Faulkner keen to lock in Force role

[wholetruth]

Nick Taylor
January 10, 2015,
The West Australian

Incredibly, when Western Force prop Tetera Faulkner made his Wallabies debut on last year's northern hemisphere tour it was in the all-important tighthead role.
Incredible, because he had only anchored the scrum seven times before in his professional career, and three of those were just weeks earlier for Perth Spirit in the National Rugby Championship.
He didn't play in the No.3 spot for the Force last season and in the previous two years made just one start at tighthead with three appearances off the bench.
But it was testament to Faulkner's athletic and technical ability and his strength that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika put faith in him to hold up the crucial cornerstone role
Faulkner's mercurial rise and transformation from loosehead began when Force coach Michael Foley began his succession planning at the end of last season having lost Kieran Longbottom to English club Saracens.
Faulkner started a conditioning program to increase his size but also to ensure the extra demands on tighthead did not impact on his athletic ability around the field.
A few weeks later he was pulling on a Wallabies jumper.
"The call-up came out of nowhere and I was pretty nervous not having packed many scrums at tighthead," Faulkner said.
"Making my debut was awesome, something I'll never forget, singing the national anthem and running out in front of 60,000 people screaming for Wales.
"I just wanted to get that one scrum in and one tackle in to get the nerves out."
As he heads into this season Faulkner has to add about five kilograms to take his playing weight to at least 118kg.
"There's a few technical things I've still got to learn and while I've got to put the weight on I've got to be able to get around the field. Foles (Foley) wants me to keep running the ball," Faulkner said. "I want to make No.3 my number. I'm loving it but my ears aren't!"
Foley said Faulkner had brought a maturity to his game and there was a shift in his focus in the second half of last season.
"He believed he really should be there and actually believed he can be a force," Foley said.
"If he stays focused he's going to have a very big year. He can enter next season with a lot of confidence."

[jono]

contract extension please

[AndyS]

Before someone discovers a grandparent that identified as English, Welsh, etc..

[jono]

Before someone discovers a grandparent that identified as English, Welsh, etc..

Doesn't matter. He's a wallaby now.

[Tonkar]

Thanks tets for your commitment to the force and making our rugby interesting
Would rather have seen Tets get ARU money than Beale... We need fence posts ( Tight 5) to get the ball to the many backs who have already signed ...
Shame on you ARU