Vandals backs ready for kick-off (From Your Local Guardian)

Vandals backs ready for kick-off

4:44pm Monday 6th September 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

New head coach Buster White reckons Weybridge Vandals have the backs to trouble the best in London Division Two South West this season and make up for a shortage of forwards.

The former London Wasps back rower took over the hot-seat at Brownacres from Ian Bardgett in the summer and has been busy recruiting fresh faces.

Prolific former Richmond winger Neil Piggott and former London South Africa fly-half Gareth Williams have strengthened an already potent back line.

But a shortage of front row firepower could yet unhinge White’s men although the former Richmond forwards coach believes they can cope.

“It is an exciting time for the club at the moment. We’ve got a good squad and there are some younger players coming through,” he said.

“Neil looks to be an exciting signing and can do us a job, while Gareth looks like he can do some damage.

“We’ve got plenty in the backs but we are struggling for forwards at the moment.

“We might find it tough to start with, but once players come back we should start looking a powerful unit.

“There is a great spirit in the squad, with people prepared to put their bodies on their line for their mates and that should count for at least ten points a game for us.”

Vandals lost a host of games by less than seven points in the closing stages and had they turned a handful of those into wins, would have been challenging at the top of the table.

And White, whose side was thumped 69-14 to Teddington in their final pre-season friendly before Saturday’s clash with Old Reigatians at the weekend, believes he has addressed the problem.

“I think we’ll be exciting to watch, but we need to play smarter and in the right areas,” he added.

“We some times played a bit too much rugby.

“We’ve done six weeks of intensive, rugby specific fitness so it we should be able to play for 80 minutes this season.”