Moseley head coach Ian Smith praises Terry Sigley's development
Mar 9 2010 by Brian Dick, Birmingham Mail
IAN Smith claims old dog Terry Sigley is learning the new trick of captaincy following the prop’s first encounter with the armband last weekend.
Although Sigley’s first match as leader resulted in a disappointing 23-0 defeat in Mose’s British & Irish Cup match with Bedford – and a fifth straight loss – the veteran put in an enlivened individual performance.
Indeed Smith feels the 31-year-old rose to the occasion on Friday night and has promised to give the former Gloucester and Sale front rower another chance as skipper.
And Smith maintains it is not so much a case of the abrasive Sigley turning from poacher to game-keeper, as much as it is a natural progression for a maturing player.
“We always try to test people and find solutions to various things that might happen in the future,” the head coach said. “Terry is a well respected senior player and in terms of his development, whereas he has seen it and done it in some respects, it could be the next step for him.
“I think we got a little bit more out of him and he clearly enjoyed the responsibility, although there were times when he enjoyed it a little bit too much with some decisions that might have been different in the cold light of day.
“But that’s just inexperience, you have to learn to control and adapt and he showed he is capable of doing that so there’s no reason why we won’t use him again in the future.”
Sigley’s chance came about after Smith opted to leave regular captains Neil Mason and Gareth Taylor on the bench.
Mason at least is likely to be back in the starting line up for this weekend’s decisive Championship match with Bristol.
Smith also hopes to have Nathan Bressington and Tristan Roberts back after both missed out against the Blues.
“Tristan had a dead leg and it was just a precaution, had it been a play off match he would probably have played,” Smith said.
Bressington and Andy Borgen must prove their fitness in training this week and Moseley will also want full-back Tim Catling back on board and more Gloucester players available for a game they have to win.
