THERE’S a positive vibe floating around the Scone Brumbies as the club’s senior side prepares to face Tamworth Pirates in the season opener this weekend.
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A successful preseason saw Scone reach the semi-finals at a rugby 10s tournament in Hawkesbury before going down 7-5, while the side also put in a dominant display at Mudgee.
New coach Luke Bailey said he hoped it would help set a solid platform, starting with the Pirates on Saturday.
Despite suffering a heavy defeat to the same opponents in the regular season last year, Bailey was adamant this time would be more evenly-matched.
“They’ve definitely been ahead of us in the last few years so it’ll be a really good test of how we’re going," he said.
“I’m expecting it to be a lot closer than previous years; it’s been a positive preseason for us.”
The Brumbies have been savvy with recruitment, bringing in key man Toby Twigg from Wales, while several more players will join the squad in the coming weeks.
“There’s not a heap of new guys at the club but probably one of the best things to come out of preseason is a lot of the players have focused on the fundamentals; it’s really come together well,” Bailey said.
The senior side kicks off at 3pm at Brumby Park, Scone.
Prior to the match, the club’s under-16s and 18s will also get their seasons underway.
Scone Brumbies have encouraged everyone to get to the opening matches of the season and thanked the club’s sponsors for their ongoing support.
This year’s Central North competition will start under the revised two tier structure, which provides an opportunity for six of the 10 clubs to feature in the semi-finals.
The Colts competition has been bolstered by an increase in clubs participating in the under-16s, with six sides participating.
The under-18s retains its five-team line up.
