Clydebank Rugby Club’s head coach David Miller has said winning the league is their target for the upcoming BT West Division 2 season.

Last year, Bank far exceeded expectations as they finished third, behind Annan and Stewartry.

The player coach praised the impact of previous head coach Kenny Brown at the start of the season, before he left to work with Premiership Rugby down in London.

Miller said: “It exceeded expectations. We had a new coach who came in, who unfortunately left to move to a job down in London, and he introduced us into a new style of play.

“We got beaten in the first two games and then we ended up finishing third in the league. We went on a run from January to March where we were unbeaten for seven games and that obviously helped us get up to third place.”

“Last season, we had put the feelers out about getting a full-time head coach because I’m the coach, but I’m the player-coach, so it’s always better having somebody else there rather than me doing it, as I need to play and put everything together.

“So to have somebody else to do that, putting everything else together, was helpful.”

Asked if they were looking to get a new head coach in for the upcoming season, Miller said: “Not at the moment, they’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

And while there were a lot of positives to reflect on for the 2015/16 season, Miller says that closing out games was a problem for the side throughout their campaign.

He added: “There were a few tight games where we should have won.

“There was at least two games where we gave away last-minute penalties, and that cost us a game and twice we conceded tries in the last minute as well, so for maybe six of our games we finished with losing bonus points, which should have been wins, it was that close.”

Bank started back at pre-season last Tuesday, and the head coach said it was always a time of year he loved – even though some of his players might not agree.

He said: “I can’t wait, it’s really exciting.

“We played really well last year and we’ve got a young team who are really hungry to win.

“Personally myself, I can’t wait. I don’t know whether the other guys will be (so keen) when we start to do a bit of work.”

But the coach said the club needed to kick on from last season – and they’ll first target to win their 10s tournament which they host each year, which will take place on Saturday, August 13.

He said: “Our first aims is to win the 10s tournament again, so we’re not looking too far ahead, and then the first few games of the season and then build from there.”

Last summer, Clydebank A team won the tournament. A, after wins against Loch Lomond, Hyndland and Cartha Queens Park in the group stages, they went on to face Lanark, beating them 55-0 in comprehensive fashion to get their hands on the cup.

Clydebank B had a harder time of things in the group stages, and eventually lost in the Plate final to Hyndland.