TOM LUKE ventures into his first season as Thornbury RFC’s head coach and wants his side to get off to a flyer during September.

Thornbury start their new Tribute South West One West campaign at Bideford on Saturday following some encouraging warm-up matches throughout August.

But Luke knows that points at the start of the campaign are just as important as those towards the business end.

And with five tough fixtures ahead of them in the opening weeks of the season, Thornbury can ill afford to drop points if they want to mount a serious challenge for promotion.

The head coach said: “The first season I was here, we drew 20-20 against Bideford and I said to the boys a few weeks ago that these early games are the ones you think don’t matter but they are the points we will look at towards the end of the season if we are not challenging.

“Last season, we started with some good wins and then we flatter to deceive.”

This year, Luke wants Thornbury to keep their feet on the ground and ensure they keep their concentration going for a full eighty minutes.

The head coach said: “The guys have done everything asked of them in pre-season. I have asked them to run more than in previous years and the core group have done strength work away from the club.

“We are looking like we are moving better than before. We have to go to some fairly tough places in our competition.

“We have proved, in the last couple of years that I have been there, that we can score tries against anyone but it is about those times when we do not have the ball. The longer you can keep the intensity up, the better.”

Thornbury tackle former Cornish giants Launceston in their first league match at home on Saturday week before facing clashes away at Bridgwater and Albion and Clevedon and an awkward fixture at home to Matson.

And one area that Luke believes will be crucial for Thornbury is injuries. This is why he and the squad are paying particular attention to keeping everyone as fit as possible.

He added: “We are trying to make the boys resilient to injuries. Our best team would have gone close to winning the league last season without injuries.”

Because of that, Thornbury finished sixth in the South West One West division although they were only four points off ending the season in third spot behind runaway winners Weston and second-placed Clevedon.

And there are some big shoes that Luke is filling now. He has vowed to continue the proven methods instilled by previous coaches Gareth Llewellyn and Rob Higgitt and said of his debut in the hot-seat: “I’m very much looking forward to it.”