EXPERIENCED coach John Kimberley has joined Royal Wootton Bassett to spearhead the club’s vision to expand and improve players’ tactical analysis.

Kimberley, a long serving coach with Dorset & Wilts in addition to his eight seasons with Devizes, will work closely with Bassett legend Alex Norcross – who last year announced his retirement following 27 years of service for the leading Wiltshire club.

Kimberley joins ahead of the club’s crucial six-game run to conclude the 2019-20 season. Should Alan Low’s side be successful in each of those six games, then they stand every chance of being promoted into the South West Premier Division.

This weekend’s trip to Banbury is simply a must win game if Bassett are to stand any chance of knocking current leaders Old Centralians off top spot between now and April 18 – the final weekend of the season where, coincidently, the top two teams meet at Ballards Ash.

And having the experience of both Kimberley and Norcross is his backroom team serves as a tremendous plus to Low.

He said: “John (Kimberley) was at Bath while I was playing there too. John is a guru, and really into his analysis.

“I worked with him for years with the Dorset & Wilts senior side. He has been really fresh with the players because of the analysis he is providing them – so he has taken on a far amount of responsibility with that.

“Alex Norcross is working on the software side of things too. Both of their inputs have been a real help this year and a key factor with regards to what we have been able to do.”

Bassett have been filming games for several years now.

But only recently has the club invested in tower cameras where clips can be broken down into a range of categories via an online piece of software.

Low claims to already be reaping the rewards of the club’s investment, namely scum half Alex Plows’ improvement has caught the Bassett chief’s eye.

Plows joined Bassett from a tier nine club, and has excelled this term to become an established first-team player.

Low added: “We knew analysis was an area we could really start to develop across the club.

“Alex (Norcross) does a great job with that and has been cutting up specific clips for individual players which has been a huge element of what we’ve been doing to try and push on as a club.

“And it shows, some of the guys have taken huge steps. With the analytics, I know Alex (Plows) is doing his homework every single week and his journey has been amazing.

“He is still constantly improving and that’s down to the work he is doing himself away from the club.”

Elsewhere this weekend, Swindon are in Southern Counties South action away to table topping Grove – defeat will almost certainly end the club’s realistic hopes of winning automatic promotion back into South West One (East).

Swindon College Old Boys meanwhile are away to Thatcham in a clash between two teams in the bottom half of the table.