AN OPENING South West One East clash against Chippenham on Saturday will provide league newcomers Trowbridge with the perfect physical challenge, according to head coach Dan Jeffries.

Trowbridge secured promotion from Southern Counties South last season with a game to spare after comprehensively beating Marlborough away from home in April.

Their efforts mean Jeffries’ troops will now face big-hitting clubs including Newbury, Swindon and Oxford Harlequins among others in a tough 26-game league schedule.

And starting their campaign at home to Chippenham, who last year finished third in South West One East, will prove a tricky but timely task – according to the head coach.

“They (Chippenham) will play quite exciting rugby, whereas we are a big and strong team that will be difficult to stop,” said Jeffries.

“One of the things I have highlighted to the team is that individually there aren’t many teams we will struggle with next year when we’re at full strength – in my opinion.

“The big question will be about our squad, discipline and control. A local derby is an ideal way to test all of those elements.

“The club has a tendency to stay up for two years before going back down, but I believe we have a squad that can do a lot better than that.”

A win this weekend for Jeffries’ troops would not only get them off to the perfect start, but it would also mark the first time that Trowbridge would have defeated their Wiltshire rivals.

Keen to reverse the history books, Jeffries admitted he has made his side aware of the dangers Chippenham will present – adding he expects them to be jostling with Newbury for the league’s top spot.

He said: “The best 15 players we have at Trowbridge would be very competitive at the top end, particularly with the guys we’ve added.

“Due to work, Marcus Beer can’t commit to the high level of rugby he used to play. So, we have a 22-year-old National League player in to bolster our squad.

“Mike Barber will act as player-coach, adding a huge amount of experience, and a few local players have helped with our depth.

“It’s the best depth we’ve had in the squad for a long time.”

A dry summer has led to pitch preparation headache for ground staff across the country, but the Trowbridge boss is happy with the condition of their home pitch.

“We have some fantastic facilities and wonderful pitches, but the hot weather has even hit us,” said Jeffries.

“We’ve spent more time off the pitch than we would have liked.

“Our pitches are now looking good for Saturday with the dose of rain we’ve had – that’s made a huge difference.”