John Afoa says Bristol Bears are ready and raring to go ahead of Friday’s West Country derby against Bath at Ashton Gate.
The prop, who knows a thing or two about West Country derbies having spent three seasons at Gloucester, says the players are relishing the Ashton Gate atmosphere, as excitement builds for the start of the Premiership campaign.
“We’ve had a couple of good hit outs against Hartpury, Scarlets and then Connacht last week, so everyone is in a good place,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot of boys available and a lot of competition throughout the squad, so whoever gets the nod Friday night is just looking to do a job for the club.
“The squad has gelled together well and we’re really excited about this Friday and the season as a whole. It’s great to see so many supporters getting behind us and we’re raring to go.
“The build-up has been great, and you can tell by the excitement in the club and the community. Pat has already spoken about the responsibility the players have on Friday night, making sure we turn up in the right frame of mind, don’t get overwhelmed by the occasion and just look to play the game that we want.
“We feel like we’ve got a good squad, we’ve trained well over the last few weeks and we’re looking forward to Friday night. The season isn’t won and lost in one game, but we want to make sure we’re putting things in place to build on for the rest of the season.
“Pre-season was really good and I’m feeling fit – as good as you can be after 12 weeks of pre-season – but everyone looks forward to the games and Bath on a Friday night at Ashton Gate is a great start for us.
“There’s a lot of excitement at the club and we can’t wait to get started.”