Losing Culture at the Force

[farva]

It would seem that the Force are unable to close out games at the end.
And it is a big problem.

We have been saying that they are unlucky, but that cant be the reason, there have been so many games lost in the final moments.

So far, they should have put away:

Reds round 1 - lost 20 to 21 (3 comp points left on the field)
Blues round 4 - drew 22 all (2 points)
Rebels round 7 - lost 26-25 (3 points)
Tahs round 12 - lost 20-15 (3 points)(this they probably shouldnt have won if memory serves me)
Brumbies round 14 - draw 14 all (2 points)
Hurricanes round 15 - lost 37-28 (4 points)
Reds round 17 - lost 24-21 (3 points)

That comes to 21 points lost in games where they really could have put the win on the board.
Those 21 points now would mean they were challenging the Reds for the top spot in the conference.

Why is this happening? The forwards are giving a platform where the game can be won, but I think we just have it in our mind that close enough is good enough.
But instead of challenging for one of the top spots with 54 comp points, we are stuck down at the bottom with 33.

I hope they can find the solution next year. With most of the team sticking around, there is no reason they cant be a top 6 team.

 

[Scarfman]

It's been happening since their first season. The Highlanders are another team with a lot of losses by 1 or 2 points.

I agree that they could turn things around fast if they won the close games. How to do it, though? Maybe get Phil Waugh to captain?

 

[Tangawizi]

I think it's probably unfair to sat their is a losing culture at the Force. More an inability to close out the close one's which is a sign of an improving side that isn't quite there yet.

Gits leaving was a big blow for the Force as they are really lacking a quality 9/10 combo to get them home in the tight ones and has just led to a couple more years of unsuccessfully searching for one.

 

[darkhorse]

I think playing every game like you need to be able to close it out is a problem in itself. You start to defend leads. In all those games I remember there was a point in the game where I thought the Force should win this, or any other team would, but at that point there would be a subtle, yet remarked, shift in the way they were playing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it is the "defend your lead mentality". The Great teams like the crusaders and bulls, go to another level once their in front. They try put another nail in the coffin and crush the opposition's morale. I have never seen this with the force.

 

[inthestands]

Ryan Cross got slammed for saying exactly this.

He was spot on.

 

[RedsHappy]

I think playing every game like you need to be able to close it out is a problem in itself. You start to defend leads. In all those games I remember there was a point in the game where I thought the Force should win this, or any other team would, but at that point there would be a subtle, yet remarked, shift in the way they were playing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it is the "defend your lead mentality". The Great teams like the crusaders and bulls, go to another level once their in front. They try put another nail in the coffin and crush the opposition's morale. I have never seen this with the force.

Do the letters AB come to mind as well?

 

[cyclopath]

Ryan Cross got slammed for saying exactly this.

He was spot on.

What would he know? He's never played at the high....oh, wait.

 

[Hawko]

I think playing every game like you need to be able to close it out is a problem in itself. You start to defend leads. In all those games I remember there was a point in the game where I thought the Force should win this, or any other team would, but at that point there would be a subtle, yet remarked, shift in the way they were playing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it is the "defend your lead mentality". The Great teams like the crusaders and bulls, go to another level once their in front. They try put another nail in the coffin and crush the opposition's morale. I have never seen this with the force.

This seems to be a key component. But I would also add that they have selected poorly at 10 and 12 this year and while a very good forward pack gives you position and ball, the Force's inability to score tries has been the key problem and this relates to 10/12 effectively converting dominance into winning margins.

 

[cyclopath]

The Tahs are guilty too of trying to defend a lead - last night there were all sorts of changes, then they looked to be trying to just hang in. To their credit, they came strong again late, but I was half-expecting the Highlanders to go close to taking it at one point.
Perhaps with the Force, there have been so many cases of getting so close, but few of charging home with a wet sail, that they honestly don't know what to do once they sniff a lead. Last night, a key problem was not getting enough tactical kicks in touch, or forcing the Reds to go to touch, and the Reds countered well. Maybe the Force played such a high impact / high energy game they ran out of puff a bit?

 

[wamberal]

From my fairly limited observation of the Force this season, it seems to me that their biggest single problem is a lack of penetration in their inside backs, and a lack of real speed outside. If they had a half-back like Phipps, instead of a plodder like Sheahan, they would have won several more matches IMHO.

 

[ChargerWA]

For me, the Force's problem is summed up perfectly by the last play before the Reds scored. As they pick and drove right up the middle of the field, there became this inevitable gut sinking feeling that they were going to capitulate again. In contrast for the Reds, I had a feeling that they had the belief to close it out and no surprise, they did on both counts.

If I was thinking that, as were most of the fans, then surely so were the Force players on the field.

To sum it up, the Force on paper is no worse than the Highlanders, but the Higlanders had belief earlier in the season as they had a key group of Southland players who had held the Ranfurlie shield in the ITM Cup, they bought that belief into the Highlanders, whose season sort of derailed when the injuries began. Force's problem is self belief (in themselves )

 

[qwerty51]

The Force just can't score enough tries. Is it really true they were the only side not get a 4 point bonus point try this year? A lot of their play is really predictable.

