Adam Coleman Interview

Bittersweet tour for rising Western Force forward Adam Coleman
3 DAYS AGO APRIL 04, 2015 10:00PM
Adam Coleman is finding his feet at the Force. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Adam Coleman is finding his feet at the Force. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
THE joy of scoring his first try for the Western Force in his 20th game was the start of a bittersweet emotional roller-coaster for lock Adam Coleman as the Perth club was ultimately denied an unbeaten run through South Africa in gut-wrenching circumstances.
Back in Perth this week, the 23-year-old lock, the Force’s standout performer on the club’s two-week tour of Africa, opened up on the elation of his spectacular try against the Bulls at Loftus.
This was the highlight of an outstanding 80-minute performance transformed into agony for Coleman by his last-minute, high tackle on Handre Pollard that cost the Force *victory by a single point after the Bulls fly half kicked the *ensuing 45m penalty.
In the first half the 2.04m, 122kg lock ran the angle of a centre with the explosive pace of a back to score his try from 20m out, after the game earning the praise of respected veteran Springbok and Bulls World Cup-winning lock *Victor Matfield, who sought Coleman out to congratulate him for his performance.
“Scoring my first try at Fortress Loftus, home of the Bulls. That is something I will always remember,” said Coleman, who played his first two full games on a tour of South *Africa.
Coleman said that at the final whistle, instead of rejoicing at his first try and a sparkling individual performance, he had felt gutted.
“I had just gotten up off the deck just and saw him (Pollard) and in a split second made the tackle. Unfortunately the ref saw it as past horizontal. It felt very, very tough after the game, but with the support of the team and the coaching staff I was able to put it behind me,” Coleman said.
More frustration followed a week later, against the Sharks in Durban, where the Force dominated territory and possession, but lost 15-9 after two tries were disallowed on review by South African TMO Marius Jonker. Sias Ebersohn also missed a penalty right in front of the poles for the Force.
Coleman revealed that the Force were aware that both South African television commentators, including former Springbok and Sharks flank AJ Venter, were of the opinion that Ben McCalman had scored in the first half, even though Jonker saw otherwise.
“Yeah. We’re aware of that. It’s just one of those things. The officials made a call and we just had to adapt,” said Coleman, refusing to be drawn into criticism of the match *official.
Coleman’s versatility and his performance this season has rugby pundits tipping his Wallaby chances in a World Cup year as bright.
“First and foremost I just want to play consistent rugby for the Force without getting too far ahead of myself,” Coleman said. “My aim is to put the team first, stick to the game plan and the system and then hopefully… who knows.”
With just one win to show for the season, from its opening game against the Waratahs, the Force is desperate to break a six-game losing streak when it resumes combat against the Cheetahs at nib Stadium next Saturday.

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