It's payback time for St. Albert's first 15.
The premier men's rugby team is determined to return to its winning ways after the worst season by the firsts since 2006.
"There is a huge drive at the club this year to get back on top," said Johnny Moloney, a popular second-row Irishman in his third year rucking and mauling for St. Albert.
Last year's abominable 61-15 loss to the hated Clansmen in the Ken Ann Cup playoff in the Edmonton Rugby Union was the eighth defeat in 14 matches, a ridiculous number considering the firsts suffered only 10 losses in 61 matches the previous four years after returning to the first division following a one-year absence.
It also marked the first year St. Albert's elite men – winners of the 2007 Alberta Rugby Union second division championship, followed by four consecutive trips to the first division provincial final, highlighted by the first Labatt's Cup in club history in 2010 – failed to scrum down in a provincial final.
"We let each other down, we let the team down and more importantly we let the club down and the fans. We've got fans backing us that come to all of our games away and at home," Moloney said. "This year we need to pull up our performances. We need to make a right for our wrongs."
And it starts with training for a club that will also field men's teams in divisions two and three in the ERU, as well as a women's division one side.
"Probably for the first year in a while, there is so much competition for places now that we can't mess around when we're training anymore," said Moloney, 32, a six-foot-five friendly giant until he steps on to the pitch.
British import Adam Higgins parachuted into St. Albert last week for a few weeks of training to secure a starting position at outside-centre on the firsts. There are more potential candidates in the backs than roster spots on the firsts and the pride of Bournemouth wants to be part of the solution.
"I always have high expectations of myself and I felt I could've offered a bit more last year, as well as pretty much the whole team," said Higgins, who also spent time with the second 15s last year. "Obviously it wasn't the best season we've had but this year I'm really looking forward to a big season for us as well as for myself."
Higgins, 22, is a dependable back who got the job done in his 2012 St. Albert debut despite average speed and size.
"The enthusiasm and the competitiveness was great last year. I really enjoyed it so obviously I'm back again," he said. "I just want to help the club get the job done."
The best move Higgins ever made off the pitch was hooking up with St. Albert on the advice of Bournemouth product Karim Lynch. The former MVP of the firsts is one of the greatest players to ever wear the club colours.
"He promoted it to me. He said the club is great and rugby over here is getting better every year and it would be beneficial if I go," Higgins said.
Unfortunately, Higgins will miss the first two matches of the season while wrapping up final exams in sports and health science at the University of Exeter, where he helped lead the school team to the semifinals of the national cup for universities. He will also see action at the club level in a pivotal playoff as Exeter seeks promotion from the fourth tier.
"I'll be ready to go when I get back here."
The season-opening premier tilt is May 11 against the Clan at 4 p.m. at Ellerslie Rugby Park.
Because of the ongoing reclamation work and other outdoor facility enhancements at the Leading Edge Fields, no matches will be staged this year in St. Albert.
"It will be hard not playing in front of your clubhouse, especially on that (main) field, which was like a carpet, but this is the challenge we have," Moloney said.
Another hurdle is waiting for the snow to melt for outdoor training. Winter workouts have been spread around high school gyms in St. Albert and Athletes Nation.
"We're excited to get going. If we can get out to the field the quicker the better," Moloney said. "These are still good facilities and every club has the same stuff at their disposal. It's not the same as outdoors but you still work hard indoors as you would outdoors."
Female coach
Training has been extra tough with the arrival of Jo Hull as the first female head coach of the premier team.
"Jo is fantastic. With our drills she has them set up so they work in a gym this size," Moloney said during Sunday's workout at Paul Kane. "She is what we needed. She kicks our ass if we don't perform. If the session is going wrong she will let you know, which is what we need. We need to be a lot more stricter on ourselves and disciplined in what we do and that's something Jo is going to bring us."
Hull was unavailable to crack the whip Sunday, but veteran Simon Hill made sure everybody was on the same page with the drills.
"The guys are a lot more focused this year and if there are mistakes in training we're starting to correct them ourselves, which is what we needed," Moloney said.
Hull is a Rugby Football Union level III coach and International Rugby Board coach educator who has played and coached for the English women's premiership Darlington Mowden Park Sharks.
Hull's impressive credentials include coaching Scotland at the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup in St. Albert and Ellerslie and the Women's Six Nationals campaign in 2007. Last April she moved to Edmonton to coach the Rockers in the ERU's female division after working six years in Scotland as the Women's International Performance Manager. She also served as the backs coach for the Alberta Pandas, the 2012 Canada West champions and Canadian Interuniversity Sport bronze medalists, is actively involved as the Rugby Alberta junior academy coach and is the ERU junior coordinator.
"We're happy to have her. We would rather have her on our side than on the other side definitely," Moloney said. "Her knowledge base is unbelievable. She is proven. Within the first week we all knew she would fit in as our coach."
Hull is also considered to be the first female head coach in the history of premier men's rugby in Alberta.
"It doesn't bother us at all," Moloney said. "It's definitely ground-breaking but geez, it's sad too because it's 2013 and we're only getting a female coach now."
