ONLY real men need get on the coach - that is the message from Watford Royals' Vince Macaulay-Razaq as they head for a crunch Budweiser League game with Worthing Bears.

If Royals are to end their 21-game winless streak in the league, then it must surely be against a Bears team they have already thrashed in the Uniball Trophy.

Worthing have lost their last 16 games and Macaulay-Razaq knows his side must get a result there if they are to avoid another season as league basement boys.

"It is a must-win game," he said. "They won't let us win but they have lost 16 games in a row. We must be prepared and at our best. Only real men need get on the coach for this one."

Macaulay-Razaq admits that his side may need a quick lesson in how to win.

"I know we will beat Worthing. I am certain of it. But the players need to have the same belief," he said.

"I think that, throughout the club, there is a need to learn how to win. We need to be sure of what we do when we get ourselves into a winning position."

That theory was proved all to painfully as Royals lost 85-73 at home to Birmingham Bullets on Saturday.

"It was a game we should have won, but having got ourselves into a good position, we threw it away," said Macaulay-Razaq.

"The game was going to our plan but we lost our grip in the third quarter. Ray Schultz had foul trouble and Birmingham scored the points while we had to rest him. Ray knows we cannot afford to have him sitting out long periods."

Royals are at Worthing tomorrow (Saturday), tip-off at Worthing Leisure Centre is 8pm. Watford will come face-to-face with Joel Burns, who left the club in rather acrimonious circumstances earlier this season.

"I don't believe it will have a bearing on the game," said Macaulay-Razaq. "I won't be thinking about it and it is not something I will be talking to the players about."

There is further spice for the game, as Royals' Cleave Lewis spent several successful seasons with the Bears.

The dates for two of Royals forthcoming games have changed.

The trip to Birmingham Bullets will now take place on Friday, March 6, at 8pm, while Royals will travel to Manchester Giants on Wednesday, March 18, at 7.30pm.

Bullets match report and stats, and Junior Royals reports on Sport 2.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.