Grace: Plymouth can make mark in six-way title race
RETURNING Plymouth back rower Eoghan Grace reckons his side are ready to give big-spending Coventry a run for their money in what he predicts will be one of the most hotly contested National One title races ever.
Former Exeter and Connacht star Grace spent the 2016-17 campaign at Coventry following Plymouth’s financial woes, but with the club now back on an even keel the ambition is to go one better than last season’s second place.
Grace, 29, told TRP: “The fact that no one came down from the Championship means everyone is champing at the bit to fill that promotion slot, thinking they’ve got a real chance.
“Hartpury ran away with it last season but there’s no odds-on favourite this time and I believe there’ll be a pack of five or six teams bunched a lot more closely together.
“I do think Coventry will be up there because they’ve had a year under their rugby director Rowland Winter to bed things in and they finished strongly towards the end of last season, but I also expect us to be up there as well.
“Albion did well last year and, having played against the boys, they were a tough team to beat. Our head coach, Kieran Hallett, has added to the squad and we’ve got greater depth, so it’s coming together quite well.
“It will be a close one, though, and you’d expect teams like Moseley, Rosslyn Park, Ampthill and Blackheath will have something to say for themselves, but I’d like to think we’ll have a good showing and push for top spot.”
Grace now doubles up as community coach at Plymouth, whose vastly improved financial position has enabled them to acquire the nearby Stonehouse Creek social club and playing fields to ramp up their facilities.
Grace said: “We want to get the name of Plymouth Albion out there and we now have more facilities close to Brickfields to host community events.
“There’s a business strategy to go with the rugby now and there’s definitely a long-term plan rather than the short-term one of simply surviving.”