This really is a happy time of the year. The countdown to the new season starts, and players and administrative staff alike begin to feel a wave of excitement as each day is ticked off. It is an appropriate time for the players to wash away the Christmas `blues' and get down to getting themselves a strong fitness base. The lads will also be working on any technical changes they may need to put in place.

This makes the first six weeks of the year very important in relation to the rest of it. As we do not report back officially until March, the players do this work voluntarily and unpaid. Here lies one of our strengths, in that they are prepared to put in the `hard yards' and this attitude becomes commonplace for the entire season.

The end of February is a tidying-up period, as the players wind down their winter jobs or studies. For those who were busy in January, it is also a time to get some miles under their belt. The first day back is often the first Monday in March, and no matter how often we have seen each other in the preceding weeks it is always a refreshing day, as the lads `banter' like schoolgirls in the playground on their first day back after the summer holidays.

The arrival of James Averis and Ben Gannon prompts us that we are running half an hour late and then the penny drops. This is normally when John Bracewell unveils the route for his `half marathon welcome' and the really fit lads can continue to catch up on each other's winter activities. For me, it is a time to get my head down and hope that I remember the way back as the others disappear in the distance.

At this stage it is still quite cold and wet outside, so practice is often restricted to indoors but this has got its limitations. Hence the pre-season tour, which provides the ideal platform to put the finishing touches to individual skills, and get some much-needed match practice. It is brilliant for John and myself to assess players, and gain real insight into what to expect for the coming season.

Pre-season finishes on our return from overseas - normally South Africa - with some fixtures against other counties. They are often disrupted by the inclemency of the weather, which can make the beginning of the season a lottery. We will leave no stone unturned as we strive this year to produce the winning formula that has brought so much joy to our supporters, and of course ourselves.

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