YOUNG GUNS
SALE HOOKER
As unusual routes to the top of English rugby go, Nic Dolly’s takes some beating.
Brought up in Sydney, Dolly looked set for a career with the Waratahs, having come through the ranks of their U15 and U17 sides at 15s and excelled at 7s at U18s level. However, a trip to see his grandparents in Manchester over Christmas 2016 changed his life.
Dolly, 19, explains: “My mum’s parents live in Denton and I came over on holiday and never went back. I told my granddad I wanted to play some rugby. He knew I played at a decent level so he sent an email and Warren Spragg, Sale’s academy coach, invited me to training.
“They said if I was any good, I could stay. So, they put me in their side for the Premiership U18s competition and at the end of our last game against Harlequins, Peter Walton, the England U18s coach, asked me if I had a British passport. I did, and it just snowballed from there. I got involved with the England U18s and then got a contract with Sale.”
Three months after leaving Australia, Dolly made his England U18s debut against France at Aylesbury RFC, making six appearances at that level in all. He added: “It was unbelievable really. I’d gone from the heat of an Australian summer to the English winter, but I could cope with that and it’s what I wanted to do. I don’t think I’ll go back any time soon.
“I ended up playing all the games for England U18s, after which Steve Diamond offered me a contract at Sale. He said he’d been impressed with what I’d done and I was really pleased with that. It was a great opportunity and ‘Dimes’ has been very influential.
“He’s an old hooker himself and he keeps you on the straight and narrow, telling you how it is in an honest way. I don’t want to beat about the bush, I need to know what to work on if I want to get into Sale’s first team, and so far it’s been going pretty well.”
At Sale, Dolly has benefitted from the influence of former England hooker Rob Webber and academy transition boss Neil Briggs, alongside whom he has turned out for Sale FC in National One.
“I’ve made four first team appearances this season and experience is key, so to learn off people like ‘Webbs’ and ‘Briggsy’ has helped me grow,” Dolly said. “Webbs has been a massive help, especially around the set-piece, where he’s renowned for his work.” A member of England’s current U20s squad, the world is now globe-trotting Dolly’s oyster.
He is setting the bar high, adding: “The hookers I probably base my game on are New Zealand’s Dane Coles – a bit more dynamic and lighter than average but still able to hold his own at the set-piece – and Malcolm Marx, who’s great with ball in hand and makes good tackles and turnovers. If I could get to anywhere near that level, I’d be pretty satisfied.”
NEALE HARVEY