Super Rugby
Skelton to work on tackling technique
July 28, 2014
Skelton produced some big hits against the Brumbies but has vowed to tidy up his form after he was pinged for a high hit on Nic White © Getty Images
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Super-sized second-rower Will Skelton has vowed to tidy up his tackling for fear of letting down his NSW Waratahs team-mates in Saturday night's Super Rugby final. Skelton, all 137kg of him, was spared a yellow card after catching Brumbies half-back Nic White on the jaw during the tense final stages of the Waratahs' 26-8 semi-final win on Saturday night.

South African referee Jaco Peyper factored in the two-metre tall lock's extraordinary height when deeming penalty sufficient for Skelton's sloppy tackle. "He sort of dipped in. He's a small guy and I'm a bigger guy and it's hard to get down, but I've got to get lower," Skelton said.

The destructive impact player knows he can't run the risk of leaving the Waratahs a player short for 10 minutes against the Crusaders with the title on the line.

"You don't want to cost your team and I'll try my best to work on it this week. I think I've got to get lower, full stop. I'm pretty tall but I can't use that as an excuse ... I've got to work harder to make those tackles."

Skelton made his Wallabies debut alongside White against the French in June and hoped the tackle didn't cause him any harm.

"He's a good little player," Skelton said. "He gets into players, not just myself. He rips into the other players verbally and it's part of his game and I'm happy when I play with him."

A cult hero among fans, Skelton atoned for his infraction by setting up the match-clinching try for teammate Bernard Foley with a barnstorming 20-metre run and brilliant one-arm offload.

"I was surprised. I don't usually make breaks. The forwards, we try and work hard and just get through contact," he said. "I'll have a look at the highlights and see how I really went, but it was pretty fast and I was relieved to get the pass away. We were under a lot of pressure and that try sort of sealed the match."

The New Zealand-born 22-year-old said the Waratahs dressing room was "buzzing" after the semi-final. Personally, he can't wait to return to his homeland for the title match.

"I grew up watching the Crusaders and they were a powerhouse when I was younger and it's awesome," Skelton said. "At the moment, we're going to celebrate the victory and get the recovery right. We'll speak about all the video stuff on Monday."

© AAP

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