Western Force Winger Darby Lancaster Confident Side Can Overcome Slow Start to the Season
Western Force winger Darby Lancaster insists that belief remains strong within the team despite their challenging early-season performances, as they gear up for a critical fixture against the Chiefs this Saturday. After spending three weeks in New Zealand and emerging from a bye week, the Force find themselves in a precarious position, sitting second-last on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.
A defeat to the sixth-placed Chiefs at HBF Park could potentially leave them as many as 14 points behind a potential finals berth, just six games into a season that initially promised much more. However, Lancaster, who has been in impressive form, emphasized that confidence has not waned among the players, and he believes a turnaround is well within their reach.
Maintaining Belief Amidst Struggles
"The belief is definitely there. Everyone in the building and everyone on-field can pretty confidently say that we've got the players here to win games, and it's just got to come together," Lancaster stated. The Force can take some solace from the fact that three of their four losses have come against the top three teams on the ladder: the Hurricanes, Brumbies, and Blues.
Conversely, it stings that they led in all three of those matches and matched their opponents for large portions, but fade-outs after half-time cost them any bonus points. "We're still disappointed, but you can take a little bit of confidence out of that. It's just all about what we can do now and then in the future," Lancaster added.
Addressing Key Issues and Looking Ahead
The team has engaged in detailed discussions about their performance, particularly focusing on maintaining hunger and determination after half-time. "We talked about it, quite detailed. We're talking about at half-time, where we've got to stay just as hungry and just as determined. Little lapses are costing us at the moment. We've addressed it and are hoping to fix it," Lancaster explained.
In other news, high-profile NRL convert Zac Lomax has begun training with his teammates after arriving in Perth last week. Lancaster praised Lomax's professionalism and integration into the group, noting his potential impact. "He's very professional. He seems to be fitting in around the group and I look forward to seeing where he can add. He's obviously a big body and a real danger in the air so I'm looking forward to seeing him add his game into our team," Lancaster said.
Lancaster's Personal Performance and Team Dynamics
Lancaster has scored two tries in his first three starts and credited the Force's back-line for creating opportunities for him in the outside channels. "I ended up in the right place a couple of times, so that's always nice. The boys inside of me are doing some good work and putting me away, which is credit to them," he remarked. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, adding, "There's some great players inside of me and the more they get the ball, the happier I am. That's their job to spread it around and my job to run when I get it."
As the Force prepare for their do-or-die match against the Chiefs, Lancaster's confidence and the team's focused approach could be key factors in turning their season around and making a push for the finals.
