![Matt Hawke and the Eagles started their season with a win. Picture by Dion Georgopoulos Matt Hawke and the Eagles started their season with a win. Picture by Dion Georgopoulos](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/badcebcb-43b7-41c5-8663-02a48f315779.jpg/r1278_722_3534_1955_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Locky McCaffrey reckons the recipe is simple enough.
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A forward pack getting over the gain line and a pair of playmakers pulling the strings - and that's just what the Gungahlin Eagles had as they started the McCaffrey era in style.
Gungahlin opened their John I Dent Cup season with a 45-26 win over the Uni-Norths Owls at Nicholls Enclosed Oval on Saturday.
McCaffrey took the reins at the Eagles this year with Matt Giteau serving as his offsider, and Gungahlin hardly skipped a beat in his first game in charge.
Eagles prop Tauati Chan Tung scored a double, while fringe Brumbies scrumhalf Klayton Thorn was a constant attacking threat as he pushes his case for a Super Rugby Pacific debut.
MORE RUGBY UNION
"I thought the forwards up front gave us a really nice platform. Klayton and Ben Kafer at nine and 10 played really well too," McCaffrey said.
"That's the recipe to a good performance, winning the forward battle and then having a really smart nine and 10 controlling things. Both of those groups did that really well. Lots to work on, but it was a good start for the lads.
"I thought it was closer than the scoreboard looked. Uni-Norths played some good footy in that first half, and we took our opportunities which was nice."
The opening round was punctuated by high scores. The Canberra Royals ran in 12 tries en route to a 71-0 win over the Penrith Emus, going some way towards dispelling concerns about the impact of a heavy player turnover at Phillip Oval.
A second half blitz laid the platform for Tuggeranong's 40-17 win over Wests at Jamison Oval, the Vikings scoring four tries in the second stanza to douse the Lions' home opener.
"It's going to be a really even, competitive competition. Uni-Norths went well in most of the grades, had a big win in [second grade], and I'm sure they'll be there come finals time," McCaffrey said.
"We've got the bye this week, we've got a lot of work to get in to keep growing our game plan on the training paddock. We're looking forward to round three at Queanbeyan, which is just a huge challenge.
"I love coaching, I love being a head coach. It's got a huge amount of challenges, trying to bring a whole club and a group together, moving in the same direction, but it's a challenge I'm really enjoying.
"The support at Gungahlin has been fantastic and the players are really coachable. It makes my job easy."
AT A GLANCE
John I Dent Cup round one: GUNGAHLIN EAGLES 45 bt UNI-NORTHS OWLS 26 at Nicholls Enclosed Oval; TUGGERANONG VIKINGS 40 bt WESTS LIONS 17 at Jamison Oval; CANBERRA ROYALS 71 bt PENRITH EMUS 0 at Phillip Oval.
Premier XVs round one: GUNGAHLIN EAGLES 24 bt UNI-NORTHS OWLS 20 at Nicholls Enclosed Oval; TUGGERANONG VIQUEENS 41 bt WESTS LIONS 0 at Weetangera Oval; CANBERRA ROYALS 43 bt PENRITH EMUS 7 at Phillip Oval.
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