Bury St Edmunds director of rugby and head coach Jacob Ford eyeing top four finish in National 2 East
Jacob Ford is looking for his Bury St Edmunds side to be ‘in the mix for the top four’ this season.
Last term saw the Wolfpack make club history with a sixth-placed finish in the National League 2 South – the highest they have finished since being promoted to the level in 2015.
This time around they will ply their trade in the newly-formed National 2 East division after the RFU implemented a restructure of the rugby pyramid, although much of the opposition remains the same.
And having been pleased with how his first campaign in charge unfolded, head coach and director of rugby Ford is looking for further progress over the coming months.
“We laid some good foundations last year,” said Ford, who will see his side get started tomorrow with a trip to Henley (3pm).
“We didn’t get much of a pre-season last year because of Covid and it took some time to gel together, but the results we achieved after Christmas showed what we are capable of. The lads have come back with a real focus and determination to do better than we did last year.
“We’ve lost four and seven have come in so we’ve had a nice freshen up in the positions we wanted to get stronger. It’s difficult right now to set targets but we’d like to be in the mix for the top four this season.
“It’s becoming increasingly tough to achieve because lots of sides have recruited really well, but we’re all committed to maximising our potential. Last year we showed plenty of that and hopefully now we can realise it.”
In terms of playing style, Ford is eager for his team to retain the attacking verve that saw them rack up 897 points last term – only three sides had bigger totals.
Yet, in terms of points against, eight clubs boasted better records than Bury – and that is something Ford is keen to alter.
He said: “We’re still building in an attacking sense but we will be aiming to score as many points as possible, just like we did last year.
“This summer we’ve been working a lot more on what we do out of possession.
“We never want to lose our identity, which is to play exciting rugby – we can’t forget that.
“But we also want to have a reputation of being a difficult team to beat and break down, whether that’s at home or away.”
* Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club have announced that Merrifields and Logan Capital Advisors will continue as the club’s headline sponsors for the 2022/2023 season.
Merrifields are a regulated firm of chartered surveyors based in Bury St Edmunds specialising in the disposal and management of commercial property.
Logan Capital Advisors (LCA) is a multifamily operating company with a portfolio consisting of over 3,900 units throughout California, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado.
Both organisations have their roots firmly in Bury St Edmunds and have been long term supporters of the rugby club.
Bury chairman Craig Germeney: “We massively appreciate the support we have had from Jules and Gordon from Logan Capital Advisors and Merrifields respectively. Having them onboard again for this season only enhances our partnership and moreover, our ability to deliver our one club vision. We are very grateful to them both.”