DORCHESTER are making final preparations for their Southern Counties South campaign which starts next month.

The newly-promoted club has seen a change in the coaching team and a positive outlook to the new campaign sees spirits high at Coburd Road.

However, joint head coaches Martyn Peel and Eral Anderson are keen to play down thoughts of another record-breaking season and concentrating solely on consolidating in the new league and keeping a strong settled squad.

Peel and Anderson both said that they were pleased with progress so far and numbers attending training with some new and returning faces to the club, but know that the step up a league will test the players and call for supreme fitness to compete well.

To help with continuity both first and second-team captains and vice-captains keep their roles.

Adam Makepeace and James Baker for the first XV whilst Rob Parker and Laurence Burch continue for the A XV.

Tony O’Connell takes on the captaincy of the third XV Gladiators in the only change this season.

In a busy two weeks for the club, the ladies’ squad played the first of four games at Coburg Road against local rivals Swanage & Wareham, while the men locked horns with Swanage & Wareham and rivals Weymouth.

Next Thursday, August 30, the men take on Bournemouth in the final warm-up game (7.30pm), before their league campaign begins away to Swindon College Old Boys on Saturday, September 8.

The first home game being on September 15 against Thatcham.

Stepping up a league to Southern Counties will entail much more travelling as the league covers a larger area with trips into Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

The club will need to keep their large squad fit and focused on the challenges that lie ahead with the change in the quality of the opposition.

The new coaching set up is geared at optimising training sessions with Peel and Anderson, the former Gloucester player, overseeing the programme.

Their goals to start the season are to have every player fitter and stronger ready for the demands of a season in a higher league.

For the team to start their games stronger and run a hard uncompromising defence.

They plan for all senior sides to follow the same structure to allow a smooth transition for players to move though the teams and aspire to play at the highest level they can.

The coaching team will be split between forwards and backs, allowing Peel to concentrate on the forwards with the help of new assistants Carl Mitchel and Matt Chalker, while Anderson will concentrate on the backs with another new addition to the team in Gareth Biddle.

The whole squad will work together for strength and conditioning along with defensive structure.

Dorchester are looking forward to a busy season with all three senior men’s teams in league action, a ladies’ side, Colts and a highly successful and ever growing youth section.

There are many opportunities to support the club starting from individual player sponsorship, for further details contact Nick Hodge, club chairman via the website or Facebook page.

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