Sandbach travel to Burton’s brand-new ground at Battleship Croft on Saturday, for their opening league encounter of the season. With all clubs at the community level having played little or no genuinely competitive rugby for over eighteen months, it is difficult to predict exactly how teams will fare this campaign. However, Burton who recruited strongly last summer are unlikely to change how they play and Sandbach can expect a well organised team, that do the basics well and who traditionally like to power down the middle. With new playing fields, hopefully these will not be as heavy as the old Peel Croft pitch, so Sandbach will be wanting to use their all-court game, that the new ground should facilitate better.

With a few players back available from holidays and injury, the Sandbach coaches will have some difficult decisions to make, and almost certainly there will be some disappointed quality players, when selection is made. Throughout the season all of these players will get their opportunity though, as injury, Covid and availability will certainly test all squads at our level. Overall though it’s just great to have some rugby back on to watch and whatever the result, there will be plenty of excitement to come, of which Saturday is just the start.