UKZN find star-kicker in Jarryd Nicholls

FNB UKZN might not have found their best of forms in results, but they have found a reliable kicker in fly-half Jarryd Nicholls.

The men from KwaZulu-Natal have a single victory from four games with a porous defence leaking tries. On the other hand, Nicholls has only missed two of his 12 kicks so far which relates to an 88.6% conversation rate. The Durban-born player has also scored two tries, taking his points tally to 32.

Describing how he prepares himself for taking his kicks, Nicholls explains that he puts much of his efforts into training which directly translates to match-day success.

“It’s something I put a lot of extra time into on the field just kicking by myself before and after training and it’s a part of my game that I continue to work on.

“I taught myself through it all, with the help of my coaches of course, and I just find what feels good for me when I kick, play around with the ball positioning and just experiment.”

Despite all of this pressure, Nicholls still finds a way to keep his cool and execute the task routine-style.

“Before I take any kick both during the game or in training, I first make sure that the ball is aiming in the right direction and where I want it to go. After this, all I think about is sticking to my routine and not deviating from it which gets me to ignore the pressure.”

As UKZN continue to fight for a semi-final spot, the men from the coast will need players like Nicholls to keep their standard of play, or even better, improve on it.

by MpenduloLetsoalo