By Adam Sheldon

GPS director of rugby and head coach Matt Cockbain has told Rugby News his side needed to improve in “key moments” ahead of Saturday’s crucial home Hospital Cup clash against UQ, with the fixture also doubling as the Halley Appleby Memorial Trophy.

UQ are sitting seventh (16 points), while GPS are eighth (14 points), with the clash looming as an important early-season test in the race for finals positioning.

The hosts pushed third-placed Easts all the way in a narrow seven-point loss last weekend and Cockbain said the performance reinforced belief within the group, despite the frustration of letting another close game slip.

“Without blaming anyone other than ourselves really, we’ve got to be better in key moments,” Cockbain told Rugby News.

“That’s the message I’ve been talking to the lads about – staying with what we’ve talked about in terms of our game plan, trying to nail those moments and having patience once we get down that end of the field.

“We’ve got to make sure we convert those 22-metre entries into points.”

The former Wallabies lock, who was capped 63 times for Australia and was a key member of the side’s 1999 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, is in his first season in the head role at GPS.

While his side have shown glimpses of their potential throughout the opening rounds, they have struggled to consistently close out tight contests, with Cockbain calling for focus ahead of the UQ clash.

“What happened last week’s not going to help us this week,” he said.

“You don’t get any credit for what you did last week. All it does is confirm what you are doing is the right way to go about it and create a bit of confidence if it’s working.”

The side have also been hit by injuries to key players, including captain Nick Baker (lock) in round one, while Cockbain admitted front-row depth remained an area of concern after several departures across the offseason.

“We’re certainly light on in some positions like front row,” he said. “That’s probably been a bit of a hindrance for us in this first part of the season.”

He lauded the impact of Leroy Ferguson, 24, who has stepped up in Baker’s absence after arriving from New Zealand earlier this year, where he played in the National Provincial Championship.

“Leroy Ferguson has come in and has done a really good job. He played basically 80 minutes last week and got players’ player of the match, so he’s certainly shown he’s capable at that level,” Cockbain said.

“He is one of a number of players who have stepped up.”

Saturday’s clash also carries added significance, with the annual fixture played in honour of former UQ hooker Halley Appleby, who tragically passed away after suffering fatal injuries in a tackle against GPS in 2011, aged just 21.

“It’s developed into a rivalry obviously,” Cockbain said. “That’s what we play for these days, which is a sad thing but also a good thing in terms of recognising his memory and contribution to Uni.”

Cockbain expected the contest to be decided through the forwards and territorial battle.

“You’ve got to have a good set piece and dominate collisions physically,” he said. “And the kicking game is always key – playing in the right areas and keeping the ball once we get into opposition territory.”

Asked about UQ’s strengths, Cockbain pointed to the Students’ attacking mindset.

“They won’t die wondering – they love to attack, so we can’t switch off defensively,” he said.