CINDERFORD director of rugby Paul Morris insists his side are not phased by the challenge or occasion of their ’cup final’ at title rivals Chinnor this Saturday.

The Foresters recorded a 26-5 win over Redingensians to stay a place above Chinnor atop the National Two South table.

And although Morris says his charges are relishing the upcoming heavyweight fight, he says neither side will deal a ’knockout blow’ at this point in the campaign.

“We’ve opened up a sizeable gap now between the rest of the pack and to be honest it’s not a vital match to the league,” he said.

“There are 17 points between Chinnor and the rest of the league and no matter what happens, it’ll have to take a monumental mess-up for either of us not to make the play-offs.

“It’s a big match up, a sort of one-off cup final but it wouldn’t be a knockout blow for either of us at this stage in the season.

“We want to do ourselves justice. They are the benchmark that everyone in this league looks at.

“They finished behind two very good sides last year in Bishop’s Stortford and Old Elthamians and I don’t think they’re behind a rubbish side now.

“They have threats all over the pitch and players who have experience at a higher level which was on display when they beat us at our place in October.

“But we’ve come on so much since then. Everyone is excited; the club is excited, the town is excited and we’ll have a lot of noise of our own there too.”

Morris has been dealt a blow in losing Aaron Ryan to a knee cartilage injury during a knock in the win over Redingensians, but Ryan’s absence is the only blemish on a clean bill of health ahead of the trip to Oxfordshire.

“He has been outstanding and it’s a big blow,” Morris said.

“He had a five week lay-off and now he has another one and in the period from December to now he’s comfortably been as good as anyone else in our side.”