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July 11, 2009
WALLABIES hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau has been spending hours on a basketball court to ensure that his lineout throwing will be up to standard in next weekend's Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland.
While the 23-year-old Polota-Nau is a talent, possessing outstanding ball skills, exceptional agility and impressive scrummaging prowess, he has been guilty of wayward lineout throwing.
However, the conscientious Waratahs front-rower is determined to improve this crucial part of his game.
While devoting an enormous amount of time to his throwing at Wallabies training, Polota-Nau also regularly heads to a basketball court near his inner Sydney home where, for an hour or so, he practises throwing at designated spots on the backboard.
"I use that as a target," Polota-Nau said yesterday. "Lineout throwing revolves around consistency, getting your motion right and repeating that over and over again … I think it is coming along well. At the start of my career, I never had confidence that I could throw the ball in. But I've worked hard on it, and will continue to work hard in improving in that area. I've really come to embrace it.
"One of the most important factors is that when you get to the mark, just go through the motions rather than seeing what's in front of you. Seeing what's in front of you can make you react negatively. If the routine is right, the throw should be right."
When asked if he had been surprised this area of his game had been criticised, Polota-Nau said: "People have their opinions but at the end of the day, it is up to me to do the job on the field. If I do, that's sweet. If not, I will get onto the training paddock and improve on it …"
Polota-Nau will share the hooking duties in Auckland with highly rated lineout jumper, Stephen Moore. Wallabies' inside-centre Berrick Barnes, meanwhile, hinted yesterday that the Waratahs would fail to sign him for next year's Super 14 season and that he would stay with Queensland.
Barnes, speaking at the end of a Wallabies training camp in Sydney, said his recent negotiations with the Reds had "taken some positive turns".
"This weekend I will be going home to Brisbane and speak to who I need to, and I shouldn't be too far away from making a decision on what I'm doing," Barnes said. "Things are positive at the Reds in what they are putting together."
This included the Reds recently appointing former Test representatives Daniel Herbert, Tim Horan and Dan Crowley to player recruitment and retention. Barnes said retention and recruitment "is something we've needed there for the last four years, where we needed a focus and not just dreaming up schemes, then not doing anything about it".
Meanwhile, Wallabies Ben Alexander, Quade Cooper, Pek Cowan, Matt Hodgson, Timana Tahu and Phil Waugh will play club football this weekend.
Greg Growden
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...732472673.html