GLENN Delaney has praised the part his youngsters have played in Nottingham Rugby's climb towards a place in the Premiership.

The Green and Whites have come through a rough patch in the last weeks, losing just two games with a patched up squad that has been hit by a string of injuries to senior players.

After going eight games unbeaten in September and October, Nottingham then lost to top-of-the-table Exeter Chiefs and Bristol, who leapfrogged them into second place.

Since then, however, they have beaten Heriots in Edinburgh and Neath at Meadow Lane in the British & Irish Cup.

The team which travelled to Scotland was unrecognisable from the previous weeks.

"The young guys have been brilliant," said Delaney, the club's director of rugby.

"It's quite phenomenal how they have kicked on in this period and when all those injured guys are back it's going to be very interesting in training.

"I suppose, in one respect, the catalogue of injuries has been a blessing in disguise. In years past if we'd had this run of injuries, we would have been sunk for the season.

"This time we've had the opportunity to bring some guys through, we've still got opportunities, we're still sitting third in the league table and we've got the chance to make sure we are in the top eight and be in the position to try to win something at the end of the season.

"A lot of that is down to the young guys. We should now have a good, strong, deep squad of guys who when they are called on they can get out there and perform after Christmas.

"I've always enjoyed having the youngsters around. It is a young man's game. I've always believed if they are good enough, they are old enough.

"We've got some very good youngsters and I love watching them play."

Delaney cites Moseley's victory over last season's league winners, Leeds Carnegie, in the Cup final at Twickenham as the incentive his players need as they go into the second half of the campaign.

He said: "This will be a big month for us. If we can confirm our place in the top eight for the play-offs by the end of this month, we will be able to experiment a little bit in the New Year. We've never been able to do that in the past.

"We've never had the squad to experiment with the side and try different things and do it without the risk. We've always planned to be first past the post.

"In previous years, if you lose one game you were pretty much gone. The top teams in our league usually had the title won by Christmas and the rest of us were just going through the motions.

"This time it will be different because of the play-offs. Every match will be like a cup final and we all saw what Moseley did last season in a one-off game.

"It's all on the day and how the team performs in those sort of games.

"Once we confirm our place in the top eight, we then have to be ready for March and April and those one off games."