00:00We're here with Launceston's joint head coach Ian Goldsmith after tonight's first pre-season training session down at Poulsen.
00:07Ian, a great start to the pre-season.
00:09It was a wonderful start. The pitch is looking stunning. The sun's out, which just makes me do it.
00:16It was really wonderful. We had huge numbers tonight. Really, really good numbers tonight.
00:22Well over 40. That just bodes well for what we're looking at for doing this season.
00:29You've got two months now before the first league games. How do you navigate pre-season to ensure that you're ready for the start of the season?
00:36Yeah, well essentially we break it into three blocks. The first block is usually like five or six sessions in which we're really looking at getting the players conditioned.
00:46So there's an awful lot of conditioning. Lots of what we call conditioned games, which is playing with the ball in the hands.
00:52So they're just getting used to getting lungs burning and getting their legs aching, getting miles in the legs as it were.
01:03And then you've obviously got three pre-season games before the start. How important is it to get a match ready as well?
01:10Yeah, well that comes in what we call the third block of pre-seasons. So the first block, as we said, was very much conditioning.
01:18The second block is about looking at that contact, that collision, getting the bones and the bodies and the muscles used to hitting things.
01:26And then the third part of it, which is where our pre-season games are, that's where we're fine-tuning things like patterns and units and testing ourselves against what we've got lined up with some really good competitive, combative opposition.
01:42And you've got those three pre-season friendlies. I think it's a freeway with Perrenporth Pirates amateurs and then the Cornwall Cup final with Weybridge.
01:50And how exciting is it to have that game in the pre-season calendar, which is such an obviously a big, big occasion?
01:56Yeah, well, it certainly adds, adds, makes that pre-season a little bit more tastier than what normal pre-seasons are.
02:02Because there is, you know, something on it that clearly are from all parties frustrated. It wasn't done in the actual 24-25 season.
02:14But, you know, we'll take a competitive game because we know that that will help us prepare for, in this case, the Cavs for Topsham at home on that first Saturday in the season.
02:25And how do you go about utilising the squad during those three games to ensure that everyone is given a fair opportunity, but also to make sure that you know your strongest side come Topsham?
02:36Yeah, well, certainly that Cup game is a little bit different in which we are going to have to be a bit more selective.
02:44But certainly the weekend before, which everyone will have a game because we've got Perrenporth, we've got Pirate Ams, so therefore we can make sure everyone gets some really good game time.
02:54And then the game on the 30th, what we call the Borders Cup, you've got all the squads, you know, it's going to be a fantastic day.
03:03You've got the Colts starting early, then you've got the Castles, then the Cavs and then the ladies to finish it off.
03:09And you've also had a couple of your new faces here tonight in George Harris and Ben Hancock.
03:14How pleasing is it to obviously get your business done early as such?
03:18And is there any more sort of signings on the horizon?
03:20Yeah, no, that's important. You know, we know that being competitive, you know, being abrasive, which both George and Ben are, that's going to certainly add to the squad.
03:31You know, we've looked at adding to the depth, you know, we identified certainly towards the second half of the season that our squad depth wasn't where it needed to be.
03:43You know, yes, we ended up fifth, but it could have been a lot better if we'd have had that depth in the squad.
03:50So, yeah, we're really pleased that we've got them on board. We've retained virtually everyone.
03:58And, yeah, we are hoping to get a couple more interesting names, interesting players signed up for the start of the season.
