Scrum-Half Matthew Bothwell is enjoying Clogher Valley’s journey up the league’s as they take on Malone on Saturday on the opening day of the All-Ireland League 2B campaign.

The 21-year-old has been playing rugby from the age of seven, with his dad Stephen coaching him through the mini’s set-up and now at the helm of the senior team.

Clogher played their first All-Ireland season last year and catapulted into a surprising promotion spot.

“It’s been very rewarding to see the progress over the last few years,” Matthew said looking ahead to the weekend.

“The boys put high effort into training mainly because they hate losing and when we don’t perform or lose a game there’s normally a reaction in training intensity and the following performance.

"We adapted well last year with the higher physicality and hopefully can do that again this year. I noticed that the level of skill from the players who have constantly trained for a couple of years is higher every time we regroup for preseason season and this constantly sets the bar higher for the new players coming in.

"The biggest plus is the amount of players that have the ability to play for the first XV now.

"There are more players this year than ever who will be disappointed to not make the 20 every week which is a sign of our strength and depth.

"I’m also excited to see how the new crop of players who have came in this year from both our youth system and the schools progress, as there’s some really good talent and they have a bite to train which is very promising.”

Clogher make the trip to Gibson Park on Saturday to play AIL stalwarts Malone who dropped down last season.

“We’re expecting a very difficult game, but one we want to target,” Matthew continued.

“They have a very big pack, a good set piece and a number of experienced backs to keep them in the right areas of the pitch.

"Hopefully though if we stick to our game plan and grow through the game we can nick a result as we’re buzzing to play such an established team like Malone for both our firsts and seconds.”

Matthew, who is in his final year of electrical engineering at Ulster University, says improvement is his own personal goal for the upcoming season: “I really want to keep improving on my basics so consistency of passing kicking and decision making just because it’s most beneficial for the team.

"I don’t want to get away from making breaks or the physical part of the game either as I enjoy getting stuck in but if I can nail my basics every time it would be a nice goal to aim for.”

Clogher, defeated 2A side Ballymena in the Shield final last season, so succeeding as underdogs isn’t new for them but whether they can do it for a full season in 2B will make for intriguing viewing.

It’s clear their squad are relishing the challenge that lies ahead. “There’s a few teams we’re excited to play but I think the Dungannon game stands out for most.

"A few of the lads in the senior squad have played for Dungannon before in the past so it’ll be extra special for them. Since the club was founded we’ve never reached Dungannon’s heights so the fixtures are an opportunity to make a bit of history.

"For me, I’ve noticed playing higher-ranked teams the ruck intensity and physicality is the biggest difference. As a scrum half, there’s a lot more hassle on our own ball and aggression from the other sides clearing out their ball.

"I’d say we’ll also be conceding the size in almost all our fixtures so with those too in mind we’ve got to work at a lower height in the tackle, ruck and carry as well as being first to the breakdown.”