MIKE Ford says Bath Rugby will stick to their attacking mantra as they look to get their hands on some silverware this season.

Bath came agonising close to ending their seven-year trophy drought in the 2014-15 campaign as they were beaten in the Aviva Premiership final.

Ford’s men also reached the last eight of the European Champions Cup, with those efforts culminating in new four-year contracts for the head coach and his staff – Toby Booth, Neal Hatley and Darren Edwards – earlier this week.

Bath have won plaudits for their expansive style of play and Ford has no plans to alter that mentality this term, starting in Sunday’s first pre-season fixture – the opening West County Challenge match against Gloucester at the Memorial Stadium in Bristol.

“I was hungry last year but now I am even more so with what happened. The way we lost the final, the way things unfolded, it makes you even more determined,” said Ford.

“We are going to carry on doing what we are doing. We are going to play rugby, we are going to attack and not let up on that philosophy.

“I want to create rugby players, I don’t want to create people who can be a marine, or fly fighter jets, I want to create rugby players who can make good decisions on a rugby field, be humble off the field and be that team player.

“It’s our 150th year and if you go back to the very first time the team was created, it was an attacking team. The best period of the club was under Jack Rowell and they were an attacking team.

“We as a club, not just me but (owner) Bruce (Craig), all of the stakeholders, the fans, but more importantly the players, want to play that way, so we are going to go out there and keep on attacking.

“We think that’s the way the game should be played and more importantly we have got the skill set and the players to do it.”

Ford reckons the West Country Challenge – which also features Exeter Chiefs – is an excellent way of tuning up for the new campaign.

However, Bath will be significantly hampered with selection compared to their rivals with a large portion of their squad away on World Cup duty.

“They have both said they are going to put 15 in the first half and 15 in the second half, and I’ve said I have only got 24 players,” joked Ford.

“There are four games so I have got plenty of time to rotate the players I have got.

“It’s going to be a really long season and you have got to be careful at this time of year that if you play the players too early they will probably burn out come Christmas or January time, so you’ve just got to be smart.”