Bees expect a struggle

By Roger Clarke- Evening Mail
August 7 2005

PERTEMPS Bees enter the new season with the dubious honour of being named among the relegation favourites in National One.

PERTEMPS Bees enter the new season with the dubious honour of being named among the relegation favourites in National One.

They are one of the three or four clubs with budgets of half a million or less who many expect to end up playing in their own private battle at the bottom of the pile.

None will have a harder start than Bees, though, who open against Harlequins, relegated from the Premiership last season and who intend to make their visit to National One as brief as possible.

The London club have already been to Sharman's Cross Road to photograph and inspect the pitch, the changing rooms and no doubt the crockery and cutlery as they prepare for a season of slumming it in the less fashionable outposts of rugby.

Their discomfort might well work in Bees favour though if Quins are caught cold on September 3 on unfamiliar territory in a high profile game.

So far, Director of Rugby Phil Maynard has been happy with pre-season and the levels of fitness of his squad. He said: "They are fitter than last year and it has enabled us to concentrate a bit more on skills. We will make a decent fight of it and depending upon injuries we will be at the top end of the middle table teams, somewhere around there."

Meanwhile, Bees had a boost when former Wasps and Grenoble prop Andrew Le Chevalier revealed that he had turned down an offer of an improved contract from National One newcomers Newbury.

He said: "I felt that I owed the Bees some loyalty. They gave me the chance to get back into English rugby last season after I had taken time out of the game following the death of my father."

The forward also has a point to prove. He said: "I have friends who play for other clubs in National One and the word coming back is that the Bees are being tipped as bottom two material.

"It seems that people think that our time in this league is up but, from what I have seen in pre-season training and with the players we have signed, I think that we might surprise a lot of people."