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ON THE SPOT - Nathan Sharpe
February 01, 2007 -
Story by: ARU
Nathan Sharpe tries to get a ball away under heavy defence
Nathan Sharpe is looking forward to a huge year in Australian Rugby
Western Force skipper and Qantas Wallaby Nathan Sharpe talks about fatherhood, the expectations on the 2007 Western Force and his burning ambition to raise the Webb Ellis Cup with the Wallabies in October.
GO: Nathan, you recently became a father for the first time with the birth of your son Cooper, how are enjoying your new off-field duties as a Dad?
NS: I absolutely love it. Cooper is four months old now and I've enjoyed every minute of fatherhood so far. I really look forward to getting home from training to see him and so far he hasn't given Jess (my wife) or I too many sleepless nights. He's a good boy and generally sleeps right through the night, but we'll see how long that lasts.
GO: You're going into your second year in Perth, how has your family enjoyed its stay in the West?
NS: We've really enjoyed it. Perth's a fantastic place and we've found it really easy to make the transition (from QLD). The people here are great. Jess and I have bought a place in Floreat, which is about two minutes from the Force's training venue, so everything's pretty easy.
GO: The Force was very active in the player market after last season, with one signing in particular grabbing plenty of headlines. How has Matt Giteau settled into the team?
NS: I've been really impressed with Matt. He's been training really well and has done a good job at getting the backline working together. He's only a young guy but he's one of the more experienced players in our backline, so I believe that he'll be a great addition for us.
GO: Do you feel that the enormous media hype around Giteau's move to the Force has affected him during the pre-season?
NS: There certainly has been a lot of hype about his move but Gits has handled it all very well. When he first arrived in Perth and during the first week at training there was a lot of media focus on him but it seems to have backed off a bit this week. He's used to getting a fair bit of attention from the media and hasn't let it affect his training; he's just focused on the season ahead.
GO: Last year there was a lot of curiosity about the Western Force from people in the West, who turned out in droves at Subiaco Oval for your home games. Has that curiosity now turned into genuine expectation from Force fans?
NS: I think there is an expectation from our fans that we will do well this season. We're certainly expecting to do better than we did last season. It shouldn't be too difficult to improve on one win! (jokes). We've recruited well for this season but a number of players have really developed after having a year of Super 14 and I think the overall depth and quality of the side is much better this season.
GO: Is there the same buzz around the City as there was prior to your first season?
NS: Definitely. We will know more on Friday night when kick off comes around but all indications so far would indicate that the strong support we had last year will continue. There is definitely a lot of excitement about the season.
GO: Has your Coach, John Mitchell, made any changes to your playing structure at the Force this season?
NS: I guess you'll have to wait and see! We'll definitely try and play to our strengths more. We tried to play a bit too expansively at times last year. We'll probably adapt our game plans to the personnel we put on the field and have more flexibility. We've worked on the breakdown area as well. If you look at the way the game is going, a lot of teams are scoring tries more often from turnovers and broken than from the set piece. That's an area of the game we have worked hard on.
GO: You were the only player to play every minute of every Test for the Qantas Wallabies in 2006. How have you coped with the shorter off-season and how are you feeling heading into the Investec Super 14 season?
NS: Yeah I'm feeling great. I had a nice break over Christmas and the New Year catching up with family and friends on the Gold Coast. I just relaxed for a few weeks but now I'm excited about being back in training with the Force and looking forward to the season. I'm probably a bit short of a run heading into Friday night's game but physically and in terms of injuries I'm in the best shape I've ever been.
GO: What are some of the personal goals you have set for the 2007 season?
NS: Ultimately, looking at the bigger picture, my goal is to make the World Cup squad and hopefully play in a winning Australian team. When you look at a career, I think that is the highest honour - being involved in a World Cup-winning team. I'm not looking that far ahead yet though; my focus is on captaining the Force and playing well during the Super 14.
GO: Lastly, which Western Force player can we expect big things from during the Investec Super 14?
NS: If I was to single one player out I would say Richard Brown, our young flanker. He's going to get some opportunities this season and is a real player of the future.
Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
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