Force vs Rebels Round 1, 2016

[Forcefield]

Force vs Rebels. Saturday 27th of February @ 6:50pm local time.

Who is going to win and why? Are the Rebels underdone? Will the Force actually place with speed and width as they have promised all pre-season? Which players are going to light it up?

Bookies are favouring the Force but I think the Rebels are a surer bet.

 

[Highlander35]

Couple of issues player wise it seems. Jones 0 game time. Sefa certain to miss. Stirzaker one or the other.

Still looking forward to it. Hanson should improve both our scrum and our lineout if Weeksey stays fit to compensate for no PAE. Thomson straight in for Higgers helps too. Will be nice to see Bip in action, he's a good player, albeit justifiably stuck behind Stirzaker, and Reece Hodge debuting (hopefully).

 

[Tex]

I reckon you could make a fair argument that the Rebels are going in slightly undercooked.

But, our back row is looking bueno, hopefully Chibba fixes the errant lineouts that have plagued us and Ellison gets the ball with some space and time.

 

[Hawko]

I reckon you could make a fair argument that the Rebels are going in slightly undercooked.

But, our back row is looking bueno, hopefully Chibba fixes the errant lineouts that have plagued us and Ellison gets the ball with some space and time.

Nice to see the Mexicans reverting to their own language and not English.

Given that the Force backrow is their major strength, the Rebels backrow will need to be at their absolute best to get parity.

 

[KevinO]

^^^McMahon and Thomson are better openside and number 8 than any one at Force. Yes, they are stronger at 6 but think at absolute best we are a bit better than them.

I think the major advantage to the Force will be the heat, still going to be about 27 degrees at kick off.

 

[D-Box]

27 - Force boys will have to get the arm warmers out

 

[Moono75]

....these discussions are all very pleasant so far. How long will this détente last?

 

[Dumbledore]

..these discussions are all very pleasant so far. How long will this détente last?

Until the first penalty against the Force.

 

[Highlander35]

..these discussions are all very pleasant so far. How long will this détente last?

Sandgroper Scum! You might as well be in the South African conferences! We should kick you out and get Japan in instead!

 

[Braveheart81]

Until the first penalty against the Force.

I predict it will happen in the Shigginsth minute of the game.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I've got no idea how this will go in all honesty. I'm hearing talk about a more expansive and positive brand of footy from my boys but I guess we'll see. The pack looks as solid as ever but there are some handy personnel changes in the backs that make me a bit hopeful. What I'm looking for most of all on the weekend is intent. Intent to not only win the set piece and the breakdown, but also to score in open play and not kick the air out of the ball. If we do that we might actually win our first game of the season, which doesn't often happen.

 

[Moono75]

.....of course your only as good as your last game.........

Credit to the photographer for taking this awesome shot. If you look closely you can see Higgers heart breaking.

 

[Forcefield]

^^^McMahon and Thomson are better openside and number 8 than any one at Force. Yes, they are stronger at 6 but think at absolute best we are a bit better than them.

I think the major advantage to the Force will be the heat, still going to be about 27 degrees at kick off.

In the key role of a 7, Hodgson is better than McMahon. Underestimate him at your own risk. Without McCalman, the Rebels probably have a better backrow on balance but that also depends on who both the Force and the Rebels start at 6. If you want to win, I'd play Jordy Reid.

 

[Dumbledore]

What does the key role of a 7 even mean? I'd take McMahon over Hodgson, but that's because he plays for my team. If I was a Force fan, I'd probably prefer Hodgson. There's not much between them.

Reid will likely get the start with Colby off the bench.

 

[Bairdy]

Reckon we'll get mullered in the tight five.

There'll probably be at least 4 opensides playing as well. Should make the breakdown an absolute shitfight.

Grant (or Lance) to show up Debreczeni in a winning display for the good guys.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'd really like to see what Lance brings. I've not seen a lot of him at 10 but the reports have been pretty good.

 

[Forcefield]

What does the key role of a 7 even mean? I'd take McMahon over Hodgson, but that's because he plays for my team. If I was a Force fan, I'd probably prefer Hodgson. There's not much between them.

Reid will likely get the start with Colby off the bench.

Pilfering the ball or slowing the ball to either win possession or reduce the quality of opposition possession. McMahon is average at this at best (Thomson is much better than average at this for a 6/8 so maybe it balances out). Hodgson does this very well. Not in the league of Pocock, but at least as good as Gill and better than Hooper. McMahon is a better ball carrier and a bone-crunching defender.

There might not be much between them, but they are very, very different players. I'd take them both if I could also fit in a backrower like Luke Jones or Scott Fardy.

 

[AFL_Converted]

Really hard to see how this will go. Force had a couple of good trials to test the squad. Not much insight to the Rebels trials. On paper I would give it to the Rebels but Rugby is now a game of inches and attitude so I think it will come down to mindset. If either team goes in cocky the other team will bury them.

I just hope the breakdown is policed properly so we don't end up with a dull farce half of last year's games. The new breakdown laws may not help much there I fear.

 

[Tex]

Pilfering the ball or slowing the ball to either win possession or reduce the quality of opposition possession. McMahon is average at this at best (Thomson is much better than average at this for a 6/8 so maybe it balances out). Hodgson does this very well. Not in the league of Pocock, but at least as good as Gill and better than Hooper. McMahon is a better ball carrier and a bone-crunching defender.

There might not be much between them, but they are very, very different players. I'd take them both if I could also fit in a backrower like Luke Jones or Scott Fardy.

Hodgson is a beast when he's on his game and definitely shades McMahon in the dark arts of breakdown play. McMahon is fitter, quicker, crazier and runs the ball better than most loosies in Aus, excepting Hooper. Should be a good contest.

 

[Dumbledore]

Pilfering the ball or slowing the ball to either win possession or reduce the quality of opposition possession. McMahon is average at this at best (Thomson is much better than average at this for a 6/8 so maybe it balances out). Hodgson does this very well. Not in the league of Pocock, but at least as good as Gill and better than Hooper. McMahon is a better ball carrier and a bone-crunching defender.

There might not be much between them, but they are very, very different players. I'd take them both if I could also fit in a backrower like Luke Jones or Scott Fardy.

I think the game's moved past that. All players should be capable of doing that at this point. It's a skill, and it's important, but the idea that it's how a 'true' openside plays is from five years ago.

Balance across the team is the key. Whether the Rebels have that I'm not too sure.