DAVE FOX previews Thornbury RFC's South West One West 2016/17 season which kicks-off on Saturday at home to Kingsbridge at Rockhampton Road (3pm)

THORNBURY will be looking to go one better this season than their agonising play-off loss at the end of last term.

They finished in the runners-up spot in the 2016/17 campaign which gets underway this Saturday. Having narrowly lost last season’s play-off game at Salisbury, skipper Liam Pemberton and head coach Rob Higgitt will be aiming to gain promotion this season by being outright winners of South West One West League.

That task is particularly tough in a high-quality but attritional league. This season looks to be as tough as ever with Weston, Bridgwater, North Petherton and Chard having announced that they have significantly strengthened their playing squad. Thornbury have gained a few new players including Mike Beswick and Tom Adams from Chippenham but have lost some significant players too. Jak Evans and Will Sharratt have moved to Portsmouth and London respectively whilst utility forward Dan Kerr and prop Chops O’Loughlin have both returned to Ireland.

However, Thorns are able to welcome back James Murray after over two seasons out injured whilst Tim Stephens, George Maggs and Sam Higgins are fit again after significant injuries.

Four sides join the league with Okehampton and Matson coming up as winners of Western Counties West and North respectively, whilst Kingsbridge won the Western Counties play-off and Midsomer Norton similarly won the Southern Counties play-off.

Thornbury play three of these in the first six weeks. Their first opponents are Devon side Kingsbridge, who Thorns thumped 54-7 to secure promotion back in 2011. That is followed with an away match at Chard where the substantial home pack take no prisoners and rarely lose. Thornbury have tasted success at Essex Close, including in the season Chard were promoted to the National Leagues when Thorns were one of only two sides to win there.

Games with Clevedon at home and Drybrook away look tough and, by the time they have played Midsomer Norton and Matson, the fortunes will become clearer.

At this early stage, the main challengers seem likely to be Somerset giants Weston and Bridgwater, who both feel they are playing a level or two below their status, and also Newent, who pushed Thorns all the way for the runner-up slot last season. At the end of October, Thornbury play Bridgwater, Newent and North Petherton on successive Saturdays in a fiercely difficult month.

But Thornbury will focus on themselves rather than the opposition. Key players will again be player-coach Tom Luke and a group of talented backs including the elusive Alfie Richardson and the committed Rich Bennett. Thorns lacked bulk in the tight forwards last season but with Maggs and Murray available there are now options for the coaches. Where Thorns are flush with talent is in the back row where the coaches have a nice but difficult problem to select their three-man unit from six or seven outstanding players including Louis Osborne and Gareth Morgan who have not played in pre-season.

Thornbury are certainly good enough to finish one place better than last season but the key factor is largely out of their control: injuries. Last season Thornbury suffered considerably less injuries than the previous campaign which at one time had almost the complete first team side-lined. This season the squad is more experienced and the depth is deeper, but the numbers are not huge.

Fingers need to be crossed, but Thornbury should be there or there abouts come April. What is certain is that the rugby will, once again, be attractive, absorbing and a great advert for community amateur rugby.