While he hasn’t got to experience the sunny Eastern Suburbs’ summer that he was promised, new Easts coach Simon Kneebone hasn’t had too much else to complain about since arriving at Woollahra Oval in November last year.

“It’s a really impressive club and the facilities at Woollahra are fantastic,” he told Rugby News.

“Our first training session was on a Thursday night and I remember looking back towards the club as training finished and there were 100-150 people having a meal with their kids, all having a good time.

“There was a really good energy to the place and that was pretty inspiring to arrive to.”

The former Crusaders Academy coach, who also led Seattle to a Major League Rugby title in 2019, has inherited a different looking Beasties group in 2022.

15 players from last year’s first grade squad have taken up opportunities overseas.

“It’s fantastic for them but it did create some holes that we needed to fill,” he said.

“I think we’ve got the mix right between promoting the homegrown talent that was here and ready to play first grade and then bringing in guys from overseas or other states in a few key positions where we were light on.”

Easts were beaten in the preliminary final in 2020 and were third last year when the season was postponed with seven wins from their 10 matches.

“Pauli (Taumoepeau) did a fantastic job with the boys but I’ve obviously come in and looked at things a little differently in terms of our playing style,” the coach said.

“I’ve watched a lot of Shute Shield tape over the last few months and most teams seem to play a high speed, expansive game.

“I don’t see a need to change that but I think my focus is a bit more on being technically and tactically sound so that we can create opportunities to express ourselves and attack.”

In his first season coaching in the Shute Shield Kneebone said it was difficult to know what to expect.

“I’m going into it with my eyes wide open.

“I’ve gone along to a few of the Sevens tournaments and I’ve been impressed by the size and the speed of some of the players at other teams so it’s going to be a good challenge.”

Easts, who will be without their representative players until later in the season, open their Shute Shield campaign with tough clashes against Norths and Eastwood.

Kneebone admitted that it might take his side a bit of time to get going, but seemed confident that Easts would be in the mix at the pointy end of the season.

“I think the coaches, the players and the club are all aligned on what we want to achieve.

“It’s been a long time between drinks at Easts and they’ve been perennially around the finals but haven’t quite got there so I’ve been working really hard on the mindset around that.

“The skillset is obviously there and we’re also blessed at Easts to have seven or eight players at the Waratahs who will return later in the year and that’s going to change the dynamic a little.

“We want to be in touch towards the end of the year then really stamp our mark on the competition come finals time.”