NEWS

“You Can’t Afford To Be Off Your Game” – Houston’s Davy Coetzer Ahead Of Home Opener

Written by Joe Harvey | Photos by Nicolas Romero

To start the 2023 Major League Rugby season, the Houston SaberCats went to Arlington, Texas, and beat the Dallas Jackals 12-33.

Davy Coetzer was at the heart of everything, and his team did well at Choctaw Stadium, the 23-year-old fly-half bagging 13 points in the bonus point win and getting the new campaign off on the right footing.

Controlling the game effectively and putting their hosts under pressure, it was a well-rounded performance from the side that made it to the playoffs for the first time last season.

After just one preseason fixture to prepare for the new Major League Rugby campaign, Coetzer and his teammates had an impressive first outing.

It's the @Hou_Sabercats that strike first! They get 5 points up the middle of the Jackals' defense

🎥 @therugbynetwork | #DALvHOU | #MLR2023 pic.twitter.com/172VgwysjM

— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) February 20, 2023

Leading at the break 19-0, Houston saw Dallas make a better fist of things across the second 40 minutes, although the SaberCats saw themselves secure a win to start the new season.

“In the first game, there is always a bit of rust,” Coetzer told MLR. “That first game is vital, and there are a lot of new combinations as well, as a team. I think we did really well in our first game.

“We wanted to target territory. I think we did that quite well, and the forwards did well physically and at the set piece.

“In the second half, we made a few more mistakes, which was expected. Compared to where we were last year, I think we are way better.

“For a first game, we are pretty happy with how things went. Obviously, there are a lot of things we looked at, that we would like to fix.

“There were a lot of great things that we saw on the field, and we are just excited to build and see what’s next.”

LESSONS FROM 2022

Last season, Coetzer was part of the Houston SaberCats’ most successful season to date. As one of the original MLR teams, last season was the first time that the Texans made the postseason.

Coming to America, Coetzer had plenty of experience to lend his new employers. Joining from the historic Blue Bulls, the 23-year-old had represented South Africa U20 in 2018 and 2019, while also being a top performer for the University of Pretoria.

Arriving after the appointment of South African duo Heyneke Meyer [Director of Rugby] and Pote Human [head coach], along with a host of new players, it proved to be a historic season for the team.

Battling their way to the playoffs, a Rob Povey penalty in a 36-43 loss to the Seattle Seawolves helped Houston to a losing bonus point and took the side to new heights.

The Sabercat’s hosted the West Conference Final in mid-June and could not progress, but by then, the team’s progress was clear.

Comings and goings at the AVEVA Stadium have been minimal. Therefore, the SaberCats have essentially the same players at their disposal as they try to better last year’s efforts.

There were three off-season recruits that did get starting roles on the opening weekend. First, Carlo de Nysschen, the scrum-half combining with Coetzer, and in the forwards’ pack, Hanco Germishuys and Morgan Mitchell helped to subdue their opposition.

“For a lot of us last year, we took a lot of learnings out of the year,” Coetzer said. “It was a lot of our players’ first year in MLR and not knowing what to expect.

“It is learning from last year, learning what we could fit into this year, in preseason, implementing those things.

“I just think we became way more connected this year in preseason. A lot more time, boys are fitter, working on smaller things that you can fix in a game, preparing for 2023.

“In essence, I would say we are way more prepared for this year, conditioning-wise, game plan-wise, and I think everyone was on the same page and knew what to do and their roles this year.

“I think it is a massive step up for us this year, being together as a team and working on what we want to achieve this year.”

With the group having taken so much from the previous season, the SaberCats are in a solid place as they look to progress this season.

Those experiences also affected Coetzer, who now knows the value of each fixture as the side hopes to make further strides this year.

“For me personally, from last year to this year; every game is so important,” Coetzer said. 

“You can’t afford to be off your game in one, because, at the end of the day, the leaderboard is so tight that if you screw up once, it can affect your results for the standings.

“At the end of the day, that leaderboard always gets defined by one or two points, and one or two points can be the difference between an eliminator game or a home Conference Final.

“That is the important thing, trying to get to the top of the log, so you can get home games, and if you are off your game, you might face an away eliminator game.”

NOLA GOLD UP NEXT

Next for Houston is the NOLA Gold. Kane Thompson’s team began the new season with a 12-36 loss to the New England Free Jacks in Louisiana.

There’s excitement for the clash between NOLA and Houston as it will be broadcast live on FS2 this Saturday.

It all leads to a memorable affair in Texas, with Coetzer believing there is already much to play when the two teams are face to face.

“In this league, you can’t go and underestimate anyone because on the day, if they come out to perform and you are not on par, you are going to struggle,” Coetzer said.

“We know they are definitely going to be motivated, especially after last week’s loss. We are preparing for a big game. We know it is going to be a big game.

“We know they have got quality players, they are a pretty good team. We prepare for each game like it is the biggest game of the season.

“This first home game is probably one of the biggest of the season. We are looking at it like a final. We are going to go guns blazing.”