Avondale coach Joe Aiono is confident his side will bounce back from last week's loss when they take on Shamrocks on Saturday.
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Facing an undermanned University side last week, the Wombats were expected to open their season with a win, however it was the Bulls who left Gerry Cappetta Oval with the four points, claiming a 20-17 victory.
The challenges don't get any easier this week, with Avondale travelling up to Woonona to play an emerging Shamrocks side.
Vikings coach Sean Barrett was full of praise for Shamrocks after his team claimed a tight victory last weekend and Aiono knows his team must be at their best in order to claim their first victory of the season.
"It's going to be another tough assignment," Aiono said. "Shamrocks are always a strong side, they have exciting young players coming through the ranks, so it will be a tough one for the boys up there.
"We've just got to play our game, stick to our structures and just be patient and hopefully we'll get the result."
Avondale's loss last week was punctuated by numerous handling errors, with the Wombats struggling to build pressure by handing possession back to their opponents at key stages of the game.
Whereas the Wombats opted to play for tries, University's mindset was to take any points on offer. The strategy paid off, with Uni claiming the win despite scoring two tries to Avondale's three.
Aiono admits his side erred by declining the three points when they were on offer and would like to see that change moving forward.
"We expected a tough game. Especially the first round, everyone's trying to get their combinations going, a few errors cost us the game. We'll have to cut out the handling errors, we just need to be patient and calm.
"We didn't build enough pressure. We had points on offer and should've taken the three. Playing those top teams, you just take any points on offer to keep the scoreboard ticking."
This season marks a return to Avondale for Aiono. A premiership winner as a player for the Wombats, Aiono has moved into coaching in recent years. This, however, is his first season as a first grade head coach.
Taking charge of such a talented side, Aiono has not had to make wholesale changes to the team's playing style. He has, however, made a number of minor tweaks to help the Wombats become even more potent in attack.
Aiono understands it will take some time for his players to adjust to the changes, but he's confident once they do, the team's attack will be hard to stop.
"I've brought some new ideas and a few new structures to the side. They've always had talent, but having that structure will help. They've all got good skills and abilities, just sometimes you've got to bring it down to structure to help them out.
"The boys are getting used to it and as the season goes, we should be able to have it all sorted. We're always hoping to hit our straps by the second round of games. Every game's a tough game, you can't take any team for granted."
With Illawarra Rugby taking a week off over Easter, Avondale and Shamrocks aren't the only teams desperate for a win this weekend.
Tech face a tough task as they seek their first victory of the season, with the Tahs lining up against local rivals University.
A week after welcoming Campbelltown to Nowra, Shoalhaven have been forced on a roadtrip of their own, with the Shoals to play Camden in Camden this weekend.
Vikings will also head north, with Sean Barrett's men taking on Campbelltown at Campbelltown Showground.
Finally, defending premiers Bowral will look to go two from two when they host Kiama.
Illawarra Rugby Round Two
UNIVERSITY v TECH TAHS at University Oval, CAMDEN v SHOALHAVEN at Camden Rugby Ground, CAMPBELLTOWN v VIKINGS at Campbelltown Showground, BOWRAL v KIAMA at Eridge Park, SHAMROCKS v AVONDALE at Ocean Park.
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