Colchester Rugby Club have bolstered their coaching team as they bid to turn around their fortunes in National League Three.

The Blacks, who host bottom club Amersham and Chiltern in a basement battle at Mill Road tomorrow, have added former Bishop’s Stortford coach Ian Simpson to their ranks, with his specific role in the set-up to be established in due course.

Colchester have also drafted in the University of Essex’s sports science guru Jason Moran, following the recent departure of coach James Elliott to pastures new.

Colchester director of rugby Anthony O’Riordan says it is a sensible move to freshen things up.

He said: “It’s my third season at the club, along with Nic Lloyd (backs coach) and Lee Soper (forwards coach) and we’re not afraid to bring in new people.

“It’s a fresh pair of eyes and enthusiasm and it’s healthy, because it helps to challenge others around them.”

Colchester head into tomorrow’s clash with Amersham and Chiltern still searching for their first win of the season.

They have lost all eight of their opening games but have picked up five bonus points along the way, placing them above this weekend’s opponents in the table.

Colchester’s first team might be struggling for National League results, O’Riordan insists the club is still in a very healthy state.

He added: “My role is to ensure that the first team are performing well and getting results but it’s also to ensure that the whole club is performing well, too.

“We field five senior rugby teams week in, week out and two or three teams per age group, from Minis to Colts.

“We’re hugely successful as a club in terms of consistently fielding that amount of teams every single week, with two or three coaches each time.”

Meanwhile, Colchester trio Owen Cowley, Jamie Murray and Troy Palmer were all selected to play for the Eastern Counties under-18 side that beat Essex 38-27 at Allianz Park, last Sunday. All three Blacks players played key roles in the Eastern Counties’ victory.