COLCHESTER Rugby Club's first team are all set for their new league campaign following a pre-season described as “outstanding” by head coach Craig Burrows, writes EDWARD MARRIAGE.
The Blacks’ Regional 1 South East season launches with a home match against Hertford at Raven Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
After finishing in a creditable third place last season, Colchester are hoping to push for promotion this term with club chairman Karl O’Brien declaring: “We feel we have assembled a strong enough squad to challenge strongly for promotion.”
It has been a busy summer for Burrows and O’Brien with around 10 new players on the books and a handful of familiar faces returning.
Amongst the eye-catching arrivals is giant second row Dan Lewis, a serving sergeant in the Army who has signed from Championship side London Scottish.
Other recruits to the engine room include the experienced pair of Joe Green from Bury and Matt Edison, another ex-Bury player who joins from Stowmarket.
Front rower Callum Jeffery rejoins the club after a spell at Bury, while other familiar faces making a return to Colchester are full-back Jonah Varela and midfielder Harry Bureau.
Burrows is particularly excited by the signing of fellow South African Jayden Boshoff, a 21-year-old outside half who played for the Puma team in the Currie Cup, while Jimmy Mpailane – last season’s top try-scorer – is back along with Kiwi forward Tahi Poasa and Fijian scrum-half Sai Vunivesilevu.
Other recruits to the back division include Luke Rokomoce’s cousin Tex Cobitu, while the “United Nations” feel to the squad is enhanced by Japanese scrum-half Yuki Takimura, who arrived in the UK from the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, asked Burrows for a trial and immediately impressed the boss.
Elliot Siddle, a fly-half whose previous clubs include Woodbridge and Ipswich, has joined from Havant RFC, while two ex-Colchester youngsters – Hamish Comonte (wing/outside centre) and Jamie Light (wing) - are making a return to the club after university and Olly Pickett is back after a 17-month absence to bolster the forward ranks.
Centre Adam Thomas has opted not to return this season for family and work reasons and Brett Cutbush has gone home to play in his native New Zealand and will likely miss the whole campaign.
“This season we’ll be operation as a squad of about 40-42,” says Burrows. “Everybody is very much on board with the new players who’ve come in. I’ve always got an open policy. If you’re good enough and you stick your hand up you’ll get chosen.”
After the slight drop-off in results at the end of last season, Burrows has put a particular emphasis on fitness in pre-season, with strength and conditioning coach Chris Lewis instigating weekly gym sessions on top of twice-weekly on-pitch training.
The coaching team has been boosted with the arrival of recently-retired Northampton Saints hooker Mike Haywood as forwards coach while former Hadleigh head coach Charlie Shepherd is taking charge of The Ravens.
Burrows is delighted with how the club has prepared for the new campaign.
He said: “Pre-season has been outstanding. The guys are all working extra hard because everyone knows how competitive selection is going to be.”
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