We will reap the benefits – Fortey

CINDERFORD coach Lee Fortey says their tough pre-season schedule will stand them in good stead for the new National One campaign.

The Foresters begin their assault on the league next Saturday at home to Launceston but have one more friendly against Birmingham and Solihull tomorrow at Sharmans Cross Road.

“If you play against lower league opposition then I do not think the players get as much out of it,” Fortey said.

“Whereas if it is a bit tighter then players can think on their feet and they have to make the right decisions.”

So far Cinderford have lost both of their warm ups for the new season after going down to Welsh Premier sides Pontypool 33-26 and 38-12 to Pontypridd last Saturday.

However, Fortey says there were plenty of positives to take out of those clashes.

He said: “If you look at the standard of the opposition so far they are both in the Welsh Premiership.

“If you look at a lot of their scores it has come from our mistakes, so we just need to concentrate on our attack play.”

But the clash against the champions from Cinderford’s division last year will provide Fortey and new head coach Phil Greenaway the perfect chance to decide the starting 15.

“It is going to be a tough test. It will give us a good indication of whereabouts we are at the moment,” he said.

“We have got to treat it as a league game really. It is going to be a good test of character because they were one of the best teams in our division last year.

“It should be as close as we are going to get to our first league game.”

Fortey joined Cinderford after two years at Old Patesians and he says he is settling in well along with the other coaches, Greenaway, Pete Glanville and Andy Deacon.

“I am getting to know everyone’s names and really enjoying it and am just looking forward to the start of the season to test myself and my coaching abilities,” Fortey said.

“It is good working with some of the old boys and we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.”