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BY: BRET HARRIS From: The Australian March 09, 2012 12:00AM
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Veteran forward Nathan Sharpe has conceded eight of the Force's 27 penalties in two games. Picture: Will Russell Source: The Australian
FOR someone who is about to become the first player to play 150 Super Rugby games, Western Force second-rower Nathan Sharpe should know better.
Sharpe has conceded eight of the 27 penalties the Force has given away in its two losses to the Brumbies and Queensland Reds, making him the most penalised Australian player in the first two rounds.
That is one member of the starting 15 giving away a third of the team's penalties.
Sharpe, 34, is no longer captain of the Force, but he is still a leader of the team and its most experienced player.
Coach Richard Graham defended Sharpe, claiming some of the penalties he conceded in the 35-20 loss to the Reds in Brisbane last Saturday night should not have been awarded.
"One was for being in front of the kicker. I didn't agree with that. He didn't move and was put on side," Graham said.
"The second one was on the sideline where the kid (Ed Quirk) tipped him on his head and he took offence to it. You see why he reacted. Another one was for going off his feet at the breakdown. There's no trend to it."
But Graham conceded discipline was crucial, particularly when penalty goals are dominating tries as the main source of points-scoring.
"You don't condone it. You can't have blokes giving away penalties," Graham said.
"Nathan is aware of it. He has played enough games. I don't expect to see them again."
Graham said the Force's discipine against the Reds was simply not good enough. And Queensland five-eighth Mike Harris kicked five penalty goals from five attempts as well as two conversions.
"We gave him too many opportunities," Graham said. "If you look at the stats for the first two rounds, it's quite clear if you give away a penalty, the opposition will kick a penalty goal.
"There were 73 penalties kicked in the first two rounds last year. There have been 109 this year. That's a difference of 36.
"We have to have a better appreciation of field position and be aware that we can't go off our feet at the breakdown or go too hard on the ball."
Discipline will be important when the Force plays the Hurricanes in the team's first appearance at home tonight.
The Hurricanes' young five-eighth, Beauden Barrett, is a very good goal-kicker and showed a lot of nerve to land a match-winning penalty goal against the Lions in Johannesburg last Friday.
Force five-eighth James Stannard kicked four goals from five attempts against the Reds, while the return of fullback Cameron Shepherd from a leg injury will give the team a long-range goal-kicking option.
The return of Shepherd, blindside flanker Richard Brown (shoulder) and second-rower Sam Wykes (hamstring) off the bench will buoy the Force, but it will miss Wallabies number eight Ben McCalman (arm injury).
Force captain David Pocock said game-management was the key for the team.
After trailing 22-6 at half-time, the Force got back to within six points of the Reds with 25 minutes left but the Queenslanders closed out the game.
"We can take a lot of positives out of the Reds game, but there's also a lot of areas where we can improve," Pocock said.
"In the last 20 to 25 minutes we didn't play for field position and get down their end.
"Teams aren't scoring many 40m to 60m tries. It's better to get down the opposition's half."
The Reds' two tries, to outside centre Ben Tapaui and number eight Radike Samo, came from turnovers, which was something the Force will have to be careful of tonight.
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