Force focused on 'tough nut' Highlanders
By MARC HINTON - RugbyHeaven | Thursday, 20 March 2008
http://www.rugbyheaven.co.nz/images/687790.jpg Fairfax Media
TOUGH NUT: Western Force coach John Mitchell reckons the Highlanders are similar to his side with their uncompromising attitude and that promises plenty for Saturday's showdown in Queenstown.
This may not be what the Highlanders want to hear, but the Western Force have postponed all post-Blues celebrations out of the necessity of what they perceive to be an even greater challenge ahead of them on Easter Saturday in Queenstown.
The Force made history last weekend when they secured their first ever victory on New Zealand soil, using a 20-point unanswered run in the second half to run down the Blues 27-17. All well and good, and certainly there would have been plenty of fanfare all the way back in the wild west.
But in Auckland, where the Force remained before heading down to the distractions of the scenic south later in the week, it was a business-as-usual attitude from the newest Australian franchise as they contemplated Saturday's clash against the winless (and luckless) Highlanders.
"I liken the Highlanders very much to ourselves," Force coach John Mitchell told RugbyHeaven as he began preparations for the southerners. "They're full of spirit and they fight to the end. They've only conceded something like nine tries and they've lost all their games by less than seven points.
"They're a tough nut and they play some good football."
To that end, the Force had the blinkers on this week, quickly casting the euphoria of North Harbour Stadium into the "been there, done that" basket and moving on to the next task at hand.
It's a wise mindset, too, for it's all very well knocking over a side as good (albeit as brittle when put under pressure) as the Blues, but if you don't follow it up with something equally as substantial against a side with far less talent like the Highlanders, then you're really selling yourself short.
"It's probably a bigger challenge for us as a group," said Mitchell of the Highlanders match which will kick off at 2.30pm at arguably the world's most beautiful rugby ground, nestled right in the heart of the visual delights that are Queenstown.
"Again while we've got an inclination to look to shut down an opposition, we've still got to focus on our own game. There's a lot of improvement still in us."
That's a chilling thought on its own, for the Force certainly showed plenty with their second-half demolition job on the Blues. They've got a more than capable forward pack with some grunt in the engine room and some talent in the loose. And with Matt Giteau running the backline, some real threats when ball goes to hand.
But Mitchell said there's also a steely sort of determination to back up the Blues extravaganza with something equally substantial against a Highlanders side desperate for its first victory this campaign.
"If you've heard most of the guys speaking, clearly we weren't happy with our first-half performance [against the Blues, trailing 7-17] , so while we got the right result at the weekend we weren't exactly thrilled with our whole performance."
In other words, the Force are promising even better this week.
Mitchell said that is the message that has come from the team's leadership group this week. "It's so much better when players have that awareness. We can just go on and guide them and make sure these things are addressed."
In his search for more improvements Mitchell has rotated his Blues-slaying side for this weekend.
An unlucky Scott Fava has been dropped to the bench after an electric performance last week.
He makes way for Tamaiti Horua, while David Pocock also returns from a minor hamstring strain, with Matt Hodgson dropping out of the squad.
The other changes see Chris O'Young starting at halfback in place of James Stannard, and Pek Cowan elevated into the front row in place of Troy Takiari.
For the Highlanders, this match has to be all about taking at least some of the myriad of chances their hard-working forwards are creating.
The southerners could probably rightly claim that luck wasn't with them their opening fortnight in Australia, but in many ways they were architects of their own doom the next two weeks when they lost home matches to the Waratahs (12-15) and Hurricanes (6-10) that were very much theirs for the taking. Their handling, decision-making and ball-security has at times betrayed the fact that these are supposedly professional footballers running round in the blue and gold jerseys.
But by all accounts the spirits haven't dropped too severely in this young Highlanders outfit and, coming off the bye week to regroup, there's a fair degree of determination that they can start a salvage operation in terms of their season, not to mention their reputation.
Coach Glenn Moore has made four changes to his starting lineup, though pointedly only one of them is to the backline that was so bad against the Hurricanes. Aaron Bancroft gets his chance at second five this week.
Up front Hoani MacDonald adds a harder edge to the second row, Chris King gets a chance at tighthead prop and Tim Boys will lead the breakdown charge at No 7.
Moore maintains that despite the frustrations, he is "proud" of the effort that goes in on a weekly basis. "The squad are young but fight right to the end," he said. "We have a number of wins in us -- it is a rebuilding phase for us but I still believe these guys are good enough to win a number of games.
"We are not far off a win and if we can do that it'll help gather some confidence and build up some momentum."
Highlanders No 8 Steven Setephano - one of the bright lights amid the gloom thus far - is adamant chins are up and the focus set on that first win of the campaign. Fix the little things, he reckons, and the big things will happen.
He's right, of course. If the Highlanders can hang on to some ball they just might have an upset in them. That will be easier said than done against a Force outfit that is well coached and plays with a sense of purpose that marks them as a legitimate semifinal contender.
The match marks the second Super 14 outing for the Highlanders at the Queenstown Events Centre. Last year they lost a thriller, 38-34, to the Chiefs. This time round they'll be looking for a change of fortune all-round.
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