BRENTWOOD are hoping to avoid last year's nightmare run after Christmas by stepping up the intensity of their training over the festive period.
Last season the club lost four consecutive matches at the turn of the year and director of rugby Steve Killington feels a lack of effort in training was partly to blame.
"We didn't play well at all," he said. "There were a few unavailable, which didn't help, and I just think people went off the boil a bit. That is what we're going to change this year.
"Maybe we didn't work as hard as we should have done in training after the Christmas break and that did have an effect on us.
"I'll make sure we work a damn sight harder in training because we've got a little run of games where we should be competing with teams, if not beating them."
Brentwood go in to the break with four back-to-back wins under their belt – most recently against Basildon – with a fixture against tenth placed Chingford next up on January 6.
But Killington thinks promotion is out of the question with Eton Manor 12 points clear in the play-off spot. "I think we're a bit too far off to be honest," he said.
"Unless something happens to the teams above us then we'll struggle to get promoted."
Whatever happens it's been an excellent year for the club. Last season they finished with their highest ever points total and are on course to smash that this term.
"It's been very pleasing," said Killington.
"We've won some games that we wouldn't have done in past seasons.
"The only disappointing aspect was how we played against Letchworth and especially Colchester at home and I would like to have beaten one of the sides above us. "Next year I'd definitely like to beat one of those."
Looking to the year ahead and Killington is excited by the club's youth set-up, which continues to provide players for the first team.
He said: "The difference between us and a lot of other clubs is that our talent is homegrown, whereas a lot of other teams buy it in whether it be Kiwis, South Africans or people just moving to clubs for money. Many clubs get into financial trouble.
"A lot of our players have come through our mini and youth teams, which is a big thing.
"I know there's a really good crop of youngsters coming through at this club, our youth clubs win most of their tournaments."
It is hoped that prop Joel Bevans Royston will be available to play in the new year following an Achilles problem.
