This is a big weekend for the Brighton Bears as we measure ourselves on the national stage with a Trophy quarter-final with our rivals London Towers.

It's at the Coventry Skydome before the TV cameras.

I have been to their last six games and I got a tape of their win at Birmingham for us to study so we should be prepared. We should also be motivated after they beat us three times in a row.

Towers have made a couple of changes to their team recently and, as a result, they are bigger and more athletic. They are maybe not as good from the perimeter because Jeff Kent could stratch the game to the three point line. The question is can we win the battle at the baskets and can we stop John White and Terrell Myers?

We have had three wins in a week without playing at our best. Before last Sunday's home game with Birmingham, we staged our first coaching clinic, which was a real success. The coaching was done by myself along with my assistant Steve Swanson, our players Mark Jackson and Jon Turner as well as Bryan Snyder, who you may know from the Cougars, and other area coaches. About 120 kids were there and they had a great time.

The crowd was good for the Birmingham game and also vocal, which we appreciate. To be honest, I didn't really like playing there to start with but there is no doubt the crowds are growing. We've moved the seats closer to the court and the atmosphere really comes across to the players.

Those of you who were at the game will have witnessed the scenes when my opposite number Lance Randall lost his cool following the incident between Mark Jackson and Rob Paternostro. Mark and Rob got tangled up and it looked like Mark gave him a pretty good push to the floor.

Lance came over to me soon after the game and we had a pretty amicable chat about it. He was very calm by then. I think Lance was just frustrated the refs did not see anything. It was no big deal. Lance is a level-headed guy and does not hold a grudge.

If I looked tired at that game, it was down to all the matches and dealings that have been going on. I knew last Sunday we would be signing Rodger Farrington. We had a three-way conversation until about 4.30 last Sunday morning with his agent and hammered out a deal. It's certainly a busy time, so busy in fact I didn't even know the Super Bowl was on.

What with London Marathon training as well (we're up to 13 miles, by the way), I won't be staying up to watch the game. Hopefully we'll make it a super Sunday at Coventry.

GO BEARS