"As Much As I Admire Them, I'm Here To Knock Their Socks Off" Kate Zackary
"As Much As I Admire Them, I'm Here To Knock Their Socks Off" Kate Zackary
Eagles coach Sione Fukofuka reflects on lessons from Japan loss, eyes tactical growth and team cohesion ahead of high-stakes clash with powerhouse Canada.
When you are not winning, you are learning. This is a simple mindset every successful organization the world over employs.
For Sione Fukofuka’s Eagles squad, their 39-33 loss to Japan was a perfect opportunity to improve ahead of their upcoming Pacific Four Series clash with Canada.
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Certainly, the result came as somewhat of a shock, given the Eagles’ track record and higher ranking heading into the fixture. A fact not lost on Fukofuka.
“Obviously, the result was not what we were looking for," Fukofuka said. "When we reviewed the match, the players did a great job holding themselves individually accountable.
“The learning from this experience is invaluable. It's a cliché, but you really do learn more from a loss than a win, and that’s been the case these past three days.
“The players have been fantastic - devastated by the loss, especially at home in front of family - but the review process and the corresponding practices since then have been excellent.”
Echoing her coach’s sentiments, captain Kate Zackary delved into how her teammates channeled the result into a positive buildup for their clash with the world No. 2-ranked Canadians.
“Yeah, I think everyone licked their wounds Saturday night into Sunday," Zackary said. "We traveled first thing Sunday morning, had a bit of a review Sunday night, so it gave us that 24-hour grieving period, if you will, just to look back.
“But then it was about moving forward, and I mentioned it to you after the game - we fell into a valley, and now we have to find the first step out. That started Sunday night with a tough review.
“After that, we took the first step forward and hit the ground running. Monday was a bit of a combat day, which was probably good for a few people - getting some hits in, letting out some aggression. It's been good.”
Offering an added wrinkle to the challenge that lies ahead has been the Eagles’ quick six-day turnaround. This accelerated schedule can be viewed as somewhat of a double edge sword.
On a positive note it allows the Eagles to put right the wrongs of last Sunday, while conversely, the removal of a crucial recovery day adds an extra complexity for a big test week.
“It's a unique scenario,” Fukofuka said. “Usually, we get six days to prepare a test-match team. This time, we had an extra five days, which was great. It's a challenge, but an exciting one, especially with the alignment and connection of the group.”
As ever with a World Cup year, the Eagles will be looking to build throughout the season ahead of their Pool A opener against tournament favorite and host England. To ensure they hit the ground running,
Fukofuka emphasized the importance of continuing their building of both squad depth and cohesion over the past year.
“Regarding new players, we've been fortunate that about three-quarters of the squad - or slightly more - were involved last year, giving us a solid foundation," Fukofuka said. “We were confident that would help, and it did.
"Over the two weeks, we focused on embedding this year’s game plan, which is what we’re working to improve.
“Our play in 2024 is centered around a specific style we want to develop leading up to the World Cup.
“Collectively, our big-picture goal this year is the World Cup, so a lot of decision making will be guided by how we want to perform there.
“For context, we trusted our process in bringing on substitutions who were less experienced but needed to understand what it's like to close out a tight game.
“We also wanted our on-field leaders to be in positions where they had to make strong decisions. Although the result wasn't what we wanted, we were confident, even with six minutes to go, that we could still score and change the outcome."
Touching upon new players who have the potential to impact the squad in a major way over the coming months, the head coach highlighted two players in particular in Erica Coulibaly and Olympic sevens star Ilona Maher.
“Erica Coulibaly had a fantastic debut - first touch, scoring a try. She brings a unique skill set, and we wanted to reward her while also testing her against a top-tier opponent.
“Ilona wasn’t available last week; otherwise, she would have played.
“Having Alev and Ilona together in the midfield is exciting, it gives us a different look from what the Eagles' backline has shown over the past year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that develops.”
Building on Maher’s impact on the squad, we asked Fukofuka if there had been discussions around moving the sevens specialist around to ensure she got on the ball with frequency.
Explaining the decision for slotting her in at 13, the experienced Australian coach offered a fascinating insight into the collaborative approach that led to the final selection.
“From my perspective, I had a few conversations with Lo early last year where we discussed her past experience and where her skill set fits within our team," Fukofuka said. “Initially, I considered her for the wing, but that's further from the ball. We wanted her to be more involved.
“I saw her live at the LA Sevens last year, which gave me a much better understanding of her off-the-ball contributions.
“So, I felt 12 or 13 would give her the biggest impact in our system. She could be a great back rower, but we already have strong players there.
“Playing her at 13 allows her to use her speed, skills, and physicality effectively. She’s not just a crash-and-bash player - our system allows her to organize, create vision and help unlock the outside with her skill set.”
Getting a close-up view of Maher’s impact, Zackary could not have been more impressed with the Bristol Bears’ star’s impact on the squad.
“Just on Ilona - obviously, she shot through the Olympics and everything, and now she's transitioned into the 15s game.
“From a teammate perspective, she’s slotted in really well. She’s gone full send into understanding everything we’ve worked on over the past year. She is playing a bit of catch-up, but at the end of the day, systems are important, and we also need players who can execute what they’re good at.
“Any coach will tell you - whether they call it a superpower or x-factor - everyone has something they bring, and that’s what we need from her.
"She’s stepped up. She’s been on the wing, but this week she’s been training in the centers, preparing for the weekend. She’s done a great job.
“As Sione said, she’s learning the system and how to boss people around. We need that. We need every player - from 1 through 15 and 1 through 23 - not afraid to step up and lead.
“We need her on the ball and flying through the line, especially on defense - that's a tough channel. Her sevens experience will help her.
“Whether she's pushing hard or we ice out to the sideline, she’s able to captain that space.
"You’ll see that, and at the end of the day, like everyone else, she’s going to showcase some extreme talents.”
Fukofuka closed the conversation with a clear focus on Canada.
“Tactically, Canada is Canada," Fukofuka said. “They have a strong identity built around a physical power game, so we expect a battle in the collision zone.”
Leaning into the specifics of how far the Canadian side has come over the past 24 months, the head coach was full of praise for the Eagles’ rivals.
“Over the past 24 months, they've layered in more skill and can now move the ball wider than before," Fukofuka added. “That presents a threat in the outside channels. Kevin has been in their program a long time, so it's a consistent approach.
“Their set-piece is strong, they’re physical and they move the ball - very similar to us. So, in a way, we’re testing ourselves against a team that mirrors our own approach.
"The challenge will be our mindset and belief that we can compete with and beat a top-2 team.”
As one of the key veteran players in the setup, Zackary is all too familiar with the strengths the Canadian side pose. Facing several of their top players in the PWR competition, the Ealing Trailfinder was clear in what this rivalry means to both squads.
“The rivalry with Canada is a long one,” Zackary highlighted. “It’s probably more mixed now that I know so many of the players personally, but at the end of the day, there are still bragging rights on the table.”
As ever with one's greatest rivals, there is a clear shared DNA between the two setups that adds another layer of spice to the encounter
“We both represent North America," Zackary added. "We represent two unions that don’t provide contracts.
“We’re two teams with less funding, yet we’re in the top 10, competing with some of the most elite, well-funded programs.
“They’ve done a great job to break into the top three - that’s where we want to be.
“As much as I admire them, I’m here to knock their socks off and have a great game.”
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