Mooar makes winning start in Wales
New Zealand coach Brad Mooar is thrilled with his new Welsh club’s winning start to Europe’s PRO 14 competition.
The former lawyer left his job as Crusaders assistant coach after three Super Rugby titlewinning seasons in Christchurch to take over as head coach of the Scarlets.
The Llanelli-based club has won three out of three games in the PRO 14 championship despite having its best players on national team duty with Wales at the Rugby World Cup.
Scarlets thumped Italian club Zebre 54-10 last weekend after earlier victories over Connacht (18-10) and Dave Rennie’s Glasgow
Warriors
(25-21).
‘‘It’s three out of three so
I’m really thrilled for the boys who’ve worked really hard and bought in,’’ Mooar told BBC Wales after the Scarlets scored eight tries – four in each half – against Zebre.
‘‘As for the performance, we’ve scored eight tries, off the boot and through the hands, exerting pressure in different ways.
‘‘We showed that it is difficult to keep up intensity because we got a bit loose and lateral in the first half, so we talked about that at halftime and we saw a lovely response. I was also thrilled to keep Zebre scoreless in the second half.’’
Former Crusaders wing Johnny McNicholl – at fullback for Scarlets – scored two tries. He is eligible to play for Wales after the World Cup.
Mooar said the Scarlets felt connected to their team-mates playing in Japan.
‘‘We’re really enjoying watching the boys perform at the World Cup, and they’re really enjoying watching these boys perform back at home, so for us [this period] doesn’t feel low-key and it’s been a good start.
‘‘Edinburgh [on October 26] are a club with great depth and they’re well-coached, so after an individual training week this week, we’ll be energised and bouncing, it sounds exciting.’’
Mooar, a former Southland Stags head coach, took Kiwi compatriot Glenn Delaney, the ex Canterbury head coach and Highlanders defence coach, with him to south Wales.
They have found a similar rugby environment to New Zealand.
Mooar told Wales Online ina recent interview he had ‘‘walked into a really good environment, with some great people who work really hard for the club’’.
He said his group was ‘‘picking up off some outstanding work’’ done by his predecessor, Kiwi compatriot Wayne Pivac, and his coaching group. Pivac has left to become Wales’ head coach after the World Cup.