All-blacks want to make their home a fortress

A really positive vibe exists around St Jacques. With the new season fast approaching, the squad is growing in number and ambitions within the club are loftier than they have been for a long while.

Number eight Tim Pond has taken over the captaincy and he admitted to be 'very enthusiastic' going into the JRA League campaign.

'We have started off very well in preseason number-wise and I just hope we can keep it up through the season,' said the 36-year-old.

'It is good to see new faces. We are a very welcoming club and are willing to help anyone out who wants to get involved.'

Pond, who shot for Guernsey at the Island Games, hails from Bridgwater in Somerset and has been playing for the island's all-blacks for three seasons.

He expects Jersey Rugby Club and Guernsey RUFC seconds to be the strongest teams in the league.

'There are no easy games in any league, though, and we are going to go out there full-blooded to get some good results,' Pond said.

'Overall, we are looking for a general improvement in all aspects of the game - commitment, skill levels and fitness levels.

'This could be a crucial year for the club in how we are going to progress.

'If we could have a good season, it would, I think, have a really positive impact for future years.'

The St Jacques coaching team are certainly capable of improving their standard.

Former Siam Cup player Chris Griffiths is the head man and he has enlisted the help of Siam Cup-winning coach Rob Box as well as another man to have featured in local rugby's main showpiece occasion, Simon Ogier.

'We are working a lot on defence. I have asked Rob to look at defensive coaching and he will be a big help,' Griffiths said.

'Simon is also helping with coaching as well while he returns from injury and it is good to be able to use guys like that with their experience.'

Griffiths is going into his second full season as head coach and the players have obviously taken to him.

'Generally last year we saw a big improvement and we were pretty pleased to end up with a Macmillan Cup final place,' said the 34-year-old.

'There was a huge increase in numbers at training and the performances in matches got better - we let in a lot fewer tries as we went on.

'We have yet to find that scoring touch, but that will come.

'This season the main aim is to try and win all our home games and maybe one or two away, which are notoriously hard to win.

'If we achieve that, it should see us in the top four.'

Griffiths has been particularly pleased to see some young newcomers at preseason.

'We have had some very good training sessions and we have some new faces in all areas. For the last couple of seasons we have had quite an aging side, but we have half-a-dozen or so younger guys this time in their early 20s, which we need,' he said.

'Obviously with the World Cup coming up that could help us as well because it gets the interest going and people tend to be motivated to get their boots on.

'We have had about 35 guys coming to training regularly and that is very encouraging.'