Esher director of rugby Mike Schmid reveals he has always been prepared for the Championship drop.

The Molesey Road club are all-but certain of slipping in to National Division One having lost all four of their relegation play-off clashes thus far.

The drop will see a host of Esher players quit the club as the playing budget will be slashed to accommodate a six-figure reduction in RFU funding.

But Schmid, pictured right, insists he is prepared.

“We have always had a plan A and a plan B. They’ve always been there,” he said ahead of Saturday’s visit of Plymouth Albion.

“When you face the prospect of the relegation play-offs, you have to have plans.”

Esher can still survive if they secure maximum points from their final two play-off games and London Scottish fail earn more than a point from theirs.

Schmid admitted avoiding the drop was unlikely but his side would not give up the fight just yet.

“We owe ourselves and our supporters a good performance,” he added.

“All we can do is focus on winning and on playing the way we know we can.

“We must bring our heads and our hearts to the game and go out and get a result. If we do that then there is a chance we can take it to the final game of the season.

“We have to play as hard and hope Moseley do us a favour against Scottish. That is out of our control so we must just focus on what is.”