By Jonathan B Geddes

IT will be the teacher against his old pupil in Saturday’s Shute Shield clash between Hunter Wildfires and the Western Sydney Two Blues at Eric Tweedale Stadium.

Rival coaches Darren “DC” Coleman and Sailosi Tagicakibau share a special bond – but for 80 minutes on the weekend that will be put aside as they plot each other’s downfall.

Such is the close relationship between the pair that Hunter head honcho Coleman helped Tagicakibau land his gig with the Two Blues. More on that later.  

A COACH IN THE MAKING

THE pair met when Coleman was coaching Warringah and recruited Tagicakibau from Europe where he had earnt a formidable reputation playing with London Irish and Wasps.

“It was a cold call, he wanted to come to Australia and set up a life and we were looking to add to our Rats roster at the time,” Coleman told Rugby News.

And after asking around he was told good things about the player who represented Samoa in three World Cups.

 “And it worked out great,” Coleman said. “Once we got him here you could tell pretty quickly he knew his rugby and had a good understanding of the game. All that experience in Europe really set him up well.” 

Tagicakibau was a key member of Coleman’s 2017 squad which won one of the most emotional Shute Shield grand finals against Norths.

Coleman also recognised that Tagicakibau had the attributes to forge a successful career as a fulltime coach once he finished playing.

When Coleman moved to Gordon in 2019 he tried to entice Tagicakibau to join his coaching staff, but he opted to cut his teeth taking charge of Warringah Colts.

After returning from a  coaching gig in Los Angeles in 2021, Coleman was a technical advisor on the panel that interviewed Tagicakibau for his current position at the Two Blues.

“I have followed his career closely, have chatted a lot of footy with him whenever he needed anything when he was getting into it (coaching),” Coleman said. “It’s good to see him doing well.” 

SAILOSI’S BIG CHALLENGE 

TAGICAKIBAU appreciates the role that DC has played in his development as a coach.

“He’s definitely been a big part of my coaching journey so far,” he said. “I wasn’t too sure if coaching was for me until he gave me my first opportunity in Colts.
“And he’s been accessible for me during this whole time at Warringah, Gordon and the Two Blues.”

He said Coleman also brought him into the Waratah As as an assistant coach which allowed him to experience what the job was like at that level.

“It’s always pretty cool when you come up against somebody you have been mentored by and been a part of how he coaches as a player,” Tagicakibau said.

“I appreciate his friendship as well. He is close to my family as well and I went to his 50^th a couple of years ago.”

As for Saturday’s showdown he said: “I look forward to any challenge and that is part of why we do this job.

“They are doing well and as soon as I knew DC was coming back to the Shute Shield with Hunter I knew they would be a force to be reckoned with.

“With the environments he creates, a lot of people want to play for him and he gets the best out of a group.

“It’s always a test when you go up against him, but I’m looking forward to it.”

HUNTING AND GATHERING MOMENTUM

COLEMAN is happy the way the Wildfires are tracking, sitting in second spot on the table.

“You’d be silly not to,” he said. “If you’d offered me four and one – I would have taken that at the start of the season.

“The best thing is we are playing as a team and the boys are all committed to the cause and enjoying it.

“It’s been a really positive start and our Colts are doing well which is a huge thing for us and our women are on top.”

But Coleman said the Wildfires are under no illusion they face a really hard game against the Two Blues.

“They have some exceptional strike power in their outside backs,” he said.