Super Rugby Pacific: Western Force coach Simon Cron confident side ready for both weather and the Chiefs

Western Force coach Simon Cron says his side are well-prepared to battle both the elements and the Chiefs as they brace to face the Kiwi powerhouses at HBF Park on Saturday. As cyclone Narelle hammers the state and Perth prepares to cop 25-60mm of rainfall on Saturday, Cron is preparing his troops for an onslaught from not just the heavens, but also their opponents. And while star cross-code recruit Zac Lomax has not been selected for the Chiefs clash, Cron revealed he was making impressive strides and should figure on their upcoming two-week road trip to Queensland and Fiji. Wet and windy conditions are expected for the match, and while Cron was confident the field would be able to handle the deluge, his side needed to be smart around the conditions. “We’ve had chats around different scenarios with our game-drivers to understand, if this happens, this is what we do,” he said. “We’re all on the same page now about how to play; we just have to wait and see what it looks like. We had a lot of wind against the Blues (in round two), it probably helped us a little bit around what we do in those moments. “It’ll tighten up a little bit, and there’s certain things the Chiefs do when it’s wet and windy. It’s just another game of rugby, and it’s putting them in those scenarios, like we have this week, to be able to execute. “Depending on where the wind is coming from and how strong the wind is, that’s probably the most influential element when it becomes wet. “Looking at Saturday, it’s maybe 11-12kmh, so that’s not so bad, but it’s just getting here and seeing what it looks like. It could change overnight, it could blow through. It won’t be the first time in tough conditions.” Cron said Lomax was making a strong early impression on the coaching staff as he got up to speed with the finer points of union, and he was a chance to make his Force debut within a fortnight. “Zac’s learning a lot around breakdown, kicking game and pendulum positional stuff. He’s still learning, but he’s an amazing athlete,” he said. “His footwork at the line and his strength in contact is really good, elite. It’s just about building his load and making sure that when he does get released, he’s ready to go. “It’s just about him getting confident and then us getting him into a position where ideally we’re not going to injure him. He’s a good chance in the next couple of weeks of getting game time. “Any rugby league player who moves across to union, the biggest thing is going to be post-tackle in rugby league, it stops, and you get to start again; post-tackle in rugby, she’s a green light. “And ball placement, versus landing on your front, all those little things, little bits of detail: clean outs, ruck arrivals, that’s what he’s been working on and then just understanding 50-22s, catching a ball inside the 22, marking it, little things in the game.” While the Force have lost four of their opening five games, three of those losses came against the league’s top three sides heading into this weekend’s action, and Cron said he felt their second-half fade-outs were mental lapses. “For example, in the Hurricanes game, great, 60 minutes, just a 20-minute window there where we probably got a little bit stressed and went out of system. It’s all about trust, belief and staying with the system. “We’ve tried different things at half-time, but it all comes down to mindset, not skillset, and just understanding to trust the guy next to you. “And then discipline, not giving away simple penalties so that they can regain momentum. It’ll never be perfect, but you’re always going to have things that don’t go your way; it’s just about resetting and not stressing. That’s the biggest thing for us. “For us, it’s about sharpening our sword and making sure that we get better and better every game.”