KIRKBY Lonsdale’s holistic approach to rugby is to play a central part in their success next season according to head coach Scott Armstrong.

With strong performances against higher-league opposition in pre-season games, the coaches’ strategy to have the whole club training together appears to have paid off.

A focus on the teams all integrating and helping each other improve is on the agenda under the player development-minded Armstrong.

The coach said: “We are looking good after the first few games. The club has been going through a lot of change and we have new coaching staff. This inevitably means a new system that needs to be put into place.

“We have been pushing ourselves and playing against teams from the league above. We played well last week against Fylde. I want our players to have ambition, and these pre-season games allow them to get an idea of where they stand against players from a higher level. It also gives them a bit of a carrot to try and improve and develop.

“This is also why we have had all the teams training together. Right from the Colts up to the seniors. They can all help each other, and it gives the younger players an idea of the path they have ahead of them and where they could be going.

“It has created a good atmosphere at the club. The players are excited for the season.

“And that is a hugely important thing: that people enjoy themselves. These players often work a full day and then come to training on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Nobody would want to do that if t was not fun, so that is so important to us.”

Kirkby’s next pre-season game is against St Benedict’s, and after that, the season starts with a game against Wilmslow at the beginning of September.

Armstrong said: “We are really looking forward to it. You put in all this time grafting pre-season and by that point the lads are desperate to get out.

“All of our training has been very player-driven. They are the ones who have to go out and make decisions on the field, so it is important that they are involved in all aspects of the training.

“We have been working on our structure and shape, just making little changes.

“Wilmslow are a team we have played before, so some of our players will have an idea of what they are like. When we prepare we focus on ourselves. That is what we will be doing going forward into this season.”

Last weekend Fylde travelled to Kirkby for the team’s second pre-season game.

The visitors made a blistering start to the match racking up three tries in the first fifteen minutes and added two more during the half. Kirkby did settle and pick up the pace and they did have their moments but attacking moves too often broke down with handling errors.

The second half was a much more even affair with Kirkby showing guts, character, style and skill as they maintained long periods of play in the opposition half and pressured the line. Kirkby 7 v 48 Fylde.