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Force v Hurricanes Super Rugby 2015 Rnd 3

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Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
This thread is for discussing this match only

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M

Moono75

Guest
The mighty Force return home to the sunny side of the nation after a two week sojourn on the east coast, which raised as many questions about the team as it did answers.

An outstanding first up hit out against the Tahs lifted the hearts of Force fans everywhere and helped annul fears that 2014 was an oasis in the otherwise barren dessert of Super Rugby for the Sea of Blue. The Force displayed the characteristics every fan hopes for when their team crosses the white line for the contest. 23 men with resolve, dedicated to achieving a singular purpose. And through that effort, at the end of 80 minutes, the joyous realisation that great things can be achieved by teams with less talent but greater purpose, they can slay the dragon.

Unfortunately the lesson delivered by the Force in Week 1 was just as readily forgotten in Week 2 against an under-strength Reds team, seen to be in turmoil, on its last legs and ripe for the picking on a sodden Lang Park. In the space of a week, that precious gift of purpose, resolve and dedication was snatched from the Force like a thief in the night by the Reds, who went on to quench their supporters pain after a disastrous opening stanza to their 2015 campaign.

Enter week 3 and Force fans nervously countdown to Fridays big game against the All Black laden Wellingtonians at Force Field. After facing a cyclonic Reds the previous week the Canes present as a hurricane on the horizon packing plenty of firepower. Perenara, Barrett, Savea, Nonu, Smith, Jane and Woodward, all worthy names for the destructive storm about to descend on the western capital....only matched for intensity by some of the Canes more enthusiastic supporters inhabiting the Shed at the northern end of NIB Stadium.

The Sea of Blue will be sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage for the return of the Honey Badger, who is available for selection and would bring some much needed blonde bogan bravado and attacking nous to the backline. The Force await the results of scans to key players Chris Alcock and the the tall timber from Tassie Adam Coleman to determine their availability, prop Francois van Wyk seemingly lost for the foreseeable future. Lock Wilhelm Steenkamp could be set for a recall if Coleman is felled; bringing his experience to a lineout that was poached more often than an egg at Sunday breakfast. The scrum, so often a weapon for the Force will be hoping for the return of Perth’s own Fred Flintstone Pek Cowan, ready to deliver the Yabba Dabba Doo in the front row and solidify a unit that whipped up more turf at Suncorp than butter at the Devondale Dairy.


Like all Force fans we can’t wait for the official launch of Super Rugby here in Perth on a balmy Friday evening and keenly await a spirited Force outfit ready to step up in front of the loyal Sea of Blue and send the Hurricanes disappointed back home across the ‘ditch’.
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
My sympathies go out to the Force this weekend. But, then I do recall that most teams had very little success last year coming back across the Indian Ocean. Think you will definitely need Cowan and Coleman to be fit. Better performances by Wykes and Ebersohn will also be needed and maybe Godwin to 12. he hasn't been very influential out at 13.
 

Shiggins

Simon Poidevin (60)
Dare I say it we need to have a bloody crack. Play like we did against the tahs. We have great line benders and finishers in the side and need to use them. If they get some ball they can build with confidence and make a good shot at making the finals this year. We will know where we are at by the end of this game after 2 weeks of great play and poor play.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
The Force's game to lose. The Hurrycans are two from two but their opposition were pretty feeble. Third week on the road and all they will be thinking about is getting home. No point in trying to beat them through the backs, the place to get them is to turn their pack of pussycats over. That's where the emphasis has to be this week, there and the scrum.

The scrum appears to be a major weakness this year. Longbottom clearly was a bigger part of last year's result than it appeared. Getting done over by the Reds scrum (including Daley) is shameful in the extreme.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
The scrum appears to be a major weakness this year. Longbottom clearly was a bigger part of last year's result than it appeared. Getting done over by the Reds scrum (including Daley) is shameful in the extreme.

The return of Pek Cowan will surely improve things greatly.

Their scrum got smashed by the Tahs after he went off and then smashed even worse by the Reds after van Wyk went off injured.

There won't be many teams that have a competitive scrum when they're using a third choice prop.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
The return of Pek Cowan will surely improve things greatly.

Their scrum got smashed by the Tahs after he went off and then smashed even worse by the Reds after van Wyk went off injured.

There won't be many teams that have a competitive scrum when they're using a third choice prop.


The scrum that Pek was injured in was a result of getting smashed. Even with Pek on early in the game, the Force scrum was under extreme pressure and wilting.
 
M

Moono75

Guest
A lump of coal becomes a diamond with the application of heat, pressure and time. So to will the Force front row given some time. Even if we blood some young guys they will be better for the experience down the track.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Unfortunately not true, and there's history to back that up. You don't want to be exposing young or not ready props to this level.

To prove this, here's a pop quiz: can you name any of the third string and lower props who played for the Reds in 2007 after their prop injury crisis? At one stage, pretty sure the Reds were down to 5th or 6th string props.

