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NEW HEAD COACH HAS HIGH HOPES FOR SEASON

NEW HEAD COACH HAS HIGH HOPES FOR SEASON

Gary Bird5 Aug 2018 - 21:53
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Consistency and fitness are benchmark for 2018/19 campaign

East London RFC are gearing up for the start of the 2018/19 rugby season with a new head coach at the helm and expectations high for all the club’s teams.
Eddie Gooby has joined the West Ham-based club after 12 years at Chelmsford and he will work with director of rugby Gary Pearmain to bring a consistent style of play across the club and an improved level of fitness.
“I’ve been impressed by the speed and intensity shown during training so far,” said the new arrival. “There is a lot of talent here and there will be real competition for places.
“I’m looking for people who are committed to training and who want to listen and learn. If they are prepared to do that then we should have 20 to 30 people pushing for first team selection, which will be a nice position to be in.”
Eddie stressed the importance of continuity and says teams will struggle if they have to make five or six changes every week. “At this level if you can keep a settled squad of 22 players you are going to have a chance of doing well.”
Key for Eddie this season will be choice of captains following the loss of last year’s 1st XV skipper Dan Bracken and 2s captain Jacob Williams. The head coach said: “Whoever is selected will be someone who the players respect and is going to be here regularly. There are a few candidates who are showing the right desire and work rate, but every player here has an important role to play in the way we develop the club.”
Eddie expects it to be another challenging campaign for the 1st XV in the London 3 Essex division but sees no reason why the team cannot improve on last season’s third position. He said: “This league is just as hard as the league above us – in fact it may even be tougher.”
Barking have come into the division this season as well as Kings Cross Steelers who share the facilities at the Memorial Ground. Said Eddie: “We’ve got eight first team fixtures at home at the same time as the Steelers. I’m sure the clubhouse will be buzzing, but it also brings pressure. We just have to stay calm and do our job.”
The new head coach, was tutored in his early coach years at Saracens shadowing there coaches and working with the young England players and senior squad , is looking forward to working with director of rugby Pearmain. “Our philosophies are similar,” he said. “Some might even call us old fashioned, but I want to bring some flair to what we do. Gary can do some specialist work with the forwards and I can work with the backs, but I’ll be pushing the forwards as well because that's where we need to have a real physical presence.”
Eddie sees the first month of the season, which begins on 8 September, as the key to how the 2018/19 campaign will unfold. He said: “There are a couple of games there I would expect us to win, and if we can get something from the two others then it will be a good start. That will give us the confidence and momentum to carry on.”
Eddie has also stressed the importance of the Wyverns 2nd XV and the 3rd XV this season. “Those players are going to be very important to us. We need to keep everyone together because players need to be ready for the first team if called upon. The Wyverns especially are in a very difficult Merit Table One division this season so we all have to be prepared.
“Home form will be important and fitness will also be a key factor. We have to be fitter than our opponents, especially in the final ten minutes of games. This is how we will build all our teams this season, combined with work rate and camaraderie.”
Last season the 1st XV scored a lot of points against all teams in the division and gained the most bonus points, but the team also conceded many. “If we do that again this season it will be the difference between gaining promotion and staying mid-table,” said Eddie.
Eddie hopes that by making some changes to the defensive side of the club’s game, all sides will be in the mix for a crack at promotion. “My ethos has always been about developing players as individuals and bringing a continuity of style in play that runs throughout a club. By doing this, players will emerge who will be leaders on and off the pitch and hopefully be coaches of the future. I see real strength in depth here and training so far has been competitive and full on. There is real competition for places and everyone will get an opportunity if they are prepared to work hard.”
Eddie has also taken on coaching duties for the Vixens ladies team. He said: “Our early training sessions have been fantastic and the ladies have put in a lot of hard work. There are some great skills in the ladies team and everyone seems to be enjoying the new plays and systems we are working on.
“Everyone at the club has come a long way in a short space of time and the welcome I’ve received has been great. We have a solid foundation and I’m looking forward to working with all the players and the management committee on taking this club forward in the season ahead.”
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