FIRST team manager Matt Pallas reckons winning the Dorset and Wilts Senior Cup is a sign of things to come from his revamped Salisbury RFC.

Pallas, along with his coaching team, engineered a shock 18-15 win over favourites Swanage and Wareham at North Dorset RFC.

His battling troops inflicted Swans’ first defeat of the season – before the final Swans were unbeaten in the league and are coasting clear at the summit.

“It was a great performance by the boys, and in a derby that was also a cup final it was always going to be tight but the boys dug deep and put in a controlled, gutsy performance,” Pallas told the Journal.

“It was a great day for all involved at the club and especially our supporters.

“The silverware means a huge amount to the boys and it will hopefully provide a springboard for the rest of the season.”

The victory is a marked improvement on last season after they were trounced most weeks in South West 1 (East). This is down to changes in personnel, training, match preparation, tactics and more, said Pallas.

“We have realised that we need to approach everything on and off the field in the most professional manner possible. We're a team with real ambition and we want to play at the highest standard.

"We're lucky with the sponsors we have, their support is really helping us to achieve our targets we set ourselves.

“This season we have revamped everything that we do; from preparation throughout the week, to training and to the patterns we use. The squad has always had a wealth of talent and with one or two new additions we have created an exceptional squad.”

The Green and White army will face their Berkshire counterparts in the RFU Intermediate Cup at Castle Road on Saturday, January 24.