Faulds and Russell both return to Falkirk XV ahead of new campaign

Speaking this week, the club’s director of rugby Kenny Grieve praised the business completed so far.

"Harry Russell has returned to us after his spell at Stirling County in the Super 6 alongside Glen Faulds, who was playing for Boroughmuir Bears,” he explained.

“We’ve also picked up a really good prop in Kevin Crainey who was originally a Falkirk lad back in the day.

“Our business has been really positive so far and we want to improve on last season.

"We had younger players involved and we did lose a little bit of structure and gamesmanship.

“Duncan Scobie is back for this campaign after being out for almost two years with a knee injury. He had reconstruction and we are so happy to see him back.

“We are still on the hunt for more additions.”

He is also delighted with how the side’s pre-season preparations are going ahead of their league opener against Dumfries on Saturday, 3 September.

Grieve said “We had a worthwhile hit-out at Whitecraigs over the weekend and we won comfortably. They were relegated out of our division so it was one I would have expected us to win.

“This weekend we are taking on Aberdeen Grammar who will be a step up from that. They have strong scrummagers and they were just relegated from the top tier.

"We are trying to give the players a mix of opponents as our own league has a real variation in abilities and styles.”

The new season will also mark Falkirk’s 50th anniversary and Grieve admits if there was ever a season to go all the way, it would this upcoming one.

"We’ve got a big dinner planned and things like that to celebrate it,” he said. "Luckily we have original members still with us at the club.

"To go on and be successful this year would mean a lot to those people especially, and of course it would be a great time to go on some sort of run.

"We’ve also made progress on our changing facilities being upgraded and the club is in a great place at first team level and below that.

"Now all we need to do is make sure on the park we match that ambition and desire.”