Return of injured Wallabies boost Force Super Rugby ranks

[volvo]

Return of injured Wallabies boost Force Super Rugby ranks

Nick Taylor - The West Australian on December 8, 2016, 3:54 pm

Western Force coach Dave Wessels is impressed with the way his new squad has attacked their first pre-season training, particularly those who are in the Super Rugby program for the first time.

And he is relieved that key players No. 8 Ben McCalman, second-rower Adam Coleman and fly-half Jono Lance will be ready for the start of the 2017 season after they were all injured playing for the Wallabies this year.

Wessels has 14 new signings in his squad including a number who have come from local rugby, the Force academy and rugby league.

There has been a heavy focus on fitness and skills since training started at the beginning of November.



“They are hanging in there it’s been pretty tough,” Wessels said.
“The real test has been what the boys have been doing off the field in order to get them up to the big loads we’ve been pushing through them.
“There’s no doubt our loads have gone up from what we did last year, and we’re doing more contact
“The guys I’m most impressed with are the ones who have come into our professional program for the first time. Whether that’s from local club rugby or rugby league, it’s a total change of environment.
“A number of them have made significant changes to their lifestyle, their diets, how they sleep and different things to enable them to tolerate it.
“To see the way they have adapted and applied themselves has been pretty special.”

Wessels said there had also been huge progress in the basic skills of some players who were taking part in extra sessions with assistant Kevin Foote, the club’s first specific skills coach.

“That’s very pleasing and hopefully it is the catalyst for us to play more attacking rugby.” Wessels said.

Meanwhile McCalman is on the road back to full fitness after fracturing his right shoulder twice playing for the Wallabies.

The tough No.8 broke his scapula in the 23-7 second-Test loss to England in June and re-injured it two months later in the 42-8 defeat by New Zealand.

The injury allowed McCalman to have his first real break in three seasons, having gone from Super Rugby, into the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign and a stint in Japan before returning to the Force last season.

McCalman did not need surgery but Force coach Dave Wessels said his recovery had been managed carefully.

“He’s running around without a lot of the aches and pains his body generally has, so he’s feeling pretty good about that,” Wessels said.

Coleman damaged his knee five minutes into Australia’s 23-22 win over Scotland at Murrayfield last month while Lance broke his arm six minutes into the clash with a French Barbarians side.

England forwards coach Steve Borthwick, who will take charge of the British and Irish Lion forwards for next year’s tour of New Zealand, will spend the next couple of weeks with the Force

The second-rower who captained England 21 times in 57 appearances has relatives in Perth and will spend time in professional development at the club’s invitation.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa...y-ranks/#page1

[Alison]

Excellent news all round! Great to have Borthwick on hand too!

[Tazzmania]

The last few months have been exceptional as a Force supporter to see the positivity around the club.

I think the short stint by the British Lions Forwards Coach is a great way to head into the Xmas break, the news is being reported a lot more widly overseas. Great for our Locks and the pack in general

"England assistant coach Steve Borthwick is set to advise the Western Force on a two week basis.
The former England international who has been chosen by Warren Gatland as an assistant coach for the British and Irish Lions tour will fly to Perth this week to coach the Force for a fortnight.*
Borthwick has been instrumental in fine-tuning the England forwards into one of the most formidable packs in the world and the Western Force will hope Borthwick can do the same with them during his short spell.
England coach Eddie Jones is hoping that Borthwick will gain some insight on how to beat the All Blacks when the England assistant coach travels with the British an Irish Lions coaching team in June.
"It's a great learning experience for him and he gets the opportunity of learning how to beat the Kiwis, which is important," Jones told*Sky Sports HQ.
"He's a very analytical coach, a very serious coach and he knows more about line-outs than anyone else in the world.

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