Canterbury Rugby Club coach Andy Pratt hopes reinforcements are arriving at the right time to join the fight against National 2 South relegation.

With three to go down, the city club slipped to fourth-bottom on Saturday, two points ahead of Lydney and behind Southend on points difference, as their rivals both won their games in hand, while Canterbury were out of action.

Pratt said: “We have got rid of the what-ifs now and know what we have got to do. Our results have been much better since Christmas but other teams have responded, too.

“The bottom two, Dings and Shelford have lost a bit of ground and it looks like being a handful of teams fighting to avoid this final place.”

Following Saturday’s trip to sixth-placed Chinnor, Canterbury face three successive games against teams either side of them in the table with Lydney and sixth-bottom Launceston, five points distant, to visit Merton Lane.

Pratt said: “You could say we have all got a six-game season now. There will be more and more strange results between now and the end of the season but we are on the verge of getting some of our injured players back at the right time.”

Tom Burns could return to the side this weekend after nearly five months out with a broken leg, having missed the previous year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, after playing 80 minutes for the 2nds on Saturday.

Charlie Harding (hamstring) will be assessed, while Dan Smart will have another scan on a broken arm sustained four months ago before hopefully being given the OK to return to action.