More of the fight his side showed last winter, more of the attacking spirit they displayed and more of the magnificent support from the fans on the packed terraces.
But what he also wants is to turn the 10 losing bonus points his side recorded in 18 league matches into victories instead of narrow defeats. If last season was all about creating some stability at the capital region, the 2024-25 campaign is about building on what is now a solid base.
“Growing from where we were last season is the clear message I’ve given to the players. It was a difficult but very enjoyable season in which we created an air of positivity,” said Sherratt.
“We laid some foundations, now we have to build on them. Our younger players will be a year older and wiser, although they will remain young players – we have to remember that.
“Many of them played out of necessity last season and did remarkably well. Last September I watched Mackenzie Martin play for Cardiff against Newport at the Arms Park in the Indigo Premiership, then this summer I saw him playing for Wales in Australia.
“The big difference this season is that we’ve been able to bring in 14 players who are mainly older and more experienced. They will be able to instil good habits into all our youngsters and help them to develop further.
“We were fighting to survive last year by using academy players who were brought into the first team a year early. Even though our budget has gone down, this is the season where the re-build really begins.”
There were only four league wins for Cardiff last season and Sherratt will be taking nothing for granted against Zebre, one of only four teams to finish below them in the 16-strong league, having lost to an Italian side at home on the opening day of last season. That was a 23-22 defeat to Benetton Rugby, while they went on to draw 22-22 with Zebre in Parma.
Without a win at the Arms Park since the 55-21 derby triumph over the Dragons on Boxing Day 2023, kicking-off the new season with a win is surely the big goal.
“We got into every game looking to win and I won’t be targeting any specific fixtures as must win matches. Winning in front of our own fans at the Arms Park is important to us and them, and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do against Zebre,” he added.
