Force to get in the face of Sharks
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
February 25, 2011, 6:59 am
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Western Force defensive guru Phil Blake has wasted no time devising a way of disrupting the Sharks in their next Super Rugby clash.
Law interpretations favour the attacking team and the defence has become particularly important.
Blake came up with a plan that shut down Queensland's Will Genia-Quade Cooper combination and stifled their razzle-dazzle back line at the source in the Force's narrow defeat last Sunday.
The rush-style defence got in the faces of Reds runners, put them under pressure, clogged the breakdown, disrupted the flow of ball and further slowed down play.
Blake will use some of that in-your-face defence against the Durban-based Sharks on March 5 at nib Stadium, but will introduce tactics to combat their particular style.
"Some principles will be the same but we'll address team by team," Blake said. "We knew the Reds wanted to play a particular way. We felt as if we came up with a really good plan to stifle them.
"We'll certainly come up with a plan that we feel will be the best for the Sharks because they are big men and they love to dominate."
First-up tackles on the gain line and around the ruck will be crucial.
"They like to dominate the advantage line. They do like to pick and drive," Blake said.
"We're going to have to be really precise with our collisions and in getting them to ground.
"Our initial contact, our collision and winning that collision, is going to be something we're going to concentrate on."
The Force have a bye this weekend and Blake said while it was not the best timing it gave players extra time to get over the damage from the Reds clash.
"It's not ideal but in the scheme of things we've got a few bumps and bruises so it's not a bad thing," he said.
The Force will not know until next week whether Willie Ripia, the man James O'Connor replaced in the No.10 jumper against the Reds, will be fit.
He injured a foot in the first pre-season trial that is taking longer to repair than expected.
"He's got a very unusual injury, one that not a lot of people know too much about," Blake said.
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