DOWN on their luck Tenbury are hoping their fortunes change soon, particularly as they face one of the most in-form teams in the country this weekend.

The bottom-of-the-table outfit make the short journey to a Cleobury Mortimer side which is top of Midlands Four West (North) having won all 11 of their fixtures this campaign.

By contrast, Tenbury have notched just one victory this season, collecting a total of four points along the way.

When the two sides met at the end of September, Cleobury trounced their opponents 76-3.

"They are playing some outstanding rugby this season against everyone," said Tenbury captain, Will Gough.

"When they came down here they looked very good.

"So it will be a massive challenge, we know that.

"They are on a role at the moment and when teams play like that it is very hard to stop them.

"It's going to a difficult game but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Gough said his side also has one eye on the matches that follow with Tenbury closing out January with games against the teams immediately above them, Greyhound and then Market Drayton.

"The Greyhound game's a massive one for us, one of the biggest of the season," he said. "It has to happen next Saturday."

Tenbury's preparations for the forthcoming games didn't quite go to plan last Saturday when they lost 40-0 at Clee Hill in a friendly which ended earlier than planned because of muddy conditions.

"It was pretty hard work to be honest," said Gough.

"We went up there with a scratch team.

"We were playing into the wind during the first half which was tough. They had a lot of powerful players.

"Unfortunately, we didn't really have any answers.

"We did play some decent rugby at times though."

Gough said conditions got worse as the game wore on, forcing both sides to agree to the match finishing shortly before the final whistle.

"It was a ploughed field in the second half," added Gough.

"The pitch was churned up."

Gough said both Henry Goodman and Craig Parkes put in good performances but he is calling on all 15 to put in a shift in the coming weeks.

"They were a decent club but we have got to come together for the Cleobury game and the two that follow," he added.

Clee Hill captain Matt Bowen said it was a good test.

"They came out all guns blazing and played quite well to be fair to them," he said.

"But when we got into the game we were able to score some points."

Andrew Broome, Sam Link, Craig Breakwell, Charlie Evans, George Evans and Robert Fletcher all went over for tries, with Breakwell kicking two conversions.

This Saturday, Clee Hill entertain Wednesbury.