Force coach searching for consistency
Western Force coach John Mitchell will be looking for a quick dose of consistency when he takes his side to South Africa for two trials later this month.
He will take 28 players for the games against the Stormers and Sharks in Cape Town and said: "Having experienced footballers around brings maturity to the group but it's important for us, with a lot of new players coming in, to get cohesion as a group as quickly as we can.
"We have to get consistency."
At the club's first full post-Christmas training run today Mitchell said he believed his squad was stronger physically.
"We've gone to get a lot stronger and we've made some real big gains in our strength," he said.
"The conditioning's in a good state. It's now a matter of integrating the internationals and getting the rehab players back on time.
"The next 15 days is a different challenge for us all.
"There's a lot of knowledge that has to get put in, in terms of plays and defensive systems.
"It's quite a big learning time for some of the players."
He described the pre-season training as "refreshing" after the problems of last year that saw him sidelined after complaints about his coaching style.
He said players were in good spirits and in a good frame of mind.
"If there's one thing that's been extremely pleasing, during the pre-season before Christmas, that can be laborious and enduring and at times unstimulating, they turned up every day with a good attitude.
"The reality is, the inputs will be revealed during the competition."
Further changes to the laws that will keep the kicking game at the forefront of all sides tactics will not mean the Force will throw its attacking style out the window.
"It means we'll have to get the balance between that (attack) and kicking," Mitchell said.
A possible third hooker trained with the squad today.
Jamie Parsons, 23, is on a five-day trial from Auckland club North Harbour and may join Ryan Tyrrell and Ben Whittaker in the battle for the No 2 jumper.
