BRISTOL’S players have returned for pre-season training – and coach Sean Holley said it is important they focus on the future rather than the past.
Only 26 days after their hopes of returning to the Aviva Premiership were extinguished by London Welsh in the GKIPA Championship, Bristol’s players reported back for duty yesterday.
The majority of their summer signings – including Dwayne Peel – were present as the players were put through their paces by recently-appointed head of performance Mark Bennett.
And Holley explained how, with so many new signings coming on board and so many players having left the club, it was time to look forward rather than back.
“I always enjoy the summer break – but there is a sense of unfinished business because of what happened at the end of last season,” said Holley.
“But I think already there’s a different feel, which is what happens when 20-odd players leave the environment and so many new ones come in.
“With Mark Bennett coming in as head of performance, and Danny Wilson outlining his principles from a forwards’ point of view, it’s a bit like having a new wardrobe, let alone a new suit.”
Asked if they had spent much time looking back on last season, Holley said: “We’ve only reflected briefly on some of the aspects of the transition from the league season to the play-offs and final. But we’ve been very big on wanting to look forward, rather than wanting to look back.
“That will be a big emphasis now – it’s about looking forward. And we really believe we can look forward to what we want to achieve, because we are building something special here.”
Several of Bristol’s summer arrivals – including David Lemi, Jack Lam, Anthony Perenise, Ian Evans and Matthew Morgan – are yet to report for pre-season training as they have been on international duty, but Holley was happy with the work those present were able to do on day one.
“Even though our season finished so late, we needed to start now, because we couldn’t wait any longer, with so many new players coming in,” he said.
“But the way we’ve structured the summer is that we will work hard, with two weeks on and one week off, so the boys will get other breaks.
“We just needed to get up and running with the new staff and players, so that’s why we’ve come in now.”
Scrum-half Peel is one of two players – the other being prop Perenise – who is understood to have had a clause inserted in their Bristol contracts allowing them to go on loan to a top-flight side if the club failed to earn promotion at the end of last season.
But Holley said of the Welshman: “Dwayne is here and he’s raring to go and really looking forward to it. It’s been great to see him here with all the other boys – and, as with all the players, he’s really hungry.”
Former Bristol forwards coach Matt Ferguson – who was replaced with Wilson this summer – has joined London Welsh, Bristol’s play-off conquerors, as assistant coach.
Ferguson, who worked with Welsh head coach Justin Burnell at Cardiff Blues, spent two seasons at Bristol and was well respected by the club’s forwards.
Burnell said: “After the excellent work done with our scrum last season by Darren Crompton, the role of a technical person to work primarily with the scrum is of the utmost importance, as we know how key an area that will be in the Aviva Premiership.”
Article source: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/marshall-trimble-and-henry-set-to-start-for-ireland-1.1674155
It"s all about looking forward now, says Bristol Rugby coach Sean Holley
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