Next season starts now for Force: Hodgson
Western Force captain Matt Hodgson believes a successful National Rugby Championship is crucial to reversing the club’s fortunes as the curtain comes down on their poor season.
The veteran Wallabies flanker said they needed the competition to restore the club to winning ways after just two victories so far this year.
Perth Spirit lost last year’s inaugural NRC grand final 37-26 to Brisbane City and it will be interesting to see how Force coaching staff use players this season.
Last season they exposed local club and Force fringe players to the third tier competition in away games and drafted in Super players at home.
“Obviously the boys performed quite well in the NRC last year but that didn’t transfer into Super Rugby and it’s important we do that,” Hodgson said on the eve of tomorrow night’s final Super Rugby match against the Rebels in Melbourne.
“We’ve still got plenty to work on but the more games you play together the more confidence and combinations grow. The more games we can get together the better.
“It’s about identifying the style of rugby we want to play and have been trying to play all year. Get it right and it gives the boys confidence and trust in the systems that have been set up.
“It has to be recognised how much of a step up Super Rugby is from NRC.
“Some of the young blokes need to know they can step up and transfer from NRC to Super Rugby.”
Hodgson believes beating the Rebels will help take momentum into the next Super season - albeit eight months away.
He identified the final game of 2013, the 21-15 win against the Brumbies, as a key to last season’s success.
“We look back at the Brumbies game of 2013, we had one game left, we played well and that catapulted us into 2014,” Hodgson said.
“We have to transfer momentum and confidence back in our playing style.
“The most frustrating thing is that each week there are one or two things that we haven’t been doing right.
“It’s not things that can’t be fixed, it’s getting all things working at the same time
“Each week there is a focus shift on things like momentum or playing too much football in our 30 meters. The last couple of weeks our breakdown work and carry has been lacking.
“The hardest thing is seeing the work we do on the training park not transferring into the game.
“We’ve got the same base of players from last year when we did things right. This year we have struggled when it came to game pressure.”
