Aberdeen Grammar players are starting to get their rewards following a culture shift at the club, says co-head coach Nat Coe.
Grammar recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this season last weekend, with a last-minute 21-20 win over Dundee.
It has taken a while to turn the tide at Rubislaw, after their relegation from the Premiership. They started the campaign with six consecutive defeats but wins over Stewart’s Melville and Dundee have lifted them off the foot of the table.
The process for Coe and Greig Ryan – a newly-assembled coaching team this summer – has been a slow one but they are starting to get the results they were craving.
“We had a tough year last year but guys have really committed to this year and I feel like we’re a much more positive club,” said Coe.
“There’s a bit more of a solid foundation than we had last year. It takes a long time to build a culture and when we started off, the club was in a difficult position. It’s taken us a bit of time to undo those difficulties.
FULL TIME AGR 21-20 @DundeeRugbyClub !!
We’ve retained the Allardice Cup!🏆🤩#GrammarGranite pic.twitter.com/tTRKMfziNz
— Aberdeen Grammar Rugby (@ABDNRugby) October 29, 2022
“Guys are putting their money where their mouth is. They’re turning up to training every week and the fact we’ve managed to get a couple of wins is testament to their commitment.
“Our feet are firmly on the ground. We know Saturday’s game was one that could have got away from us and we’d be in a very different position.
“We know it’s going to take more than two wins to push for the top four. We’ve done a lot of video analysis this week and the players need to be ready for the Glasgow game in a week’s time.”
The manner in which Grammar pulled out the win against Dundee was almost a carbon-copy of the game they lost against Stirling County at the end of September.
In that game, they conceded two late tries and missed a penalty to win it, however this time around they were the ones producing the comeback and nailing their kicks.
Coe had praise for Tom Aplin, who delivered in the big moment to ensure Grammar would take the win.
“Tom is a guy that works hard and has been at the club a long time,” said Coe. “He’s kicked countless match-winning kicks in his time and I knew he was going to nail it when he stepped up.
“He works really hard on his kicking and I was chuffed for him, as he’s endured some hard times at the club in the last few years.”
