HEAD coach Rob Higgitt believes Thornbury can raise the roof in the Tribute South West One West league this season – as long as they stick to the way they have been attacking the campaign so far.
Thornbury have recharged their batteries with a weekend break but take make the trip this Saturday to deepest Somerset and a clash with Chard as they look to keep a run of three league victories intact.
However, Chard will present a big test for Thornbury. They were relegated from National Three South West last season after an unsuccessful campaign but have been bolstered by the recruitment of players from nearby Taunton.
In past seasons when they have met, Thornbury and Chard have each won at home and away, but with third-placed Thornbury having scored 23 tries in their four league games to date, compared to 11 from ninth-placed Chard, the South Gloucestershire outfit are slight favourites.
Despite seven tries so far from the league’s joint top try-scorer, full back Tom Luke, Higgitt thinks the Thornbury pack will play a key role.
And that is where he is grateful for the help of new forwards coaching duo Wayne Thompson and ex-Harlequins lock Olly Kohn this season.
Higgitt said: “I think Chard are supposed to be good up front and it will be a good challenge to see how we do.
“We had a good end to last season and have continued it into this season but what we always struggle with is consistency of selection. With a couple of unavailabilities and injuries, you struggle to keep the same players on the pitch one week to the next.”
It does not help Thornbury that their squad is not as large as other sides so there is always the concern about not having the strength in depth in the squad.
However, Higgitt, who took over the reins from Gareth Llewellyn during the summer when the ex-Welsh international lock went back to his native Neath to coach them, believes Thornbury can shine if they stay fit.
He said: “We are not as big as some of the other clubs in this league in terms of players but if we can keep injury-free, then the season will be good. 
“We have not really set targets because, in this league, every game is tough but we have the chance to win every game if we play to the level we are capable of.”
And, so far, that level of performance has seen Thornbury average a huge 49 points per match in their three big victories, the last being a 61-8 thumping of North Petherton a week last Saturday.