FORTRESS Meadow Lane is a venue that Nottingham Rugby wants opposition to fear.

Ahead of the Green and Whites' crucial back-to-back RFU Championship home games, boss Martin Haag has stressed the importance of ferociously defending their turf.

HOME BODY: Alex Shaw in action infront of a vocal Meadow Lane crowd against Rotherham. PIC: Alison Bowden

Nottingham entertains a London Scottish side tonight (1945 kick-off) that sits equal with them on 10 competition points on the ladder. Next week, league new-comers Jersey makes its first ever trip to Meadow Lane.

Already Rotherham were allowed to escape with four competition points this season, leaving Nottingham with nothing to show for their last game at home.

Haag is determined to build on last season's solid home form, which saw Nottingham win 10, draw two and lose four at Meadow Lane. Only the inform London Welsh, on the way to winning Premiership promotion, the league topping Bristol and perennial high-flyers Bedford, managed to upstage Nottingham at the ground.

"Last year we didn't win enough at home, even though it was a pretty strong record," said Haag.

"These next two games are vital for us, starting against London Scottish then followed by Jersey they are two games we need to win.

"You look back at the Rotherham game, we were a bit out of sorts, we didn't have the energy levels we want to bring into a game at this level.

"Still, at 9-all I felt we were comfortable and could have gone on to win it. Instead, we gave them two soft tries from nothing and suddenly we were playing catch-up.

"Looking at the past few weeks, without doing too much differently we could be sitting here four from four.

"Instead, the motivation for this one is getting back to winning ways and using these home games to climb back up that ladder."