Western Force coach Simon Cron admits there’s plenty to fix in his new-look Super Rugby Pacific side after they suffered a pummelling from the Queensland Reds.
The Force went into Saturday’s trial in Perth with high hopes, only to see them dashed 45-10 by the Reds.
Cron was quick to identify areas that need to be fixed before his side’s next trial against Fijian Drua on February 16.
“We didn’t get past one or two phases. We’d get stripped, drop it, or try to throw a miracle pass,” Cron said.
“As a team we’ve got to learn what it looks like to build pressure.
“To build pressure you’ve got to make them tackle you and to make them tackle you, you’ve got to hold the ball.
“We had a tendency to not look after the ball and throw it away. Patience is critical and we lacked that.
“We go back and look at the critical few things. Why we didn’t build pressure through phase play and why we were slow in our transition defence.”
Reds coach Brad Thorn was happy with the result, having seen his side outscore the Force six tries to two.
But he wasn’t getting carried away.
“We got a hit out,” a circumspect Thorn said.
“You don’t get too excited around trial games. It’s a trial game. Guys are coming off and on.
“We’re working on our game.”
Thorn did throw out a veiled crack at the Waratahs ahead of their pre-season clash on Saturday.
“They are the team everyone’s talking about in Australian rugby,” he said.
“They’ve got a lot of, I guess, strength.
“They’ve brought new players in. They are going to be a good challenge for us.”
Meanwhile, Reds captain Fraser McReight backed No.8 Harry Wilson for a return to the Wallabies under new coach Eddie Jones after a strong performance and two tries in oppressive heat at the UWA Sports Ground.
Wilson was dropped by former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie for the European tour at the end of last year, but McReight said: “He’s just ready to put his hand up.
“He’s had a really good pre-season trying to work his way back into the fold.
“He knows the best way to do that is by playing his part out here.
“You saw the carry he does. He’s got the heart of a lion. Pretty glad he’s in our side.”
