ON SATURDAY Maidenhead RFC marked the halfway stage of the season with a 42-28 win over St Mary’s Old Boys.
It capped a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the Braywick side who started the season in relegation form.
After gaining promotion to Division 1 at the end of last season, Maids kicked-off their new campaign with four straight league defeats.
Only 29 points were scored set against 101 conceded as they went down to Cinderford, Clifton, Penryn and Cheltenham.
Throw in a PowerGen Cup setback against Barking, and Maids had lost five straight matches.
However, the Berkshire side could take heart from the fact that the teams they had met were leading the way in the table, and that this short sharp shock would concentrate the minds of those within the club who thought life in Division 1 would be a breeze.
There were signs in their final setback – an 8-7 loss at home to Cheltenham – that the message had got through. Then a blood-and-guts 16-11 win at Gloucester Old Boys underscored that the team now knew what was required of them.
Six victories from their next seven league encounters catapulted the team into a mid-table position which seemed unlikely just a couple of months ago.
In particular, eye-catching successes over Bridgwater at home and Chinnor away have given the side some breathing space between themselves and those teams scratching away at the foot of the division.
Only a setback against Oxford Harlequins has upset a perfect fightback, and Maids have a chance to redeem themselves when they travel to Harlequins in their first match after the seasonal break on Saturday, January 8.
Maids probably need just three more wins from their remaining 11 fixtures to be safe from the drop, but there is no reason why they cannot pick-up another six or even seven successes to complete what would be a satisfactory first season in Division 1.
What they will not want to do is start the second half of the campaign as they did the first.