Canterbury Rugby Club head coach Andy Pratt says he wants to better last season’s mid-table finish in National 2 South and take another step towards the long-term aim of promotion.

The city club were eighth in a 15-team division for the whole of the second half of last season – their first after promotion from National 3 London & South East – which Pratt says consolidated them back at the higher level.

Canterbury take on Clifton at Merton Lane on Saturday (3pm) and Pratt said: “We are hoping to improve upon last season – that’s our main goal. We didn’t win as many games as the previous season but we were never going to.

“We consolidated last year and we’d like to get ourselves in a position where one day it would be possible to push on and get promoted.”

Pratt has brought in Kent back-row Buster Collins, 27, from Tonbridge Juddians to help ease an injury-crisis, with Kiwi No.8 Brook Cowan not available until the third game of the campaign. Flankers Pete Kelly and George Micans are set to be out until at least November as they continue their recovery from long-term injury.

One plus for Pratt has been the arrival of Rob Lennox, an Army officer, who has moved into the area and who turned up for a training session at Merton Lane.

Pratt said: “He can play anywhere across the back row and has been a revelation for us. He’s been a real blessing given the injuries we are carrying.”

Centre Charlie Harding, scrum-half Grant Kay and fly-half Reuben Meares could also make their debuts against Clifton.