By Aaron Wilson
Inside the Houston SaberCats’ locker room, veteran coach Pote Human delivered a strong message after a narrow loss to the Seattle Seawolves.
Human told the defending Western Conference division champions that it’s time to finish strong for the stretch run heading into the playoffs.
“That was the message from Pote after the game,” prop Pono Davis said. “He saw the effort. He just wants us to enjoy our bye week and get ready for our last two games and be prepared.”
The SaberCats are 9-5 with two remaining games in the regular season and making a push for another postseason appearance.
They return from a bye week and have a Wednesday night match on the road against the Chicago Hounds.
The leadership of Human is instrumental for the SaberCats. This marks his fourth season in Houston.
Human is running the show for a talented squad that has endured and overcome injuries and some inconsistent performances and are now poised to compete for the Major League Rugby shield.
“I just want to treat them like my own kids because this is my family,” Human said. “My family is back in South Africa, and this is my family. I look after these guys. I’m a player’s coach. I know what they need and what they want, and I want to make them happy.”
Winning certain breeds happiness.
It’s an ultra-successful approach as Human, a former Super Rugby Bulls coach as well as Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup, takes on the challenge of chasing the Major League Rugby shield that has eluded the SaberCats in the past.
This marks the SaberCats’ ‘ fourth consecutive winning seasons under the leadership of Human and have fans enjoy the ‘Experience it Live,’ atmosphere at their home games.
“He’s like the grandpa of the team,” Dom Akina said. “He really takes care of us. The culture is very strong in the team. All the boys, we’re all connected to each other.”
The growth of the franchise has been on full display throughout the past three seasons.
“For us, it’s not about the coach or one player, it’s everybody together,” Human said. “We have a family. That’s what we know, to play as one. These guys really enjoy each other’s company and play together.”
From a culture standpoint, a close-knit team spends a lot of time together on and off the field.
The players and organization is leaning on Human for this pivotal moment.
“It’s massive, honestly, to have a coach like that,” team captain Nathan Den Hoedt said. “There are highs and lows. We’ve experienced a lot. So, he makes a big difference. He keeps us very levelheaded. You can’t get too high or too low. It definitely helps the team having a coach with that much experience.”
Being able to count on Human’s vast experience as a coach provides a significant boost to the team’s spirits and overall outlook.
“All the players love him,” Den Hoedt said. “He’s really good.”
