After the thrills and spills of last season’s history-making league and cup double which culminated in a first ever trip to Twickenham, it’s been a deliberately low key start to pre-season for Elthamians’ newly promoted young squad as they prepare for life in Counties 2 Kent.

The coaching team have been delighted with the impressive numbers at training so far, as the countdown continues to the opening match of the campaign away at Darenth Valley on September 7th.

As a result, the club will field a second team for the forthcoming campaign for the first time in four years. The newly formed Extra 1st XV have been entered into the Kent Metropolitan A League and will join the first team in playing their first league game away at Darenth Valley with an early 1pm kick off.

“This is a hugely significant and positive step for the club,” said Director of Rugby Gavin Lach. “Since reforming the senior section two seasons ago, our priority has always been about putting out a regular second team. With the numbers we are now getting, with players returning to the club and talented young players graduating from the junior section, it’s imperative we field two sides week in, week out. Not only for the club to progress but also to ensure we don’t repeat past mistakes in letting talented young players slip through the net.”

To further bolster the links with the club’s hugely successful junior section and identify young talent coming up through the ranks, Elthamians are delighted to announce the return of Sam Howard in a dual coaching capacity. The former Blackheath and Rosslyn Park fly-half, who coached for four years at College Meadow during the National League era, ran several coaching sessions at the club towards the end of last season after leaving his role at Charlton Park. He joins the existing coaching team at OEs this season under Lach and will also oversee the club’s academy based at Eltham College.

The club have retained the majority of last season’s record-breaking squad, apart from those heading off to university, but will be bolstered by the return of three former players to the club who will bring much needed higher league experience.

Second row Perry Parker returns in a player-coach capacity after a three-year spell at National League club Tonbridge Juddians and will help coach the forwards, full-back Cam Hancock is back after spells with TJs and Westcombe Park, and fly-half Ben Day arrives from Tunbridge Wells.

“We want to continue to build on what we’ve achieved these past two years,” Lach said, “but supported by a framework of producing our own talent to ensure the club is totally self-sufficient and sustainable in the long term. We are a very young, inexperienced squad - many of the players have got less than two seasons of senior rugby under their belt - so we are delighted Perry, Cam and Ben have returned to the club because they bring quality and experience. Along with Sam, we hope we are in a decent place to attack what lays in front of us.

“Perry in particular has been there, seen it and done it in rugby terms, so to have a player of his stature offering help and advice on and off the field will be absolutely priceless moving forward.”

Continuity and team spirit have been central to the club’s revival during the past two seasons. To that end, as Lach admitted, the easiest decision he will have to make all season was reappointing Richie Trew and Dillon Robertson as captain and vice captain respectively for a second term.

“The pair were absolutely fantastic for us last season, and hugely influential,” Lach said. “They have the respect of the whole squad so frankly it was a no brainer to have them leading the side again.”

After romping to the Counties Three Kent League title last season with a perfect record, Lach is under no illusions about the size of the task awaiting them in Counties Two.

“It’s clearly going to be a step up in level and we are going to playing some very good, experienced sides,” he said. “It’s going to be a real test for some of our youngsters. But we need to continue to focus on ourselves and what we can do, stay humble and hopefully go under the radar.”

OEs have one pre-season warm-up game before getting down to league business when they make the short trip to Barnet Wood Road on August 31st to play Counties One Kent side Bromley. The Extra 1sts will also be having their first run out the same afternoon against Bromley 2nds with an earlier 1pm kick-off.

“With the work that the coaching staff of Paul Moyse, Martin Hennessy and Matt Jones put in last season and now adding Sam and Perry to the mix, we hope we have the correct balance to make sure we have two successful sides each week.” Lach said.