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New Western Force coach Simon Cron promises a cut-throat side as he rebuilds ahead of new Super Rugby season
From Nick Taylor at The West:
New Western Force coach Simon Cron has made it quite clear he will not accept second best from his rebuilt side ahead of the new Super Rugby Pacific season.
“We’ve got to be cut throat. Great teams don’t leave trophies behind. Fact,” said Cron.
Cron has replaced Tim Sampson who led the Force return to Super Rugby after their controversial 2017 culling.
A former junior Wallabies coach, Waratahs assistant and Shute Shield winning coach with Norths, Cron moved from Japanese club Toyota Verblitz where he worked under New Zealand World Cup-winning coach Steve Hansen.
In his first interview since arriving in Perth, Cron revealed he will hold players to account and is still looking to fill key positions.
“Close enough is not good enough. Our goal is to win,” he said.
“Sometimes we pat ourselves on the back and say we were close.
“If my player group at any point said ‘second is OK’ we’ve lost before we start.
“Right now I need winners..
“I’ll hold them accountable to what they’ve agreed too.
“There’s no good having words on paper and not live up to it.”
They are words that reflect Cron’s competitive nature.
“Even if I was coaching under-15s C grade I would want to win,” he said.
“I’ve given a speech, ‘when you play your girlfriend at darts - win’.
A number of high profile players retired and others moved overseas after last season and while Cron is happy with the squad he still needs a prop, a second-rower and a centre.
“We had a lot of turnover for a number of reasons but I’m excited about the boys I’ve got now,” he said.
“We’ve got to be smart around how we recruit, clear on who we sign. We have to think outside the box.
“If you want to be 110 per cent and the best you have ever been, come. If you are at 99 per cent don’t bother.
“The reality is, as much as we talk about the past, the only people who can change where we sit in the world is the current playing group, the current coaching group and the current management.
“We need to look at where we’ve been, where we sit right are now, where we are going, who we want to be, how we get there.”
Cron is still talking with former Brumbies and current Wallabies front-rower Scott Sio who has also been offered a deal with Exeter.
He wants to bring homegrown centre Curtis Rona back from London Irish.
Cron said Rona, who he coached at the Waratahs, wants another crack at the Wallabies to add to his three 2017 appearances before the infamous falling out with then coach Michael Cheika.
Cron uses an unusual acronym to describe the type of side he wants: NTR - No Talent Required.
“We want to be the best NTR team,” he said.
“There are things that need no talent but that we need to win.
“If there’s a ball on the ground you dive on it, our reload speed, our first five steps need to be a sprint, kick chase, kick pressure, retrieve speed, staying in the line.
“It’s about simple things. It’s the mindset to do those things better than anyone else that makes the difference.
“We can all do those things. We need to do them better than anyone else.
“The type of game we want to play is ball beats man.
“We a need to have the skillset across the park.
“I want my boys to have the confidence to stick and shift and put the guy down the edge and score.”
A new forwards assistant coach is expected to be announced shortly
“We have gone worldwide. We are down to the final two,” Cron said.
“I want to surround the players with the best.”
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Sounds like he's pretty down to earth, he's saying things that are usually unsaid but really need to be front of mind for Aussie Rugby at the moment, particularly about effort areas.
The Boks downed the All Blacks this weekend through nothing other than effort and aggression if we play that sort of game and win....i'll be cool with it!