Bury St Edmunds director of rugby Jacob Ford provides Ben Penfold, Sonny Hirini and Trystan Andrews updates ahead of visit of Colchester

Bury St Edmunds director of rugby Jacob Ford has confirmed that head coach Ben Penfold will not have to feature in today’s home game with Colchester (3pm) while no ‘new players will be available’ for the rare all-East Anglia fixture (3pm).

Penfold has had to don a jersey for the Wolfpack this season due to selection issues but will now get the opportunity to mentor his team from the sidelines, as he had hoped to do.

Struggling to introduce his new arrivals, Ford will be without Sonny Hirini until the end of the month, who is recovering from an achilles rupture, and Trystan Andrews, who has rolled his ankle. And Australian Jamie Tanuvasa, who became Bury’s 24th addition of the summer, has not been selected for the visit of Colchester.

“There are a few players who haven’t played for the first team yet who joined us in the summer due to a couple of niggles here and there, and they’ve just not had their opportunity yet,” said Ford, “it’ll be exciting to see those guys go properly when we get the chance, and then maybe one or two more to come in before Christmas just to strengthen a little bit.

“We’ll see a few more new faces before the turn of the half season. We’ve got one or two lads knocking at the door and no doubt their chances will come soon,” said Ford.

“I don’t think any new players will be available, it’s just the same group that we had to select from last week.”

Ford will be hoping his side can bounce back from their 47-27 defeat at Dorking in the National League 2 East on Saturday.

Tomorrow’s opponents sit second from bottom (13th) in the standings, with one point, while Bury are seven points ahead of them in 10th.

Instead of stressing the importance of winning what is an East Anglian derby, Ford sees the fixture as a game that has the potential to give his side momentum.

“We feel the next four weeks presents us with an opportunity to grow as a team, to really move towards our potential,” he said.

“I think that’s what I’m most looking forward to, how we’re going to train over the next four weeks and how we’re going to transition what we’re doing into the games.

“I want us to start the game with some real purpose and intention, to really dictate and grab the game by the scruff of the neck and run our game model.”