COOPER-AVON TYRES: CATs will rely on their kittens this season as they bid to stay afloat in the Southern Counties South.

The Melksham men performed a minor miracle in April by winning their last four league matches to avoid relegation. Coach Mark Simmons is determined to hit the ground running this time and will look to his young guns to provide the ammunition.

Simmons is excited about several players who have graduated from the CATs colts XV, including 17-year-old forward Sam White.

Because of strict RFU rules, White is unable to take his position in the front row until he turns 18 in January, but the talented teenager could yet be employed in another position.

Fellow 17-year-olds Nick Tuckett and Elliott Taylor, who occupy the second row, will also be hoping to make an impact at first team level. Simmons says he is still building for the future at the Conigre and does not want to heap too much pressure on the shoulders of his young players.

But with two high-profile departures already this summer, the squad's strength will come under close scrutiny when the new season kicks off in September. Back row Russell Holland has left the club after securing a top job in Jersey, while the experienced Alan Low has joined local rivals Chippenham.

CATs could also be without star player Danny Wells, who is currently on trial with National League Two outfit Henley Hawks. "Danny has been given a great opportunity to prove himself at a higher level," said Simmons.

"He has signed on for CATs and we are hopeful he will play but it all depends on how Henley assess him at pre-season training."

Losing a player of Wells' calibre would represent a major setback for Simmons as he prepares his squad for another tough season in the Southern Counties South.

He said: "I think the league will be even more competitive this year. "Only one team has come up from Dorset and Wits One and the rest have either come down or moved sideways from other leagues.

"We have arranged two pre-season friendlies against Stothert and Pitt and Calne. "Both these matches will be four-quarter trial games, which will give me a chance to test out the new players in different positions."