Diss Rugby Club head coach makes ‘strength to strength’ admission after side’s victory over Bury St Edmunds II
Following their first victory of the campaign, against local rivals Bury St Edmunds II, Diss head coach Alex Kelsall believes his side will go from strength to strength in Counties 1 Eastern Counties.
The Mackenders club had suffered three consecutive narrow defeats, losing two games by seven and one by 10 points, in the lead up to the weekend’s derby. But Diss ran out 31-24 winners and provided Kelsall his first victory as Blues boss.
“We’ve been showing signs, really positive signs, over the last three games and we knew with the effort they’ve been putting in at the training sessions and at times when it was going well for us on the pitch, that we were going to experience a really positive game,” said Kelsall, who was appointed as Diss’ head coach in June.
“In the first half, everything aligned for us, the gameplan went really well, the skillset and the execution was exceptional.
“The boys are very, very happy and I’m very proud of the effort, and the result is going in the right direction.
“Every game has been in our control and it just hasn’t gone our way, the bounce of a ball or coming away from structure when the pressure came on.
“We are now in a position where we are able to put into practice what we work on at the training paddock.
“We are a team that is going to go from strength to strength. We’ve still got work-ons from the Bury game.
“We’ve now got a rest weekend and, then, hopefully continuing the success that we saw at the weekend.”
Diss, who are third from bottom after four games, will return to action at home to third-placed Newmarke on October 12 (3pm).
Despite just gaining their first win, Kelsall is welcoming the break to work on fitness and skill drills.
Reflecting on the opening four games of the campaign, he said: “It’s been a really brilliant experience.
“The club has got so many people that put their heart and soul on the line for it.
“For me, pre-season and the first block of games is trying to steer these personalities and players in the right direction. It’s been testing at points and incredibly rewarding at others.
“We’re now in a situation where the rewards are starting to come.
“Yes, I‘ve brought something new into the club, but it’s actually to do with the players and the people that are around the club that have allowed it to happen in the first place.”
He added: “We’re a confidence team. Now that we’ve got that first win, now we’ve experienced what it can be like to score multiple tries against a powerful opposition, yes, it would be lovely to keep going. but we know it’s a really long season, and it’s important to have that break time away from the contact game.”