FORMER prop and current coach Paddy Conlon is relishing the return of proper rugby as the Senior Squad gear up for next month’s pre-season ahead of the National One campaign.

The boys have been back in training since the start of July and with the focus now intensifying on the the games against Cinderford, Henley, Dings Crusaders and Barnes in August, Paddy explained how things have been going to date.

He said: “It’s good and it’s been commented on before that the guys have kept themselves in pretty good knick and I think to a man, since we’ve come back after the month we had off, they’re really getting into it and progressing.

“The intensity is raising and things will keep getting more interesting as we go into the season.

“I just want to see these boys play – they’ve been in the gym and they love it, but after a couple of weeks back in training, I just step back and think they’re looking sharp.

“You’ve got Harry (Stapleton’s) skills sessions and Danny (Batty’s) defence ones and they’re spot on. For now it’s just a case of fine-tuning and if we can get our unstructured attack, heads-up play, going, it’s going to be a very exciting season.”

The squad have been boosted by the news the season ahead should be played under the full laws of the game, following last season’s adapted play – which involved no scrums or mauls – which were introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Reflecting on the return of the set piece, Paddy commented: “It’s quite a defining part of the game for a lot of people and helps keep its identity. It was great playing some kind of rugby before, but the scrums can be something of a benchmark for a team and it’s like a line in the sand.

“If you can be dominant it saps the energy from the opposition forwards – it’s a massive physical and mental thing – and that’s our aim by September 4.

“The roar when (Director of Rugby) Seb (Reynolds) announced it was huge and you could see, particularly from the front five, the smiles on their faces and knowing they’re now getting back to proper rugby.”

He continued: “Scrummaging is hard work, there’s no doubt about it, but we have our fundamentals as a club which have worked previously and I know (forwards coach) Owen (Root’s) got ideas about how to develop that further this year.

“In the line-out we’ve implemented some new strategies and we’ll look to work on that similarly in the scrum – our target is to be better than we were two seasons ago.”