Unfortunately, third and fourth string props tend to struggle unless you have a guy from club rugby who can scrum but is a bit of a pot plant otherwise.

Van Wyk also went down in a scrum that the Reds applied a lot of pressure in.

Force should work on keeping off the first shunt then channel ball through the scrum for a fast clear until their first string props are back up. Hopefully they can fix the lineout too, lineouts are something that can be fixed up to a good level (if you have the jumpers and thrower, that is) fairly quickly.
 

Bairdy

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Lineouts has always been an issue since Wykes has taken over from Sharpe.

If he wasn't stand-in captain I'd swap him for Steenkamp.
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
This game gives me nightmares. It always throws me back to 2012 when the Canes had a few injuries and were on their way back from Africa. I remember thinking the Force were a good chance and then they dismantled us 19-46.

If we are to win this, we need to make it nasty and not let the ball reach their backline.
 

Forcefield

Ken Catchpole (46)
To prove this, here's a pop quiz: can you name any of the third string and lower props who played for the Reds in 2007 after their prop injury crisis? At one stage, pretty sure the Reds were down to 5th or 6th string props.

Unfortunately, third and fourth string props tend to struggle unless you have a guy from club rugby who can scrum but is a bit of a pot plant otherwise.


I'd struggle to name the third string and lower props for the Force in 2007. Back in 2007 depth was paper thin (as it is now) because of the introduction of the Force. Any of the teams third string or lower props would have been light years off being Super quality and probably never would be. I think the difference now is that a guy like Ollie Hoskins is capable of being Super Rugby quality but needs time to develop. In his defence, I thought our scrum improved a lot when Hoskins came on. James Slipper was also started young and has has always impressed. The Reds back in 2007 went for guys like Tama Tuirangi who was 29 at the time and wasn't going to ever step up. Likewise I always thought Chris Heiberg was a very, very poor decision for the Force and was proven correct on Saturday. It's a bloody shame Alec Hepburn went back to the UK. I don't think he would have if he were given a contract.

Against the Hurricanes, I'd move Mafi to 6, Steenkamp in for Coleman, Stander to 7 and Cottrell to the bench (along with either Walton or RHP).
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Unfortunately not true, and there's history to back that up. You don't want to be exposing young or not ready props to this level.

To prove this, here's a pop quiz: can you name any of the third string and lower props who played for the Reds in 2007 after their prop injury crisis? At one stage, pretty sure the Reds were down to 5th or 6th string props.

Unfortunately, third and fourth string props tend to struggle unless you have a guy from club rugby who can scrum but is a bit of a pot plant otherwise.

Van Wyk also went down in a scrum that the Reds applied a lot of pressure in.

Force should work on keeping off the first shunt then channel ball through the scrum for a fast clear until their first string props are back up. Hopefully they can fix the lineout too, lineouts are something that can be fixed up to a good level (if you have the jumpers and thrower, that is) fairly quickly.

David TeMoana
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
David TeMoana

The big dog! Super rugby journey man. At least he had Super Rugby experience at the Force and Blues, I think. The name of the poor prop Eddie Jones told to take a dive keeps slipping through my mind as well. Warren?
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Gavin Warren. Was barely out of school. He played for GPS a few years later and was playing bloody well. Well enough to be considered for a contract I thought.
 
M

Moono75

Guest
We need to return to 'Shake & Bake' Godwin (12) and Junior (13) this Friday. At the moment we've got Bake and Shake and it's producing sponge cakes.
 
M

Moono75

Guest
Hurricanes team to face the Force! Conrad sitting out.

1.Reggie Goodes
2. Dane Coles (c)
3. Ben Franks
4. Blade Thomson
5. James Broadhurst
6. Ardie Savea
7. Brad Shields
8. Victor Vito
9. Chris Smiley
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Rey Lee-Lo
14. Cory Jane
15. James Marshall
Reserves
16. Brayden Mitchell
17. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
18. Chris Eves
19. Mark Abbott
20. Callum Gibbins
21. TJ Perenara
22. Matt Proctor
 
M

Moono75

Guest
Force need DHP and Pek back for this clash. Outside chance the Badger could be back but I would think he will be given another week.

NZ teams disrespecting Oz teams...........whats changed :rolleyes:
 

FrankLind

Colin Windon (37)
Hurricanes team to face the Force! Conrad sitting out.

1.Reggie Goodes
2. Dane Coles (c)
3. Ben Franks
4. Blade Thomson
5. James Broadhurst
6. Ardie Savea
7. Brad Shields
8. Victor Vito
9. Chris Smiley
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Rey Lee-Lo
14. Cory Jane
15. James Marshall
Reserves
16. Brayden Mitchell
17. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
18. Chris Eves
19. Mark Abbott
20. Callum Gibbins
21. TJ Perenara
22. Matt Proctor


I'd imagine Ardie Savea will be at 7 and Shields at 6.
 
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