THINGS did not go to plan last weekend with all three Reading-based clubs losing on the opening Saturday of the New Year.

Let’s hope that is not a portent of what’s to come for the remaining four months of the season, albeit all three were playing away.

Redingensians Rams had the day's shortest journey as they faced Henley Hawks, coming away with a losing bonus point.

This weekend they entertain in-form Redruth, who sit fifth in the table and have notably seen off Barnstaple, Camborne – to retain the Rodda’s Milk Cup – and Chinnor in their last three outings, scoring 129 points to just 34 against.

As for my boys Reading, we crashed to defeat at the team above us in the table, Oxford Harlequins, who are now five points ahead of us and with a game in hand.

We just did not play as well as we could have done and gave the game away, and this was one we should have won.

We are just are not making the job any easier for ourselves and some of the players need to really start stepping up.

It is so frustrating and I really feel for the supporters who come and watch each week.

I think we have some hard decisions to make over the next few weeks.

This Saturday we’re at sixth placed Witney and with 11 games to go we are nine points adrift of 12th-placed Swindon. It’s all or nothing if we are to stand any chance of league survival.

Reading Abbey – who lost at title-chasing Old Patesians – host Quins this Saturday, while Berkshire Shire Hall – fourth in the BB&O Championship table – take on third-placed Chipping Norton at Sonning Lane.

Meanwhile, the new laws on high tackling certainly made their mark last weekend with more yellow cards than I can ever remember. I think this is going to take a bit of time to settle in, and the referees have a hard job to get this consistent.

While the threshold for a high tackle remains the line of the shoulders, the powers that be have instituted two new categories for high tackles – `reckless’ and `accidental’ – together with rhetoric that tries to define each.

What it does mean is a lowering of the target area for the tackler which is going to make life very difficult for a 6ft 5in lock or back-rower attempting to tackle a 5ft 5in wing or centre.