It's a warm, sunny afternoon at Goldington Road when we caught up with Bedford Blues Director of Rugby Mike Rayer as he continues the planning for the coming season while the players enjoy a week off.

Last season, things kind of fizzled out for the Blues and it was a campaign that they will quickly forget as they look ahead to what's in front of them. What is clear though, is that there is a renewed vigour around the squad and a certain amount of excitement among the players and coaches ahead of the opening pre-season encounter next weekend.

"It could just be the fact that we haven't played a game yet," says Rayer. "But the lads are happy, smiling and in confident mood. Of course, that can all change once the first competitive game has been played but we want to harness this mood for as long as we can."

Bedford certainly weren't quiet in the recruitment process during the off season but they also  retained a large bulk of the squad while snapping up some established players as well as impressive youngsters from Wasps and Saracens.

"Myles Dorrian was a really big coup for us," Rayer added. "Mylo is a different player than he was when he left us the first time and you can see that maturity in him more now he has come back. Thankfully, he still has an almost childlike exuberance and love of the game which continues to make him a big threat.

"Having Mylo also means that we have two quality fly halves who can play off each other. If needed, Mylo can play at 12 or 13 alongside Jake or come off the bench to see a game out. Likewise, Jake can come off the bench to add that extra bit of X Factor if and when needed. It also frees Steffan Jones up to play fullback where he was really effective last season.

"We've made some really quality signings and everyone has bedded in really well. We returned to pre-season training in June and did a good three week block before a week off. Some of the newer lads trickled in after that block so everyone got a good kick up the backside similar to when you sign a player mid season. The players stepped it up and that has continued. The same happened a couple of weeks ago when the Saracens players joined up with us. They arrived and everyone's effort levels went up considerably. You can't beat competition for places at the end of the day.

"I'm delighted to see that we've got a set of lads prepared to battle it out on the training field in order to get a starting Jersey."

With a decent sized squad in place and the players all fighting tooth and nail to pull on the Bedford Blues top there was only one question that could follow...

Who has impressed you the most in pre-season?

"Pettsy! The guy works unbelievably hard and the players have responded in spades.There is a lot of talent in the squad and it is tough to say who is impressing the most, all I will say everyone is working to the max," said the ever diplomatic Rayer.

"Mark Flanagan has shown great enthusiasm and a fine skillset which we are really looking forward to seeing out on the pitch. Sam James at hooker has trained really well and he's going to have a great rivalry with Charlie Clare over the season. Sam Blanchet is an obvious athlete who has shown quality in training and Jordan Burns is a talented scrum half who has real X factor. The Wasps pair, Piers and Alex, are both smashing lads too and got stuck straight in which is really pleasing to see also.

"That's not to forget the players who are still with us though. Pat Tapley and Dean Adamson both contributed so much last season and with George Perkins and Sam Blanchet it means  we have some great attacking options out wide. Meanwhile Toops, Mike Howard and Ollie Dodge are all in great shape and raring to get back out there.

"Last season was Nick Fenton-Wells first as captain and he carried a lot of pressure over the course of the year. It was a tough season and Nick, like all of us, was disappointed with how things finished but he learnt a lot and has come back even stronger. Nick is really focussed on his game and he also has a lot of senior players there to support him when needed. There's a really united feel to the squad and Nick has made that happen."

With the Blues heading into their final phase of pre-season and 'friendlies' on the horizon, what is Mike looking forward to seeing out on the field ahead of the opening Championship clash with Bristol?

"We adopted a new defensive system last season, overseen by Ian Vass, and we started to see it really kicking into effect in the 2nd half of the season. We're a year on, the players know the system and I think the benefits will be there for all to see. We've tweaked a few things offensively, nothing major and we still want to see all 15 players involved with attack, so I'm keen to see that being utilised on the field.

"I was disappointed last season with some of our basic skills along with our discipline at times. Penalties cost us dearly in close games, so that is something  we've talked about as a group and want to give a big focus to. Our set play was good at times and we will strive for more consistency in that area thats for sure. Obviously having quality players in each position will help drive standards. We may be one short in the back row but there is still time and we have players like Toops and Wellsy who are adaptable.

"After the triangular game we are off to Devon for a training camp and it's a great chance for the lads to get to know each other that little bit more on and off the field. We have a few surprises for them ahead of the game against Plymouth but the emphasis is really on bringing everyone together."

And what about the season ahead? Can we make any predictions on where the Blues will be looking to finish?

"Rugby is a tough game to predict. We want to be able to control more of the things that we didn't do last season and we need to stop the sloppiness that got into our game on occasions. Of course, there are things you can't control such as the weather, the referee and the shape of the ball, but if we can get the basics right, I'll be happy.

"If I'm honest, if we see the guys smiling we know we will be performing, the only goal we want to achieve is to prepare well and try to win the next game. We are in two very tough competitions and good weekly preparation is essential and our only focus."