TROWBRIDGE head coach Dan Jeffries says that his Doric Park men will be targeting promotion this term, after going so close last year.

Jeffries saw his side surprisingly reach an end-of-season promotion play-off with Bicester in April, but the Southern Counties South side came unstuck against their Oxfordshire hosts 53-20.

Despite that loss, the Trowbridge chief was pleased with how last term went and wants to build on that in this campaign.

“I said last year it would take us two seasons to get back up to South West One and we got a late shot at it last year,” Jeffries said.

“This year, we are in a much better place. We have had really good numbers at training this summer and we got around 10 to 15 new faces.

“Our aim is quite simple – promotion. I will take doing it through the play-offs, but we want to do it outright.

“To do that, we have be consistent throughout the season. Teams like Swanage (and Wareham) and Sherborne are going to be tough to beat, but it is all about consistency.”

In a bid to find that consistency, Jeffries believes that the increased competition can only help.

Trowbridge will begin the season with three players gunning for the number nine shirt, with Hampshire scrum-half Connor Brint joining the club, as has former Devizes half-back Harrison Wall as they battle it out with George Leat for the jersey.

Second row Carl Crosby has arrived at Doric Park from Pewsey Vale, while openside flanker Andy Twinney has signed from Bradford on Avon.

“We probably went through the season last year without a recognised seven, so Andy is probably the missing piece of the puzzle,’’ added Jeffries.

“But on Saturday, in a friendly against Combe Down, he broke his jaw and will miss the first month.”

Trowbridge will begin their campaign in Southern Counties South with a trip to North Dorset tomorrow.

“It is a tough start for us,” the Doric Park chief added. “They are a well-established side at this level.

“As well as missing Andy Twinney, we are without our fly-half Tom Weaver and Shai Bonnick.

“The ones who don’t make the first team squad will go into the seconds and they are playing Bradford’s first team.

“We are going to probably use 50 players over the course of the season and I think that the seconds are going to have an important role to play.”