NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
January 27, 2011, 11:18 am




Flanker Matt Hodgson believes the Western Force pack is better equipped for this season's Super Rugby challenge.

The Wallaby loose-forward, who rejoined Force pre-season training after Christmas following his Wallaby duties, said big steps had been taken under new forwards coach Nick Stiles.

"It's good to have a perspective from a specific forward (coach)," the two-time winner of the Force Player of the Year award said.

"I know the scrum's moving forward and the tight five are really enjoying it."

Hodgson, an inaugural Force signing, said that work put in training by the forwards would pay dividends late in games.

"In the closing stages of the game...it could be one of those things that we need," he said.

He also said Stiles had impressed the importance of set piece work.

"You can't go around teams all the time," he said.

"We need to go through them and set piece is important.

"You still need to win your ball and put the team under pressure when their set piece is on.

"I think we can do that with the forwards we've got and the coaching we've had this year."

Hodgson, who has won four Wallaby caps and has his sights firmly on a World Cup spot, will be battling David Pocock, Richard Brown and Ben McCalman for the three Force back row spots.

"It's such a long season and Ben McCalman can also play lock. Also all four of us can rotate in all three of those positions so it's going to be another bonus for the Force this year," he said.

"Talking to the boys before Christmas, they're all enthusiastic.

"Richard's (head coach Richard Graham) put a good ethos into the club and everyone's keen to get out there and play.

"Everyone's starting on a clean slate.

"Everyone's got a point to prove and the best 15 are going to be picked for that round one game."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...e-improvement/