Tahs not reaching for panic button yet

NSW Waratahs assistant Jason Gilmore hopes a shift in mindset is all that is needed for his team to end their worrying slump in form.

Waratahs coach Rob Penney is under the pump after his side lost 61-10 to the Brumbies just a week after being thumped 41-7 by the Reds.

NSW will be desperate to turn around their fortunes when they host the Western Force at Bankwest Stadium on Friday.

Gilmore said it was important not to make wholesale changes to the system after just two rounds.

“When you’re on the back foot, as we are at the moment, the worst thing you can do is panic and make wholesale changes to your program, because then people will start losing belief and confidence in what you’re doing and what you’ve practised for four or five months now,” he said.

“It’s more around the mindset this week that the boys have changed, and the staff have changed as well.

“You can have all the detail and the systems in place, but at the end of the day we’ve got to compete hard tomorrow, so we’re looking for a real shift in mindset across the squad.”

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Gilmore has noticed an improvement in the way the players have trained this week.

“We’ve got a short turnaround this week which is good,” the former Junior Wallabies coach said.

“The worst thing would have been a bye or a longer turnaround where you’ve got to sit and dwell on it.

“We had a pretty honest review meeting on Monday as a staff and a playing group as well, so it was really good to just dump that on Monday.

“The boys had a pretty sharp training session [on Wednesday] which was good. It was probably the best intent that we’ve had, but you’d hope [for] that after the weekend’s performance.”

The Force are also looking to atone after being thumped 27-11 by the Brumbies in round one, before having a bye last week.

The Perth-based franchise will unleash a new halves pairing of Argentina international Tomas Cubelli and young flyhalf Jake McIntyre.

The Waratahs have lost Wallaby Angus Bell to an ankle injury, with Tetera Faulkner starting at loosehead.