by Paul Cook –

Ask most pundits which team were the favourites for the wooden spoon before a ball was kicked in this year’s NRC, and there’s a fair bet they would have picked the Western Sydney Rams.

The restructuring of the NSW-based sides after the 2015 season saw the majority of former Sydney Stars talent bolster the Country Eagles’ ranks – their 60-28 shellacking of UC Vikings last week an indication of the force they have become as a result – while the renamed Sydney Rays have enjoyed the influx of the core of Northern Suburbs’ Shute Shield winners; the additions of Aussie Sevens stars Cameron Clark and Con Foley; and the return to Australian shores of new Waratah hooker Damien Fitzpatrick.

By contrast, the Rams lost a hefty slice of their squad, with Cameron Orr and Kelly Meafua’s moves to Europe, and Sam Needs and Dewet Roos’ defections to the Eagles and Rays respectively, some of the highest profile examples on a long list of departures. Having won only once in 2015, averaged 45pts per game at the wrong end in the process, and finished the season propping up the ladder after a 71-24 mauling at the hands of eventual premiers Brisbane City, it’s fair to say positives were at a premium around the club.

In came a new coaching team of ex-Wallaby defence guru John Muggleton, ex-Wallaby hooker Jeremy Paul, and ex-Brumby centre Joel Wilson. But they had only three weeks to implement a game plan, oversee the integration of a raft of fresh faces, and try to instil some much-needed confidence around the place. Hence, the general indifference towards their chances.

But despite opening the new season with back-to-back losses to the Rays and Brisbane City, the level of performance in both matches has been a pleasant surprise. They held sway for large periods of the Rays match before succumbing in the final quarter to go down 50-30, while their efforts at Ballymore last weekend had the reigning two-time champions in a whole heap of trouble before they squeezed home 44-36.

A look at the stats charts after two rounds sees the Rams currently leading the way in ball carries, defenders beaten, lineout catches, metres gained and offloads. Not bad for a team yet to taste victory, and a clear indication that they’re not far away from achieving one. They certainly don’t look like a team that has only been together for five weeks.

“We are never happy about losing, but we have shown some really good fight,” Jeremy Paul told Rugby News this week. “We were down 24-0 after 14 minutes against the Rays, so to be back in the game at 38-30 with 15 minutes to go was a positive. We have made really poor errors at critical times and in bad territory, which has given the opposition an opportunity to score. But we’re definitely happy with the improvement from the first game to the second.”

Head coach John Muggleton, marquee player Will Skelton, and assistant coach Jeremy Paul share a joke

Travelling up to Ballymore for game two may have brought back some recurring nightmares of that last day towelling they were handed by City on their last visit. But with only skipper Paul Asquith remaining from the starting XV that took the field that day, the new-look Rams paid no heed to their opponents’ lofty stature, going toe-to-toe for the full 80 minutes with only a 72nd minute try sparing their hosts’ blushes.

However, gallant defeat is not what this team is about.

“Credit to Brisbane City for taking their opportunities and winning the game but we were very disappointed about the result and will look to change that against Perth Spirit,” says Paul ahead of tomorrow’s clash at Concord Oval. “We play the game to win and there is no statistic to measure confidence, so we need to be desperate against the Spirit and take out the errors.”

The Rams forwards – Paul’s obvious area of expertise – have gone particularly well with a potent scrum, an effective maul and plenty of damaging carries a feature thus far. It’s an imposing pack size-wise too, with contracted Waratah Senio Toleafoa standing at 197cm and 125kgs in the second row, rampaging no.8 Tyrone Viiga weighing in at 115kgs, and 120kg Taunaola Kei coming off the bench. And they didn’t exactly lose much in that department when giant Wallaby Will Skelton pulled on the orange and blue jersey last week either!

But it’s been the work around the park from unheralded club players like Rhys Allen – who leads the comp for individual carries, Brandon Paenga-Amosa – who shares top spot on the try-scorers list with three, and the combative and elusive Toupou Sapoaga that have really stood out. Developing a potent forward platform was always going to be a key requirement, but even Paul has been surprised by the rapid progress from his young apprentices.

“The focus for us as a forward pack was to deliver quality ball to the backs and have a strong work ethic. We only had three weeks to prepare, so I’ve kept it very simple in terms of knowledge but I expect a high level of execution. However, our front row is only 21, 20 and 24-years-old respectively and they have amazed me with their development in such a short time.

“We want to take on everyone up front! – it’s why we play the game. That confrontation and physicality is what sorts out the average player from the next Wallaby. We have set a standard now and to go to the next level, you have to continue to improve. So hopefully, we will see more over the coming weeks.”

New skipper Paul Asquith is the only Rams player remaining from the starting XV that finished the 2015 season – Photo: J.B Photography

Nine tries and 66pts in their two games is a clear sign of a team that can cause problems for their opposition. But the concession of 94 at the other end is a hangover from the problems of 2015, and is an obvious area requiring significant improvement if the Rams are to kick on from here and even mount an unlikely push for finals footy.

“94 points is a massive problem for us but we have one of the best defensive coaches of all time in John Muggleton,” says Paul. “We have worked hard on this area but to be honest, we have let in 42 points from direct errors and not defensive lapses. If we take the errors out and stick to our defensive structures, we will hopefully get a result.”

Their opponents tomorrow lunchtime, Perth Spirit, are returning to Sydney after going down to the Rays in the rain last Friday night. But instead of sticking around on the East coast between games, they actually travelled back to Perth for the week before a return flight across the Nullarbor. Needing a win themselves to stay in contention in a short competition, those combined 18hrs on a plane may just be a factor in the closing quarter of the match if it is hanging in the balance. But it isn’t something Paul and his fellow coaches are banking on.

“Hopefully they are exhausted!” he laughs. “But they have a lot of Super Rugby experience and would have discussed the travel. We will just stick to our game plan as we are slowly starting to put some combinations together and understanding what we are trying to achieve.

“This competition is not about the opposition as you only have a very small window to prepare. So for us it’s all about ourselves, and if we play to the best of ability and everyone does their jobs, we will get a result.”

Watch this space…

(Header photo credit – J.B Photography)