6:00am Friday 19th March 2010
GIANT Newport Gwent Dragons lock Luke Charteris accepts Wales need to erase the errors which have contributed to their lineout woe in this season's Six Nations.
But the 6ft 9in Dragons forward also claimed: "I don't think it is a major problem.’’ The official tournament statistics would beg to differ.
They show 17 lineouts lost on Wales' throw in four games, compared with Scotland (two), Ireland (three), England (seven) and France (nine).
Only Italy - Wales' opponents at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday - are also in double figures.
Partly due to injuries, Wales have fielded four different second-row combinations and three different hookers during a Six Nations campaign that has only fleetingly ignited.
"The lineout has not been 100% or as exact as you would like,’’ said Charteris, who continues his partnership with Cardiff Blues lock Bradley Davies this weekend.
"There are certain things you can control, but also sometimes you have to accept you've called something, the opposition have second-guessed it and they steal it.
"I think in the Ireland game (last Saturday) we had 18 lineouts and they only took two off us under pressure, really.
"The other three lineouts we lost were down to our errors, which we are not happy about.
"It's just making sure all of us, even when you are shattered in the last few minutes of a game, are mentally switched-on and know what the call is.
"If we can take those errors out of it, you will see much improved stats in terms of the lineout.’’ Wales coach Warren Gatland has put his players through the mill this week, angered by a sub-standard display against Ireland in Dublin last Saturday.
And Charteris offered an insight into Monday's training session, normally a light recovery work-out.
"It was a hard session,’’ he said. "It wasn't the usual football and recovery games, put it that way.
"We worked a lot on our patterns and plays. If there was a dropped pass, it would be diagonal sprints across the whole pitch. It wasn't a lot of fun.
"If one person dropped the ball, we all did the sprints. There were a few tired bodies out there.
"It was trying to make us respect the ball and learn that, in international rugby, there are consequences if you mess up.’’ And Charteris accepts it is vital Wales deliver a performance to savour after defeats against England, France and Ireland accompanied a solitary victory, albeit a memorable one, at Scotland's expense.
"You can say what you want about the performance and result, you can guarantee every single player went out there and gave 100%,’’ he added, reflecting on the 27-12 Ireland loss.
"We always come off ruined and in pieces, just as you do when you win a game. It was little errors that cost us - errors that we must fix.
"When you play in those games and the performances and results don't come your way, you look around and start to question things.
"We don't want the campaign to be left on a sour note. We can't forget about what has happened, but we have to focus everything on Italy, put in a performance and end on a high.
"I don't think it is fundamental big things that have gone wrong, just little things.
"In 2008, when we won the Grand Slam, there were a lot of tight games and then something would happen, someone would score a wonder try or there would be a try-saving tackle.
"It was something that really gave you the confidence and belief you were going to change the game.
"I think maybe those little things haven't happened, and then it is a bit of a knock-on effect that maybe you don't have that burst of confidence which says 'We are going to win this now.'
"Hopefully, we just need that little bit of magic. I think everything else is there, it's just having that little spark.
"It's about getting these mistakes out of our game, and we will start winning.
"Italy gave Ireland a tough time in Dublin this season, and it will be another huge challenge for us, but it's the last game of the championship and it's at home, so we have to set our stall out.’’
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