Pragmatic and positive. That probably sums up the attitude of Clayton McMillan, coach of the Bay of Plenty Steamers on the eve of their 2016 Mitre 10 Cup season opener against Taranaki at the Tauranga Domain tomorrow afternoon.
'I am confident the team is tactically and technically stronger, it is motivated to do better and, across the board, our blokes are in much better shape than they were 12 months ago.”
So the signs are good and the coach is sure the season will reflect that. He's a big man with a big presence and big expectations.
'Our goal is to be promoted to the premiership, nothing short of that,” says Clayton. 'I would be very disappointed if we didn't show some improvement on last year.
'And the next step is the premiership.”
It helps to understand where this team has come from. In 2013 was the ‘annus horribilis' or season of disaster. Relegated at the end of the ITM Cup, having won one game all season. But last year the Steamers bounced back, losing a semi-final 26-33 to Hawke's Bay.
'We could just as easily have won that game had a decision gone our way,” says McMillan philosophically. 'Or the bounce of a ball.” And the Steamers also went within a whisker of snatching the Ranfurly Shield, again losing a close one to Hawke's Bay 17-23.
And August 30, 2015, should be scratched from history. That's the day Waikato thumped the Steamers 43-10 here in Tauranga at the domain.
'It was our third game in eight days and probably the only game we felt disappointed about. We lost some other games, but we were always in the hunt and against some pretty good teams. We were never that far away and we took a lot of heart from that.”
A foundation has been laid.
'And a little improvement in all areas of rugby should see us improve and turn those close losses of 2015 into wins in 2016.”
No, last year was not a year of rebuilding. 'That smacks of an excuse to buy a year of mediocre results.”
Instead he points to an 'assembled squad with a good blend of enthusiastic debutantes and experience with depth throughout”. Young and balanced.
But yes, a lot of the guys here this year got a lot of valuable experience last year. 'And they have worked really hard in the off-season to be better than they were.
'And so as a team we are going to benefit in a lot of ways from another year's experience.” Add to that the guys who got Super Rugby call-ups this year. 'That put some fire in their bellies, physical winger Elijah Nicholas, centre Lakalai Foketi and halfback Te Aihe Toma, who got called into Highlanders.”
A lot of players are motivated by Super Rugby. They want to be paid for playing the game and they want to do that full-time.
'But you have to eat, train, sleep and play like a professional before you get paid the dollars.
'So there has been a real mindset shift around strengthening and conditioning levels, working really hard at basic skills and position-related skills.”
'If they want to be Super Rugby players then they need to show they can foot it at that level. And I am thrilled at the efforts they've been making to give themselves a good shot.”
They get a shot tomorrow. Which brings us back to Taranaki and some unfinished business. Last year's score line of 32-9 loss still rankles. 'We were ahead when we went to the shed and then they scored two or three five-metre pushover tries. Unacceptable.” Then the positive spin. 'Eliminate those errors and it would have been a pretty close ball game.”
That's the nature of the competition, according to the coach. 'You have to be on song for 80 minutes otherwise an admirable scoreline can quickly blowout and look exactly that – a blowout.”
But this is a team that's enjoyed a couple of fine pre-season workouts – beating Auckland 22-21 and Northland 49-26.
Yes, the coach is well pleased. And confident. 'By about 5.30pm Saturday I would expect us all to be relaxing and waiting for the All Blacks without worrying about what went a couple of hours ago.”
The Steamers' firebox is well stoked it seems.
The Steamers versus Taranaki at Tauranga Domain, tomorrow at 2.35pm.