How We Beat Drua? Cron Tells
Western Force played some sparkling rugby in their 48-10 thrashing of Fijian Drua at HBF Park in Perth, Australia, on Saturday night.
But coach Simon Cron and captain Jeremy Williams said the impressive bonus point victory that moved the side into ninth, just two points behind Drua, had its foundations in basic rugby.
It was that game style that kept them ahead when they came under pressure and the Fijians grabbed momentum on the eve of half-time and after the break.
Cron, who said it was their best performance of the season, added: “Basic over brilliance was something we talked about. “Played simple, played basic. Just not overplaying at times.”
Cron said it was also the improved mental skills of players that pulled them through. “It’s a constant work on that we do around how to handle adversity in different circumstances,” he said.
“Some mental toughness (was) shown. Outcome aside, that was the best performance of the year by the boys.
“They played some great rugby both sides of the ball, defensively got off the line, double-shouldered, slowed the ruck speed attacked the ruck.
“And on the other side of the ball played some good shape, used our skills, the things that we have been trying to work on for most of the year.
“The players really stepped up.”
Williams said it was simply
“everyone doing their job” and being able to grab back momentum came from clarity expressed in on-field huddles. “Getting back to the basics...what we wanted to achieve in that period,” he said.
“We didn’t really overplay our hand. We held the ball when we needed too, passed when we needed too and that’s probably what we were lacking in the past couple of weeks.
“Tactically we were spot on. It comes down to mentality and effort.”
Both coach and captain praised fly-half Ben Donaldson who was faultless from the tee, converting all six tries, two penalties and scoring the final try.
The five other try-scorers were Chase Tiatia, Carlo Tizzano Michael Wells, Lopeti Faifua and Bayley Kuenzle.
Cron described Donaldson’s triple threat his kicking, running and passing - as “outstanding”.
Williams said: “Donno (Donaldson) was making the right calls and he really stepped up and led. Hats off to him.”
Cron also praised his finishers, led by second-gamer Henry Robertson who was injected at scrum-half early in the second half after Nic White’s yellow card.
“All the guys that came off the bench really added,” he said. “That’s really a big thing for us because we’ve gone 60 minutes at times and the last 20 has been a tough battle.
“Those boys were all on. They were brilliant.”
And, ahead of the crucial clash against the bottomplaced Waratahs on Saturday at HBF Park, Cron’s message after the win was simple: “We start again tonight.”