12:49pm Wednesday 21st July 2010
By Stuart Amos
Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill reckons his squad has as much to prove in training as it does on the pitch and that goes for prospective new captains as well.
The new Richmond chief unveiled eight new faces for the coming campaign - drawing largely on his connections with England Students and Oxford University - as he plots a promotion bid within the next three years.
No less than 60 players have attended each pre-season training thus far in the hopes of securing a first team berth for the opening clash at Southend on September 4.
Lock Henry Head stepped down as Athletic Ground skipper this summer ahead of the coming campaign and Hill expects to name a successor before a Bath University training camp on August 7.
He has vowed the current squad has a blank canvass to impress on the training ground over the coming weeks and he insists that won’t change throughout the season.
“People forget that you train twice as much as you play through out the season,” he said.
“I believes people’s attitude and performance in training is as important as what they do on a Saturday. That goes for everyone.
“Players are starting from scratch under me. What they have done in the past counts for nothing and all I have to go on so far is training.
“People have asked me about 20 times over the last three weeks who will be captain and that will become apparent over time.
“There are already one or two clear candidates have emerged and it will be sorted before we go to Bath, but that is not all I’m thinking about.
“I believe in giving people responsibility on the pitch and we will need leaders at the scrum, lineout, in attack and in defence as well.”
Head is unlikely to start the campaign due to work commitments, while fly-half Dylan Pugh has decided a promotion at work would scupper his chances of playing this season - weeks after switching from Rosslyn Park.
But Hill has confidence in the resources at his disposal and has emphasised the need for youth as he plots a path into Division One.
“This country is not very good at giving youngsters a go. We’re always fearful of a lack of experience,” he added.
“There has to be some succession planning. How can a player get experience without being given a chance?
“It is no good us going up with a team that is full of retirements the following season. It is better to give younger players a go now to be properly prepared in the future.”
Richmond’s new faces
Prop Matt Berry - England Students, Loughborough University.
Lock John Aston - England Students, Loughborough University.
Back row Guy Thompson - Gloucester Academy, Molesey and England Sevens.
Back row Tom Hayman - Westcombe Park.
Scrum-half Tom Drew - Newbury, Richmond.
Centre James Faulkner - Nottingham, Doncaster.
Winger James Greenwood - Cambridge University.
Full-back Gareth Swailes - London Welsh.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/trade_directory/