The Phoenix defensive drivers

PHIL REID/The Dominion Post

DYNAMIC DUO: Wellington Phoenix central defenders Andrew Durante (left) and Ben Sigmund have played almost every game together this season and last season.

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In many ways Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund are football's odd couple.

Durante is the cool, calm, Australian captain; Sigmund the emotional, heart-on-the-sleeve Kiwi.

But the Phoenix centrebacks complement each other perfectly and are a major reason why the club now boasts the third best defensive record in the A-League.

"We've played pretty much every game together this season and last season as well," Durante says.

"We've got that confidence with each other, we know where each other is going to be and if I'm out of position he covers me or I cover him."

Durante laughs when asked if the description of their on-field personalities is on the money.

"That's exactly how it is. He sometimes screams out at players, over and over, and sometimes I've just got to tell him to quieten down a bit, he gets a bit rowdy.

"But that's how he is, he's a very emotional player, he's heart-on-the-sleeve and he wants to get the message across."

The Phoenix kept a clean sheet in Sunday's away win at Newcastle, with Paul Ifill's sixth goal of the season enough to snap a year-long drought on the road.

Durante says the bar is being set high at the club, with the sixth-placed Phoenix firmly in the playoff hunt as they prepare to fly out for Sunday's date with the eighth-placed Roar in Brisbane.

With Durante and Sigmund marshalling the troops, Wellington have conceded just one goal per game (15 in 15), behind only Central Coast (nine) and Sydney (14).

"The whole back four want to be the best in the competition in terms of goals conceded," Durante says. "That's probably been a problem in the past. We're thinking that we need to score two or three goals to win games, but this season a goal could be enough to win it. The back four set the benchmark for the whole team and if they feel that we're safe at the back and pinch that goal, then we can hold on to it."

Sigmund has been one of the Phoenix's genuine success stories.

The former Canterbury United player is now one of the first names down on coach Ricki Herbert's teamsheet, both for the Phoenix and the All Whites. He reflects on how far his defensive pairing with Durante has progressed since the disappointing opening-round 3-2 loss to Newcastle.

"The first game I was thinking `oh, no', we didn't start off too well and we copped three goals," Sigmund said.

"But from there on in it's sort of got better and better. I swapped from the left to the right and since then it's been pretty tidy.

"Dura's obviously a bit better with the ball skills than me so he slips in with his left foot a bit better than me, I think."

Sigmund echoes Durante's belief that trust is the key to a successful centreback pairing.

"If someone makes a mistake, the other one is there to cover and I think that's the moral to the whole success. We've both got each other's back, which I think is really important."

Sigmund grew up playing with All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen in Christchurch and now plays alongside his role model for the national team.

Nelsen remains an inspiration. "Ryan's always been my role model. I've always looked up to him and my goal was always to play next to him and I've achieved that.

"He's just so cool and calm on the ball and he's just got that desire to win and he wants to win every week. I just try to bring that out with my game and so far it's been working."

- © Fairfax NZ News