By Jonathan B Geddes

A weekly coffee ritual has played a key role in Eastern Suburbs campaign to win two successive Shute Shield grand finals.

Each Wednesday morning on his day off coach Ben Batger meets up with forward Michael Icely at a North Shore coffee shop, where over an iced latte, a cappuccino and a slice of banana bread they conduct a one-on-one review on the dynamic blindside flanker’s game.

“He’s 28, he’s played Australian Sevens, he’s won the Ken Catchpole Medal and still wants to get better as a footy player,” Batger told Rugby News.

The pair were back at their at their Naremburn hang-out this week preparing for Saturday’s preliminary final against Eastwood at North Sydney Oval, in a battle dubbed “the silvertails verses the fibros”.

The catch-ups started back in 2019 when Icely first went into grade with Eastwood and Batger was Woodies coach and have continued ever since.

CLOSE CONNECTIONS 

THOSE meetings demonstrate the strong bond between the pair and explains why the 2023 Catchpole Medal winner was keen to again link up with Batger at Woollahra this season once his commitments with Australian Sevens squad were completed.

Batger said he, Icely and Easts forward coach Jed Gillespie  – another former Eastwood stalwart –  are very close.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Michael Icely as a player and a human,” Batger said. “And he adds a lot to the team.”

Icely appreciates how Batger has gone above and beyond to help him develop.

“His one day off from rugby and I’m bothering him, making him sit down for a coffee and watch  a  whole game of rugby. I can’t imagine many coaches doing that,” Icely said.

“He takes apart my game – things I am doing well, things I can work on – and I really reap the rewards from that.

“I have a special bond with him and Jed and I obviously wanted to do that again.

“They are the sorts of things that make you want to play for a coach and a team,”    

 SEVENS HEAVEN  

THE review sessions have paid dividends as Icely produced a dominant performance in last Saturday’s 40-19 semi-final win over Randwick.

“To be honest it’s taken him a little while to adjust to 15s again and on the weekend I think it was his best game by far,” the Shute Shield Coach of the Year said.      

Icely believes his involvement in the sevens program has benefited his game.

“The core skills, the professionalism, the coaching and being in that high pressure sevens environment helps a lot – you’ve got to make your tackles, make your passes which is so important,” he said.     

 FIBROS V SILVERTAILS   

BATGER, a former champion Eastwood player as well as coach, well understands the challenge that his opponents pose on Saturday.

“They have played with reckless abandon and are No.1 attack side in the competition probably because of that,” he said.

He said the Woodies’ players will also want to send their departing coach Dave Telfer out on a winning note. 

“I know Eastwood better than most people and they have always liked playing against Easts – it is one of those classic fibros verses silvertails type of thing,” Batger said.

“Having been at Eastwood so long we always used that motivation and I don’t think anything has changed over the last few years.”

Icely backed up his coach’s observations.

“When I was at Eastwood we definitely thought we were better than Easts and even though they had these grand teams we thought we were tougher and could bully them around,” Icely said.

“We definitely had a lot of success. In 2019, 20, 21 and 22 we seemed to play them in the finals and every time we got the wins. I’m sure they will get a lot of confidence from that.

“I expect they will be playing with no fear and a nothing to lose mentality.”                   

Saturday’s game will also be the first time Icely has played against his old club.

“I try not to think about it for now because that just adds more pressure,” he said.