Newington first XV coach Tim Rapp believes his side’s trial form has been strong enough to suggest that they’ll be right in the mix when the GPS season kicks off on June 18.

Newington held Scots to a 21-21 draw in their opening match of the preseason, beat ISA powerhouse St Augustine’s 48-7 and fell just short against Kings and CAS schools Knox and Waverley in recent weeks.

“We were happy with the way the trial period went,” Rapp told Rugby News.

“We’ve got a handful of returning players from last year’s group. It’s great that those year 11 guys from last year that didn’t get to play a lot of footy now get a chance in year 12. They’re all really excited to play a full season.