If something is broken, you fix it. Looking ahead to Game 3 where Utah will kick off their season home opener against NOLA Gold.

HERRIMAN — If something is broken, you fix it.

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It’s a relatively easy concept to understand, but not an easy one to always apply — a concept Utah Warriors Coach Greg Cooper is well aware of. Considering how arduous fixing what is broken can prove to be, it stands to reason why Cooper may have allowed himself at least some relief in the wake of the Warrior’s resounding 45-31 win over the Chicago Hounds last Sunday.

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Several factors would lead to a good amount of anxiety heading into the match. 

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A tough draw in receiving a mandatory bye during the first week of the Major League Rugby Season, while every other team played the week prior was a tough hurdle in and of itself, sure, but not the biggest one. The Warriors took the field against Chicago with a radically overhauled roster, and while there was some indication how it would come together, it was nothing close to a solid assurance.

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But early indication is that the fixes Cooper and the Warriors organization set forth dating back to July of last year, will work out well.

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“We went through a very detailed plan to arrive at where we’re at now,” Cooper said. “We got out of the blocks well, but that was obviously one week and this week is another week against a quality side.”

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The detail involved looking closely at everything that prevented the Warriors from advancing to the postseason for the third straight year last season. It necessarily included a lot of introspection regarding personnel, style of play and team preparation to the point where Cooper instilled some relatively substantial changes to this year’s team.

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Indeed Sunday’s opening match saw the Warriors start 10 first-year players — many of whom arrived in Utah with significant overseas experience, including standouts D’Angelo Leuila, Gavin Thornbury and Jordan Trainor. 

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“What we have this year is a lot of quality depth, we feel,” Cooper said. “We also feel that this is a very well-conditioned side, as well. Our training staff has done a phenomenal job. So when you have depth and physical conditioning that’s a high standard, and then good connection within the team for a good team culture…you feel you have a good base, but you can’t get carried away.”

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With 15 more games left in the season there’s many challenges on the horizon to be certain. Of those challenges, staying focused and not coasting on prior success is central, and was something that perhaps hindered Utah’s otherwise brilliant performance against the Hounds.

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Consider the Warriors jumping out to a 14-0 lead after just nine minutes of play, only to see Chicago take back the lead at 28-21 shortly after the first half. The reason for it, according to Cooper, was some mental lapses which is at times common in rugby when presented early success.

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“I think defensively we were quite good, we just gave away some moments,” Cooper said. “...We just rode a couple of tackles high. We didn’t get low and gave away some penalties, and that’s the key. The key is when we get to a position in control we have to focus on how we got there and keep doing what we’ve been doing. We can’t relax. We can’t afford to do that.”

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As for the next challenge, it comes in the form of the visiting Nola Gold this Saturday at Zions Bank Stadium. New Orleans is a team Utah has never defeated, which is something Cooper and his team is intent on changing come Saturday afternoon.

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“Nola is a good set side. They’ve got a very good scrum and they’re one of the best line-out teams as well. They also carry very strong,” Cooper said. “So they’re a very good side. They let the game slip a bit last week, so we’re expecting a strong physical battle.”

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Nola lost 30-25 to the Miami Sharks last week after defeating Anthem RC 35-14 the week prior.

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Saturday’s match begins at 2 P.M. with relatively great early March weather expected — a prospect that pleases Cooper, along with the opportunity to play in front of the best home crowd in the MLR.

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“We have a lot of new players that have heard so much about our home crowd, so there’s excitement there,” Cooper said. “It looks to be an outstanding day weather-wise and in fantastic conditions in a game featuring two quality sides.”

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Tickets are available through SeatGeek.

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