. We are expecting a warm welcome in Cornwall!

There are three more things to say today. Firstly, thank you to all of the supporters who made the long trip to Launceston two weeks ago. We were all disappointed that the game couldn’t go ahead thanks to an unplayable pitch. But we enjoyed the hospitality of the home club and hope you did too.

Secondly, I have to pay credit to the hard work Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher are putting in with the Wanderers. Like the Saints they are undefeated and are playing some excellent rugby in the Guinness ‘A’ League, not least last Monday against Leicester. Rob and Ali are integrating members of the Junior Saints Academy into the team well and the younger lads are doing themselves justice by not looking out of place. Congratulations to all of them.

Finally, can I wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the game.