NORTH Bristol are not about to ‘hit the panic button’ as they look to climb back up the English leagues this season after suffering relegation.

And, if they need inspiration, then the squad will have to look no further than their forwards coach who has joined this summer – former England international and Bristol star Jordan Crane.

North went down from the Gloucester Premier Division last season with only three wins all season and will now ply their trade in Gloucester One where they could be seen as a team to shoot at for the other clubs in the division.

But, after going down to a late defeat in the County Junior Vase first round on Saturday to Old Colstonians by 29-21, North get their latest league campaign underway by hosting Old Cryptians who finished fourth in the Gloucester One table last season.

Head coach Simon Mortimer said, though, that, despite the defeat in injury time last Saturday, the squad were in good spirits.

“I think the key to it is that we have to continue to work hard and work for everyone. People will come firing for us and we have to take that as a positive rather than a negative.

“It will b a good challenge. Old Colstonians have a decent team and they came firing at us. We don’t think there is anything to panic about. We have had two warm-up games and it is nice to see stuff we have been working on in action during a game.

“On another day (against Old Costonians), with a couple of errors cut out, we would have taken the win.”

Having back row Bristol Rugby back row Crane, who won three England caps in 2008 and 223 times for Leicester Tigers in a ten-year career, on board is a huge positive.

The club’s two directors, Steve Bold and chairman of rugby Mike Cantin, worked hard during the summer to improve them and push North in the right direction.

Mortimer added: “Steve has a lot of contacts at Bristol and Jordan has now come as a coach. He comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for training and Saturdays depending on his commitments with Bristol.

“The boys have taken to him well. Two weeks before our first pre-season game, we were wondering what we were going to do forwards-wise. Jordan is looking to increase his coaching skills.

“He has a passion for the game and he is bringing that into North Bristol.”