 

[Swarley]

Is it just me, or a some teams more susceptible to fan criticism than others? The Waratahs get consistently slammed for not topping the table/ winning games, yet they are likely finals contenders and they have been for years now. Conversely, teams like the Hurricanes and the Force's losses are accepted without question. I don't understand it at all. The 'Canes and the Force both have good Hookers (Hore/Charles), excellent lineout options (Vito/ Sharpe or Wykes), brilliant loose forwards (Vito, So'olialo and Lam, but especially the Force with Pocock, McCalman, Hodgson and Brown (IMO the best club combo in the world)), world-class playmakers (Cruden/O'Connor) and game changing backs (Weepu, Nonu, Smith, Gear, Jane/Cummins, Shepherd, Smith, Inman, Ripia). They certainly have the cattle to do it- maybe Crossy was onto something when he said the Force don't have the killer instinct to deliver the final blows.

 

[Moono75]

The Force have some quality players but there are still some pieces missing. David Smith has got better as the season progressed but he is leaving. Cummins is good but this hasn't translated into trys. Hopefully the force can pick up a quality winger. Cam Shepherd weather at fullback or on the wing is one of those players that will always have some niggling leg injury given his history.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

Call every other game a choke, but last night was just getting beaten by the best. Once Sharpe, Charles and Wykes were off, all the Reds had to do was kick it into our half, win the line out and let Quade do the rest. Unlucky for the Force, they were pretty helpless in the end.

The "losing culture" will end next season if we play more games like that, this team is shaping up well.

 

[jay-c]

there problems start with 9
sheehans slow and unimaginitive his runs are useless> ripeas been rubbish this year
they looked to have turned things around with swanepoel and stannard but looks like thats been given the flick
need a few outside backs to compensate for injuries and they will do well next year

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

For me the problem that we've had has been more mental than physical. The players, especially the pack, play a no guts no glory brand of footy most of the time. They throw themselves into it the majority of the time and generally play their guts out. That's fantastic and I love them for it, but rugby union is also a cerebral game and that's where we fall down. Many has been the occasion this season when we've been in a winning position and a lack of composure or rugby smarts has chucked it away. Fixing this will come from calm and experienced heads in key positions, who will not only show the way when things are tight, but also instill the requisite calm confidence in the other players.

It all starts in the halves for me. I thought it was a good call to get Sheehan into the team, especially with the retirement of O'Young and departure of Henjak. He brought a combative style that the team needed when we didn't have a lot of mongrel in the pack. Well now I would say our forwards take the game up to nearly anyone and routinely do better than just get parity. This means that the fourth back rower style of Sheehan is no longer as valuable. We need a guy with a better pass and the ability to control things more. Fortunately, Swanepoel has looked every inch that kind of player in the last few games and hopefully Turner will be back next season. Likewise, the experienced head of Stannard has been a real boon late in the season. He has a good boot and constantly challenges the defence.

The other problem, which has been touched on earlier, is a certain predictability about the attack in the midfield. We need more than just big bodies bashing it up, you have to have some finesse as well. Two crashers with no creativity is too easy to defend for the modern day centres. For this reason, I hope that JOC (James O'Connor) is permanently at 12 next season. He makes the defence think and has great hands, as we saw on a couple of occasions last night. Pair him up with a good straight runner and we have most of the bases covered. We have plenty of pace out wide, but too often these guys aren't being given the room in which to exploit the gas that they've got.

 

[ChargerWA]

Agreed, I think when Pocock was out injured Sheehan was more valuable to the team, but with all our backrow fit we should keep playing Swanepoel with Stannard.

We could do with a few more quality backs, if we could keep Shepherd on the park fit and get another game breaker like Smith we might win more of those close ones.

We also need to give up importing #10s, it has been abject failure every step of the way so far. Keep using Stannard and JOC (James O'Connor) if need be and use the Marquee spot to find a brilliant winger.

 

[Blue]

The problem is not last minute scores that sink them.

It's the fact that they come out blazing and stop playing after an hour and defend.

They can't seem to get their hands in the ball ion the last twenty minutes. Fitness? Don't think so. Tactics? Probably.

Can't blame it on inexperience. Lots of older heads.

Too many average players in amongst the handful of stars?

 

[AngrySeahorse]

I dont think there is a losing culture at the Force. I find the Force, regardless of their results, to be one of the most entertaining sides to watch. I really do look forward to watching them play. Perhaps its because I'm a backrower myself and obviously appreciate their great backrow. I'm sure next year if the Force dont have another inury crisis, with JOC (James O'Connor) hopefully at 12, stannard at 10, + their forward pack kept intact that they will be contenders for the top 6. As frustrating as it is to lose tight games I'd say its better than being belted on almost a weekly basis like the Lions were last year. It doesnt mean they should rest on their laurels but gez I think the Force have done well in their short history all things considering.