Coaches Corner - Preview 1st matches of the season vs HAC & Tadley

I’m excited to be writing my first match preview as Head Coach of Beaconsfield Rugby Club.

Firstly, what a warm welcome I have received from so many at the club in my first couple of months. I knew what a friendly place Beaconsfield could be from many years ago and my time working in the Wasps community department and although the club visually has changed quite drastically the hospitality of its people has not.

So this Saturday brings the start of the 2024/25 season and we welcome last year's league runners-up HAC to Windsor End. A tough test but a great opportunity for us to show we can compete at level 6 having had such a successful season last year.

We began pre-season in earnest in July and over the past two months we have had excellent numbers at training (incorporating some of the junior players at the club) and it is clear that the boys maintain a real bond and excitement off of last year's success. The effort and desire to learn that the boys have shown has been first class and I am particularly impressed with the relationships our new forwards coach Lee Goodall is fostering and how strong our pack is looking.

Pre-season is always a challenge with a new team. So many different areas of the game to focus on in a relatively short period knowing that boys will be in and out of training with holidays, family commitments, work, etc. As a coaching group, we have maintained a strong focus around three key areas; attack, defence, and the breakdown and we are pleased with how the squad is developing in those areas. We understand that there will need to be other areas of focus as the season progresses but we believe if we can get those three key areas right we will be competitive in this league. 

From all that I have seen in pre-season, we have the talent to be a force at level 6. As with most community clubs, the challenge for us will be how often we get that talent onto the pitch as a group together and how we build the depth to cope with unavailability and injury issues. The players will need to play a part in this making sacrifices from their personal lives to support their team but it is also my responsibility to grow the numbers of the senior section and make coming to the club the highlight of their week. To support that I will be putting a lot of effort into building the experience of our 2nd XV. In my mind, they are the most important team in the club. Without a strong 2nd team the first team cannot thrive, they are needed to push the standard of training and will need to compete for starting positions in the 1st XV squad. I am excited that a couple of the lads have already shown great passion in wanting to develop the 2nd team and hope we can push that team forward over the course of the season.

One thing that I know that will be crucial this season is the support from the sidelines. The season will probably feel a little different from last year and I doubt the team will be able to put on 60-70 points each week without much reply. Level 6 is a good level of rugby and I am sure there will be plenty of highs and lows over the coming months. What I want to provide is a style of rugby that entertains both the players and our supporters and I hope that through the way we play, we can show how much the boys love pulling on that Beaconsfield shirt. I look forward to sharing a beer and conversations with you all in the clubhouse.

Enjoy the game Saturday.

Russ.