A last-gasp coaching change has reigning TRU premiers Launceston poised to take their game up another level in 2023.
That’s the view of club president Tua Agaiava, who believes new staff signing Darren Nicholson has the keys to unlock the Tigers’ full potential.
The northern powerhouse bounced back from their disappointing Round 1 loss to Taroona in stunning fashion, scoring 14 tries in a 98-12 thumping of Devonport at Royal Park.
Agaiava credited the result to Nicholson’s impact since coming on board as head coach at the eleventh hour.
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“It was a really good game from our boys but I think a lot comes down to the way Nico has introduced our new structures and begun to teach our boys how to manage themselves on field,” Agaiava said.
“We certainly don’t want to downplay the significance of this win – usually the margin is only 15 points or so against Devonport either way – but we’re most pleased with the way our boys managed that game.
“We didn’t get sucked into that tight forwards game Devonport likes to play. We ran our structure through the middle and then moved the ball wide and into space and a lot of that comes down to Nico's influence.”
A huge weekend of rugby for the Tigers over the weekend! In First Grade, Launceston recorded a 98-12 victory over the...
Posted by Launceston Rugby Club on Sunday, May 7, 2023
Halfback TJ Pieters bagged four tries in his personal 36-point tally while Vincent Bell and Marika Nadaulevu also scored doubles in a lop-sided affair.
Yet Agaiava believes the biggest contributor was sideline with Nicholson’s coaching pedigree already starting to shine.
“We weren’t quite sure how things would go with Nico coming on board late but within about 30 minutes of him leading sessions it became clear he knows a lot more about rugby than he let’s on,” Agaiava said.
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“He’s a humble and unassuming person but he's got plenty of experience coaching in the UK and Canberra and I think the boys have already picked up so much from the way he speaks, not only about the technical side, but about how you manage your stress and excitement levels before and during games.
“Things like that are rarely emphasised at an amateur level from my experiences and he’s already making positive changes around the club.
“We’re in a good space as a whole – we’re getting lots down to training, our canteen is back up and running, and we had about 12 volunteers down on the weekend – so we’re excited to see how we go and how Nico goes for the rest of the season.”
A dominant performance on Saturday by our 1st team saw us overcome a Glenorchy side that never gave up. It was pleasing...
Posted by Taroona Rugby Club on Sunday, May 7, 2023
Launceston weren’t the only side racking up scores with title favourites Taroona matching the Tigers' 14-try haul in their 88-0 win over Glenorchy on Saturday afternoon.
Former Stag Aron Lovell scored four tries against his old club with Ollie Bird, Jordan Eddington (two tries each) and Noah Kazarine (23 points) keeping the Eady Street scorers busy.
In the other Premiership fixtures, Burnie fullback Benjamin Okusi scored four tries as the Emus downed Hobart Lions 34-6 to remain unbeaten while University skipper Henry Davis scored twice in a 22-18 home win over Hobart Harlequins.
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Burnie also reigned supreme in Round 2 of the women’s sevens competition, racking up 116 points and conceding just 5 across three unbeaten games, with University and Harlequeens also picking up two wins at Emu Park.
Meanwhile Eastern Suburbs went down fighting across the men’s Championship and women’s sevens with the Farrington Shield retained by Taroona over at North Warrane.
Easts are still actively recruiting men, women and juniors from 6 and onwards for the 2023 season with prospective players are encouraged to contact club president Kristi Leitch on 0415481381.
