RAMS CEO Gary Reynolds is relishing this afternoon’s enthralling National One visit to Sale (2.30pm), admitting he ‘couldn’t think of a better venue for such a vital fixture’.

The hosts, table-toppers Rams and third-placed Cambridge have blazed a remarkable trail during a hugely entertaining campaign in which the leading sides have only lost three games apiece, leaving a thrilling dash for the line in the final month.

As things stand Rams have 104 points from 23 games, Sale 98 from the same and Cambridge 94 from 22, with the top-two set to square off in what promises to be a belter in less than six hours’ time.

And Gary said: “I’m really looking forward to it – it’s my favourite ground in the league because they’re a knowledgeable crowd who get behind their side and you get the chanting coming from the stand.

“They play an uncompromising brand of rugby with some really good players, we’ve got quite a few supporters going up and they’ve sold out their lunch upstairs and downstairs, so its brilliant and another great advert for National One.”

Three days on from John Westerby’s excellent article in The Times highlighting the way in which the English rugby system seems determined to stifle the progress of talented young players, Rams have benefited from their tie-in with London Irish (the four loanees – Ollie Allan, Lucas Brooke, Michael Dykes and Tarek Haffar – playing a combined 25 games) while Sale have also utilised a strong link with Sale Sharks (12 loanees for 109 appearances).

The CEO continued: “The young lads we’ve had from London Irish have bought into the club fantastically and I keep in touch with them even as Tarek is skinning George Ford to score against Sale Sharks – and that’s really nice!

“There are none of them in the squad today so we’re relying on a homegrown team and that’s important, but I could not praise Irish high enough for the way in which they integrate with us because some of their boys have come here and played for the Titans before they work their way in.

“If someone’s better than them whose been here before, they don’t get in and I think that’s the right way to do it.

“Sale have probably used a few more loanees than we have, but we’ll also go up there and see someone like Fergus (Mulchrone) who has been a fantastic servant to Sale rugby (starting in their Colts, going onto play for London Irish before returning), along with some of the younger boys coming through who are loaned from Sharks.

“It’s exciting and all our boys who’ve been together a long time – if you listen to Jak (Rossiter’s podcast), it’s a point he makes – they’ll be ready.”