DORKING will have to be ready for a battle every week in National League Three London, according to director of rugby Richie Andrews.
The Red & Whites have made a good start to the new season, winning their first two matches and claiming bonus points in both games to keep pace with early leaders East Grinstead.
But with Dorking following the much-fancied Grinstead's fixtures by playing each team a week after them, Andrews says his side will have to be ready for several tough matches against sides likely to be smarting from potentially heavy defeats.
He said: "I think that following East Grinstead along we are going to come up against teams that are going to try and react.
"Knowing what we do of them, they seem to be living up to expectations and if East Grinstead give them a hard time, we will have to expect teams to want to try and react and we will have to be ready for that."
Dorking experienced this for the first time on Saturday, coming up against a Basingstoke side who were thrashed 73-5 by East Grinstead on the opening day.
The Red & Whites passed that test, coming from behind to win 36-8 in Hampshire, and Andrews said that is likely to be a sign of things to come in what he expects to be a very competitive division this year.
"We have got to expect to have a battle on our hands each week," he said.
"It depends on the opposition, but we know several teams will have a bit of fight about them and they won't just lay down and die.
"But as we have experienced and shown, we have to believe in our fitness and skill levels to come through.
"It is going to be a big challenge for us, but it is one we are looking forward to."
Meanwhile, Dorking skipper Armand Roux has echoed his coach's thoughts on following East Grinstead's fixtures, but said the Red & Whites should expect tough matches anyway owing to their recent record in the division.
He said: "They [East Grinstead] try and physically impose themselves on teams the week before they play us and these teams will try and react to that.
"But in addition, where we finished last year, we are up on a pedestal and people will want to take us down.
"It is not necessarily a bad thing because when teams play better against us it means we have to play our best to win games.
"Hopefully we can keep doing that and keep picking up the wins, so that when the crucial games come against East Grinstead, we will be in good shape and ready for it."
Guernsey are next up for Dorking at the Big Field on Saturday and having led East Grinstead at half-time on Saturday in the Channel Islands, Roux says the Red & Whites should expect another tough match.
However, he said these are the kind of tests they will have to pass if they are to succeed this season.
He said: "If we are going to win the league, we will have to beat the best and the key thing for us is to maintain our home form and keep picking up wins against teams away from home."
