The 36-year-old Anderson, a product of Armidale University who represented Australian Universities as a lock and back rower and coached NSW Country’s under 18 team to a rare and dominant 46-10 defeat of the Sydney under 18s, has been charged with extricating the Axemen from the championship cellar.

For several seasons, the Axemen, so named after the cedar-cutting pioneers of the region, have jousted with the Plainsmen of Western NSW to avoid the wooden spoon of the Richardson Shield, the second tier of Country rugby, an indication of the zone’s poor standing in the code.

Anderson, a father of three and resident of Lake Cathie, addressed Lower MNC rugby officials and players at the Nabiac Hotel in which he called for the support of a region which for too long has been ignored in representative rugby, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour regarded as the zone’s rugby strongholds.

To overcome the “blind spot” extending from Taree in the Manning Valley to Old Bar on the coast, to Gloucester in the ranges and south to the Myall Coast, coach Anderson has recruited the respected and vastly experienced Gloucester Cockies playmaker, Chris Marchant, as a MNC co-selector.

Marchant, a Warringah club product from Sydney and one of the outstanding players of the Lower MNC competition, has indicated he plans hanging up his boots, a decision which will have major implications in the Cockies’ bid for their first premiership next winter.   

Two enterprising local coaches, Wallamba’s Lee Sullivan, who took the Bulls to the grand final last season and Jake Maurirere, of the Manning River Ratz, were in attendance at the Nabiac meeting and were whole-heartedly in support of Anderson’s plans to tap into the region’s rugby talent.

 Ron McCarthy, coach of the LMNC premiers, Forster-Tuncurry Dolphins, recently stood down from the position as he and his wife, Jenny, plan to holiday in Italy for an extensive period next year. But, similarly, the club has supported Anderson to the hilt.

“A breath of fresh air. We have needed Angus for ages,” Dolphins’ president, Damian Daczko, commented, delighted that the area is receiving recognition from the new coach.

The Dolphins’ tight-head veteran, Ben Manning, winger Jesse Logan and hooker-backrower, Troy Haines, represented the Axemen at the Country Championships last year and performed admirably. Two other players of particular interest to Anderson are the Dolphins’ five-eighth Matt Nuku and inside centre Mark Hagarty.

“I’m excited by the challenge, and certainly not deterred by it,” Anderson said. “I’m thrilled to have the honour of coaching the zone.”

Anderson’s coaching colleagues will be former Randwick and Test centre, James Holbeck, for the backs and Scott Leis, a coach with the Queensland Reds, as forward coach. The former dual Olympian, javelin thrower, Andrew Currey, will be MNC’s strength and conditioning co-ordinator.

Coach Anderson and conditoner Currey will conduct the first training session for Lower MNC players at Nabiac from 6.30pm on Friday, December 2.