IT WILL be a case of what Swindon do off the ball as much as what they do on it when they face Reading this weekend.

Head coach Sean Lynn believes that the weather will play a big role in their tie away to their M4 neighbours.

With the recent Atlantic storm battering the country, Lynn’s men will be concentrating on keeping the ball in the pack rather than playing their usual expansive game, a tactic Swindon have developed well this season.

“We’ll worry about what we can do, especially with Reading because we do owe them one after they beat us at home.” said Lynn.

“We just didn’t turn up at the races last time but hopefully we can get a result from it tomorrow.

“We have got to adapt for the weather because I can see it being a very wet game, so we are looking at the different slow ball options we have got.

“We are going to ask Adam (Westall), being a senior player, to get a good kicking game out of him as well.

“This year we have adapted really well to the bad weather conditions and hopefully we can keep that up.

“We just need to make sure the front five are functioning and the defence is key.

“The defence is the big thing in this weather and sometimes it is easier to play without the ball than it is with it.”

Swindon go into the weekend with the possibility of moving to third in the South West One East table but will have to do so with several players missing through injury.

Openside flanker Mike Thompson will be out for four to six weeks with a hamstring injury, while Connal Knott also misses this weekend’s trip with a tight hamstring.

Last weekend’s 14-8 win over Newbury Blues was the Greenbridge Road side’s fourth on the bounce and Lynn says the mood in the camp is buoyant at the moment.

“The boys are confident and it is more about the fact that the boys are playing with a smile on their faces,” he added.

“We’re getting good numbers training and the camp is really good. That is not just with the first team but it also runs into the seconds and thirds.

“It’s always nice when you get a good win showing character, as we have done for the last two weeks against Maidenhead and Newbury.

“When you have got the likes of Ben Saville and Dave Cox, when they show up at the races the others follow.

“My job is made a hell of a lot easier when I know I have key players to bring the team forward.

“We’ve got a lot on the injury bed and we can’t wait for next week to come really, because we have a few boys coming back as well.

“Sadly we have lost Mike Thompson, who is a key player for us and he is our pack leader.”

Meanwhile, Royal Wootton Bassett will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games when they face Marlow on Saturday.

And Sean Millwater’s Supermarine side will be desperate to get at least a point when they host Sherborne.