But while their second placed finish behind eventual champions Ampthill exceeded the expectations of even the most wildly optimistic OEs supporter, the bar has now been set exceptionally high - as Director of Rugby Gavin Lach knows only too well.

Elthamians kick off their third season in National One tomorrow with an eagerly anticipated trip to newly promoted county rivals Canterbury (kick-off 3pm), knowing they are no longer the division’s unknown quantity of the previous two seasons. As Lach admitted: ‘We now have a very large target on our backs.’

The blue and gold are widely tipped to be in the title mix again this season, but the OEs boss is under no illusion about the size of the task facing his revamped squad ahead of Saturday's season-opener.

“To say it’s going to be tough this season is an understatement,” Lach admitted. “It’s as tough a campaign as we have ever faced, arguably the hardest.

“If you look around the division and the way clubs have strengthened their squads during the summer, you could pick any one of eight or nine teams who will rightly fancy their chances of being in the title mix come the end of the season.

“It’s almost impossible to predict what will happen and I think because of that this will be the most open and closely fought title race in National One history without a doubt.”

It’s been a summer of transition at College Meadow playing-wise, with 16 new signings and 10 players having moved on or retired.

However, Lach insists pre-season preparations could not have gone any better and is delighted with how the new faces have bedded into the squad.

“I think we are 20 per cent ahead of where we were this time last year,” he said. “Most of the new signings have come from the Championship and their experience will be crucial in a division as tight as this.

“Without wishing to tempt fate I think it will be a different Elthamians side this year, not so much in terms of personnel but in overall playing style and how we manage games. If there was a criticism last year, it was that we didn’t pick up enough bonus points, especially in our defeats. We lost one less game than Ampthill but we dropped too many bonus points along the way and that cost us.

"If we want to be in the promotion race, we need to be able to finish sides off and be absolutely ruthless at taking our chances, which we failed to do on occasions last season.”

First up then for the Old Boys is a mouth-watering Kent derby at the Marine Travel Ground against a Canterbury side embarking on their first ever campaign in National One.

Lach admits it will provide the toughest possible test of his side’s promotion credentials. “Canterbury is a difficult place to go and get a result at the best of times,” he said. “They will have one of the biggest, most partisan home crowd in the division this season, and they have been waiting all summer for this day from the moment they won the Play-off final back in May. And I totally understand that, because we felt the same way three years ago when we won the Play-off final.

“They are clearly a well-coached, strong side and the atmosphere will be absolutely electric down there on Saturday. Roared on by a big crowd, they will come out all guns blazing so the first 20 minutes will be absolutely crucial."

He added: "We need to set our stall out early on and lay down a marker for the season. To be honest, I can’t wait for Saturday, these are the sort of games you want to be involved in as a player or coach. It’s a fantastic way to start the season.”

With hotly tipped title contenders Rosslyn Park arriving at College Meadow the following week, followed by a long trip to Sale and then the visit of Plymouth Albion to round off September, it’s a challenging first month of the campaign for OEs. And for now, Lach is refusing to set any targets.

“Our preparation has been excellent, I’m delighted with the quality we have added to the side and I think we are in a really good place going into the Canterbury game,” he said. “But until we actually step on to the field, you never know what to expect.

"I’m not going to start making predictions before a ball has even been kicked - if I was any good at that I’d be picking the lottery numbers out each week! But I think we are good enough to be in the mix if we play to our ability.

"There will be many shock results in this league this year and nothing’s won in the first four weeks of the season, so the only thing getting my full attention is Saturday's match."