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"Around 75 to 80 per cent of our starting XV are born and bred in Essex. And our forwards are coached once a week by Kris Chesney, the second row who recently played his 300th match for Saracens and is another man of Essex, having started his career at Barking."
Southend are mid-table in National Division Two in the club’s first season at this level. Mounts Bay, from Penzance, are top of National Three South – the division won by Southend last season.
"It’s odds-on Mounts Bay will be promoted at the end of the season," Harman said.
"So for me this will be like a National Two game. We have been very competitive this season but it has been a marked step up, as we found when we lost to Nuneaton, the bottom but one club, last Sunday.
"Whereas we had a few wins by 30 or 40 points last season there are no easy games now. You have to turn up, mentally and physically, every week."
Harman is excited at the prospects of two 20-year-old flankers, Dan Johnson and Richard Gill – the latter is an England Under-18 cap who has been in the Saracens academy.
And Daniel Legge, a 23-year-old flanker or No.8 who played a handful of first team matches for Saracens in 2003-04, is set to start against Mounts Bay after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Southend’s location is reflected in their offer for Saturday’s match: £10 buys you ground entry, a seafood buffet and a complimentary glass of wine before the game.
The goal of joining Northampton and the other National Division One sides in the fourth round is spurring Ealing on as they continue to clock up the miles in the EDF Energy National Trophy.
After a 600-mile round trip to Cornwall to defeat St Ives (40-3) in round two, the west London club’s next stop is Lancashire to take on Waterloo – a combined total of 1,044 miles travelled for the two away ties.
The club’s main sponsor is the owner of travel company Trailfinders and Ealing’s president and ex-president were flown down to St Ives by private plane. But they will be driving to Waterloo.
The month just gone by has been a good one for Ealing, who are in their first season in National Three South.
November kicked off with a two-point defeat to the league leaders Mounts Bay followed by wins over London Scottish, Lydney (away), St Ives and Luton.
"After we had a good pre-season we were a little bit disappointed to start with, playing against sides we found difficult to break down," said Mike Cudmore, Ealing’s director of rugby.
"Defence-wise they were better than what we were used to in London One. We analysed that, changed a few systems and we feel we are coming good at the right time."
Cudmore is assisted during the week by Ealing’s joint-backs and defence coach Rob Hoadley, the London Wasps centre.
And when Cudmore found himself alongside Leicester’s England legend Neil Back on a Level Four coaching course in the summer, it was another chance to share valuable experience.
"I took our two No.7s – Jay King from the first team, and 19-year-old Carl Gibson – to meet Neil at Leicester," said Cudmore.
"They are of a similar stature to Neil, both 5ft 9ins (though Neil says he is 5ft 10). He gave them good advice about technique dealing with bigger guys and at the gate at the breakdown and so on. Neil wouldn’t like me to say he is their idol but he is certainly a guy Jay and Carl look up to. I’m a big fan of sharing ideas."
Blackheath are another of the London & South East region’s clubs consulting their road maps as they set off to face Western Counties West side Paignton in Devon.
Blackheath are again without Joe Simpson, their scrum-half and top try scorer on loan from London Wasps, who is on England Sevens duty in South Africa after spending last week in Dubai.
The second round of the EDF Energy National Trophy included two home wins in one afternoon at the Athletic Ground when Richmond defeated Dings Crusaders while co-tenants London Scottish knocked out Peterborough.
There is no debate over home advantage in round three, as Richmond entertain Westoe of North One while Scottish are on the road to Cambridge.
Rosslyn Park made a very short journey to see off near-neighbours Barnes in round two and they now head to Sussex to take on Worthing, while Westcombe Park take on Halifax at Goddington Dene.
EDF Energy National Trophy, third round draw (ties to be played on Saturday, December 8):
CAMBRIDGE v LONDON SCOTTISH, HAVANT v Nuneaton, Hull v Tynedale, Hull Ionians v Wharfedale, Macclesfield v Henley, Manchester v Caldy, Old Patesians v Blaydon, Otley v Kendal, Paignton v BLACKHEATH, Preston Grasshoppers v Lydney, Redruth v Stourbridge, RICHMOND v Westoe, SOUTHEND v Mounts Bay, Waterloo v EALING, WESTCOMBE PARK v Halifax, WORTHING v ROSSLYN PARK
(Clubs in CAPS from London & South East region)
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