Ex-Sharks star is now making a splash at Leicester
NIC Dolly came through a potentially “worrying and concerning” period before finding his way back to a Gallagher Premiership club.
This week the 22-year-old was named in Eddie Jones’ England squad for the autumn internationals as a reward for his sparkling start to the season, scoring five tries in as many games as Leicester Tigers surged to the top of the league.
But the picture was very different for the Sydney-born hooker 12 months ago.
Released from Sale Sharks during the Covid-19 enforced break in the 2019/20 season, Dolly was snapped up by Championship club Coventry.
Despite teaming up with his new colleagues in June, he had to wait until October to commence preseason training - and then a further five months before making his full debut for Coventry against Bedford Blues in the shortened 2021 Championship season in March this year.
“It could’ve been quite concerning for Nic having left a Premiership Academy,” said Coventry director of rugby, Rowland Winter.
“You need to work hard on your game when that happens, and you need game time, to be given an opportunity and to join an environment where you can do all those things.
“Because of Covid, we couldn’t get going and that could’ve been quite worrying for him at that stage of his career. But he stuck to it, stuck to the task.
“He looked at home immediately and was part of the group during our team building in June [2020]. He moved in with Adam Peters that summer, they’re good friends.
“We finally got back to training in October, which meant he had a good five months of pre-season with us, then he didn’t make a month of games before joining Tigers!”
Dolly scored a crucial try in that tense 10-9 victory over Bedford and backed it up with scores against Doncaster and Ealing before Leicester Tigers secured his services for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign.
He made two substitute appearances before grabbing his opportunity with both hands this term, registering a brace against Exeter
Chiefs and further scores against Gloucester, London Irish and Worcester.
Dolly’s rapid ascent to the international fold has been of little surprise to Winter.
“When we picked up Nic he was clearly a talented player who had just missed out on going through the system with Sale,” he said.
“We knew he had a good player. Throughout Covid and the long pre-season we had, we could see he was a talented player working hard, putting the effort in to constantly try and get better.
“The only downside is after Tigers came calling was he didn’t really get a look in that season.
“But as soon as he was given the opportunity, he has not looked back, and I am not surprised.
“It’s clear he’s put on some muscle weight too to adapt to the Premiership.
“We backed him, Steve [Borthwick] has backed him and now Eddie [Jones] too, the lad’s clearly got talent.
“He’s not only a good player, he wants to maximise resources around him. We knew there was a talent there and he was good among the boys.
“Nic was more than happy to socialise too. He fits what Borthwick wants, he puts everything into constantly improving.”
Dolly is the latest of a long list of players in recent times that have spent time at Coventry before being recruited by a Premiership club.
Flanker Luke Wallace played for Coventry following his release from Harlequins in 2019, before also being signed by Leicester Tigers and then subsequently moving back to Quins.
“I am proud to say Coventry Rugby is catching up with Championship clubs.” said Winter.
“We’ve got a good pathway and a decent pro-environment. We recently had five of our academy lads called into England U20s training camps.
“We’ve also had Nic Dolly and others come to us and then move on, that’s reflective of where the Championship is at, it’s the same at the likes of Jersey, Bedford and others.
It’s a great springboard upwards. We’ve got to keep singing about it and celebrating it.”
Meanwhile, Tigers back Matt Scott has been named in a 42-man Scotland squad for their upcoming autumn internationals.
Scott has made
39 Test appearances for his home nation who face Tonga, Australia, South Africa and Japan at Murrayfield.
He joins club-mates Dolly, Ellis Genge, George Martin, Freddie Steward and Ben Youngs (all England), Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese (South Africa) and Hosea Saumaki (Tonga) in being selected by their countries.