Quick start for Blues pleases Archer
Newbury raced into an early lead during their win against Wimborne
BLUES head coach Paul Archer was delighted to see his side make yet another fast start as they beat Wimborne 43-5 at Monks Lane.
Newbury led 36-0 at half-time and, after a hard-fought win against Trowbridge last week, the quick start helped settle Archer’s men.
He said: “We had another good start, which was very pleasing after the Trowbridge game because they scored first and we were forced to come back into it.
“We spoke a lot in the week about taking the initiative and making sure that we’re on the scoresheet first.”
However, Blues only managed 12 points after the break and Archer was a little frustrated, despite seeing his side get the try bonus.
He said: “The second-half wasn’t the greatest because we didn’t re-establish the game plan that we wanted and, although we got two early tries, I don’t think we reached the standards we set.”
A familiar face returns to the squad
A major positive from Saturday’s win was the return of Toby Thorne, who has been out for almost a year with an arm injury.
Archer said: “It was good to see Toby back as he suffered a badly broken arm at this stage last year.
“For him to have almost a year out and come back to get some game time was pretty crucial.”
Archer admitted that having more players available every week strengthens the squad depth for later in the year.
He said: “As we go through the season we have to make sure we have as many people as we can who fit into the first team jersey, so we don’t lose the continuity.
“It’s good because we can put new guys into positions and test them under pressure and hopefully move forward.”
Archer’s side make the trip to Banbury this weekend – a side that has won three games on the bounce after an early-season defeat against Marlborough.
The Blues head coach said: “It’ll be tough, but we won’t change our preparations because we’re focused on ourselves and that’s the right way to be.
“We’re not under any illusions that this will be a real test for us – we’ll have to be on top of our game to continue the run,” he added.
