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Matt Hodgson might be unheralded as an Emirates Western Force flanker, but he's having a terrific season and has been rewarded with a regular place at No. 6 after a big pre-season of bulking up.
Hodgson had 30 caps to his credit with the Force over the first three years, but stagnated a little in 2008 when he only started five matches and was used in both flank positions and No. 8 by coach John Mitchell.
The departure of Scott Fava at the end of last year opened up a spot as blindside flanker and Hodgson has so far grabbed it with both hands. That included a man-of-the-match performance against the Reds last Friday and he's enjoying his season so far.
"I'm pretty happy with how I'm travelling at the moment after getting some starts together and I feel my confidence is growing with that. To win last Friday obviously made it more enjoyable as well," Hodgson said.
"It's certainly one of my best performances this year and getting a few starts in a row has given me that confidence to feel a valued member of the team, and I feel more capable of going out and having a big impact. It's always nice to beat an Australian team as well especially after already having beat the Brumbies. Hopefully we can do the same against the Waratahs in a fortnight."
While the win over the Reds was encouraging, it will count for little without another strong win against the Hurricanes this Friday, and Hodgson is ready for a tough battle.
"We will be trying to take our momentum from last week and take it to another level against the Hurricanes," he said.
"We will need to be very aggressive as they will be hungry and are in a similar position on the table to us."
Hodgson definitely saw an opportunity to take over as the Force's preferred No. 6 and as a result put on some weight to stand up to the physicality of the position while not losing his speed and agility. It has worked out just as he hoped so far.
"I certainly did put on a few kilograms over the pre-season and got myself a lot stronger because I knew I might receive more opportunities at No. 6. I'm comfortable at the weight I'm at, have adapted well to it and still feel as quick and fit as ever as well," he said.
"With Scott Fava leaving at the end of last season I had a couple of chats to Mitch and he told me that the No. 6 spot was virtually up for grabs. I wanted to grab it once I heard that, put some weight on and it's worked well so far."
It has taken some adjustment to get used to playing at blindside regularly for Hodgson, but he's tried to play the position the way he sees fit and so far his combination with David Pocock has worked a treat, especially with their work at the breakdown.
"I was always originally a No. 7 or 8 up until the end of last year and so far this season, when it has tended to be the position I'm picked for more often than not. I really enjoy it and I probably don't play it the same way as a lot of other No. 6s, so it gives me a bit of an advantage in some areas," he said.
"It's certainly a little different to the openside or No. 8 and each person has their own way of playing it, but with the Force we like to have mobile flankers and that suits the way I play. We've had a few games combining together now and it's working quite well.
"We are creating a few problems for the opposition as well and that can only be a positive. With the new laws, it's a lot more open and quick as well, and it gives you a real advantage if you can do well at the breakdown so that's what we try to do."
Despite a host of Force players signalling their intention to leave at season's end once their contracts expire, Hodgson is signed up for two more years and is delighted about it.
"I am loving my time in Perth and it feels like home for me now that I've been here for four years. I have another two to go as well, so will be here for at least six in total and I really enjoy the atmosphere of the club and city."
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Originally Posted by GIGS20
