Buckinghamshire kick-off their County Championship Plate competition with a home clash against Sussex on Saturday, kick off 3pm.
The South West side are keen not to be on the end of another hiding from the Sussex outfit that inflicted a 104-5 defeat on Buckinghamshire a year ago in the opening round of the county competition.
A year ago, Coach John Taylor then struggled to field his first choice team against Sussex but this time around, although preparation time has been limited, he is confident that Bucks will put on a good show.
Taylor said: “A year ago we were in a very difficult position but this time around I hope to have all the players I want available. We haven’t been able to play any preparation games because so many teams in our area have been heavily involved in club fixtures, but we have had a few training sessions and things have been going well.
“We have got a very young squad this season and they are inexperienced, but the plus side is that all these players want to play rugby for their county. They are passionate about it. Our captain Kieran Mann has also now played three years of county rugby and he is a staunch supporter of it, so it is great to have a player of his calibre on board.
“There’s no doubt that this opening fixture is going to be very tough, but we are feeling optimistic especially as we have two home games this season. We are also very much looking forward to our game against Dorset & Wilts, a county side that we know very well.”
Chris McCombie is the head of the playing section and we will be providing his contact details as soon as they are updated.