MATT Williams believes Chinnor’s next three games will go a long way to determining which end of the table his side will be fighting.

The Thame-based side have taken National League 1 by storm and top English rugby’s third tier after six games.

But an extraordinarily tight division was put into context last week, when Chinnor returned to the summit despite only picking up a losing bonus point at home to Bishops Stortford.

With just six points separating 13 teams, a winning run sooner rather than later could prove all the difference.

And director of rugby Williams believes his side’s next three games, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Rotherham Titans, will give them a good indication of how their season could pan out.

He said: “You always look to get as close to 60 points as soon possible (for safety), but the reality is who knows what that will be this year because it’s anyone’s game.

“It’s exciting, but incredibly stressful as well.

“There’s no quality team who are just running away with it.

“I would rather be fighting towards the top and these next three games will give us a footprint for the rest of the season.”

Chinnor are without Kieran Goss and Will Bordill through injury and make six changes, two positional.

Craig Holland, Josh Barton, Jack Gilding and Cameron Gray return to the starting XV, with Joe Dancer moving to blind-side flanker and Ben Manning moving across to open-side.

Luke Allen is in a confident mood ahead of Henley Hawks’s trip to Taunton Titans in National League 2 South.

The side made it back-to-back wins with victory over Dings Crusaders, but are expecting a tough test in Somerset.

Taunton have won five of their six games, averaging 40 points in their three home fixtures so far.

But head coach Allen is looking forward to the challenge.

He said: “It was great to get the four points last week, and to win to gain momentum and try to make Dry Leas a fortress.

“We weren’t quite clinical enough in the second half, they got their tails up and we ended up chasing the game a bit, when we should have been controlling it.

“It’s a big week for us now.”

Hawks make three changes in the backs.

Jack Robinson, Sam Portland and Xavier Andre are all handed starts.

The Oxfordshire Cup and Shield preliminary rounds take place this weekend.

Chinnor 2nd host Oxford University Greyhounds in the cup.

Last season’s runners-up Wheatley take on Alchester in one of four shield ties.

Meanwhile, Oxford University are in action tonight, hosting Pacific Islanders (7.15).

TOMORROW’S TEAMS

Chinnor (v Rotherham Titans, away): Holland, Joseph, A Dancer, Barnes, Neal, Ryan, Barton, Beesley, George, Gilding, Ramshaw, Gray, J Dancer, Manning, Burns. Reps: Davis, Oliver, Price, Bell, Goodfellow.

Henley Hawks (v Taunton Titans, away): Robinson, Wood, Griffiths, Andre, Portland, Giles, Webb, Cook, Emery, Manning, Albon, Hyde, Lunnon, Lowe, Bradley. Reps: Stobbs, Primett, Neal, Hall, MacDougall.

FIXTURES

TODAY

Oxford University v Pacific Islanders (Iffley Road, 7.15).

TOMORROW

OXFORDSHIRE CUP

Preliminary round: Chinnor 2nd v Oxford University Greyhounds.

OXFORDSHIRE SHIELD

Preliminary round: Alchester v Wheatley, Oxford University Whippets v Faringdon, Blue Boar v Oxford Brookes University 2nd, Abingdon v Didcot.