'No nonsense, hard-edged' Rotherham Titans prepare for aristocrats of Rosslyn Park in top-of-the-table clash

“It’s rough round the edges, that’s what gives it its backbone.

"You don’t grow soft here, you grow strong.”

That was the message Harvey Biljon relayed to Rotherham Titans’ players when they assembled at Clifton Lane on Tuesday evening for their first session of a week that leads into today’s mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash with Rosslyn Park.

“I don’t mind admitting this,” Biljon tells The Yorkshire Post. “It’s the message I got when I typed ‘describe Rotherham’ into ChatGPT.

“Now, I’m not an AI man by any means, but I just thought it was a great message to give the players with a ‘Champ-ready’ team coming to town on Saturday.

“That this is what we’re about. We’re representing this town. Let’s see how the players respond.”

Biljon - a South African who cut his coaching teeth at Jersey Reds - has tapped into Rotherham’s working class roots to draw inspiration against a team from London who have made clear their intentions to win promotion from National One and establish themselves in the second-tier Champ.

Rotherham have been rather more circumspect about shouting their ambitions from the rooftops, but that is the goal.

Both clubs have gone about it the right way on the pitch, too, winning their opening five games and collecting five bonus points along the way. The only thing separating them so far is Rotherham have scored 66 points more and conceded five fewer.

It is the biggest game of the season so far, and even Biljon - who prides himself on his team preparing for every opposition in a professional manner - admits as much.

“It has to be, doesn’t it?” he says. “They’re undefeated, they’ve taken games into the 81st, 82nd minutes. On paper they’ve definitely got experience on their side: (former Rotherham back) Charlie Mulchrone, Charlie Walker, Jack Digby, have all played Premiership and Championship rugby.

“They’re out there saying they’re Champ ready, so clearly, they’re pretty focused.

“But so are we. Will our session have been heightened on Tuesday and a little more edgy on Thursday? Of course it will have been. Give the players credit, they see the challenge in front of them and raise everything around the emotion of the game. These are the games you want to be part of, in front of your own support and on your own ground.”

And with that in mind, he is calling on the Rotherham public - in the absence of a home game for football’s neighbouring Millers - to get down to Clifton Lane to support the team.

“Not only come and see it, come and get behind the players,” said Biljon, who is having to contend with more injuries than he would have liked for such a crucial game.

“We’ve put a lot of work in, not just this season but for the last 18 months, and we’re getting a bit of momentum, there’s a buzz around the place.

“You’ll see players playing with their heart on their sleeve.”