Ruddock and assistant Scott Johnson are in Australia to study the team structures and defensive systems at several union and league clubs, but took some time out to answer an SOS call from the Penrith club.
The pair made a surprise appearance at Woollahra Oval to take over the reins in the absence of both Emus coaches through suspension, and proved to be a big hit.
‘They did a good job and seemed impressed with the standard of the rugby over here,’ Penrith vice-president Graham Murphy said from Sydney.
‘There’s a bit of a Welsh link at the club – our loosehead prop Hywel Davies used to play for Tondu and my son Jarrod turned out for Caerphilly last season.
‘My other son Cameron was flanker for the Easts and he said he learned more from Ruddock in 40 minutes than he had for the whole season.’
Murphy said the match – won 24-10 by Easts – could have gone either way.
‘It was in the balance there for a while, and it was a good effort to run them so close. Easts are second in the table and have lost only once this season, while we’re right at the bottom.
‘Mike and Scottie instilled a bit of enthusiasm into the players – that’s how Scottie operates – and we had a very exciting game.’
Murphy added that the new coaches raised a few eyebrows during match.
‘They came on to the field after Easts had scored a try and talked to the guys under the posts. You don’t see that too often in Australia!’
Johnson explained: ‘Mike took the forwards and I took the backs, and I said if you can’t understand the guy you can listen to me.
‘Mike was very disappointed when we lost, but I did explain to him the boys had gone down 89-0 the week before,’ said Johnson, who coached Penrith in 1999 before joining the NSW Waratahs
