A COACHING retreat next week will allow Nigel Davies to plot Gloucester's route forward for next season.
The Gloucester boss will take his entire coaching team on a residential season review, to pick apart the campaign.
Rugby director Davies and Co will analyse exactly where the Cherry and Whites must improve to reach the Premiership play-offs.
The former Wales centre believes the best way to examine this term in detail is to do so in one foul swoop – and as quickly as possible.
Davies and his coaches will hold one-to-one meetings with the entire Gloucester squad this week, in an end-of-season debrief.
Whether leaving, staying or retiring, Davies said every current Cherry and Whites player will go through the process.
He explained: "I'm going to take the coaches away to deepest, darkest West Wales, lock them in a horrible hotel and we're going to pick the season apart.
"The coaches have already been working hard to analyse the entire season, working on where we haven't been up to the standards we want, but also just looking ahead.
"We want to look at where the game's going, whether there will be any law changes on that.
"This week the players will all have individual reviews with the coaches, where we'll again talk about their season and they will have the opportunity to air their views as well.
"And then we'll set targets for next season with the players, individually and collectively.
"The sooner we can get planning and moving on next season the better.
"This might be a time when thing quieten down for supporters and players, but for the coaches it is absolutely the most pivotal time.
"Pre-season and the run-up to it totally affect the course of the season.
"I honestly believe that if you get you pre-season right then the season almost in a way takes care of itself.
"It's certainly about setting out clear practices and goals, sticking to those plans and fighting as hard you can to achieve those aims and ambitions.
"As coaches we will sit down and work out what we want to change in terms of our approach, and what we want to get out of next season as a group and individually too.
"And we're doing the same thing with the players, because the clearer we are now about what we want, the better we will be and the faster we can get going with things in pre-season."
Davies said Gloucester's gritty and expansive rugby in last-gasp 40-39 defeat at Exeter Chiefs on Saturday can send the Cherry and Whites into the close season in high spirits.
Hailing the Kingsholm club's strong squad spirit this season, Davies thanked all his players for sticking to the task – whatever their plans for next year.
He continued: "It was vital I think that we produced a good performance and one that underlined how much importance we had placed in the game as a group.
"We were desperate to show that it meant a great deal to us, and I think we did that.
"Now the challenge as we have said before, is to be able to back up performances week on week, and not have any big dips in form at all.
"One of the most important aspects of the season has been the way all the players have bought into what we have been trying to achieve.
"They have all thrown themselves fully into the challenges we've put in front of them, and I have to thank each and every one for that.
"Towards the end of any season you have players who will be moving on or doing other things next year – but crucially none of our players let their minds wander or their focus drift off the task in hand.
"And it is definitely worth flagging that up, because it has made our job as coaches that bit easier."
