Force vs Stormers, Perthfontein

[spectator]

Well done Force!!

It was a pretty scrappy affair IMO, but I was as happy as anyone when that dropgoal went over at the end. Dogged defence, a Stormers outfit who looked a little off the boil but what a great result for the team and their supporters! Did they say over 25,000 at the game? Good to see the Fans are behind their team, despite such a crap year so far.

Impossible to get over 25k their stadium is 20 capacity

My bad, maybe that was the crowd stat at the Canes/Saders game. Either way, stadium looked quite full and the crowd very enthusiastic.

 

[topo]

full marks to the replacement hooker too, his throws were good and he made a few metres too. Looks like a find if they can keep him off the Brumbys

Nathan Charles... Played U20's on the bench last season behind Fitzpatrick if I remember correctly... They had Whitaker as the third string....

Is a Gordon Junior, Knox Grammar but another Uni Poach...

Yeah, good player. And 3 years at Sydney Uni including 2 Shute Shield grand final wins haven't hurt his development. This is the first time I have heard of a player contracted to one Franchise (Brumbies in this case) being loaned to another. Have there been others? Can it only happen to players on "Academy" contracts? In any case I bet he gets a full contract somwhere after that performance.

 

[Ruggo]

Good win for the Force and well done. Given some of the sides they are yet to play, they may have some influence over the finals race.

What suprised me was the level of maturity Burger showed as captain. It looks like he has really grown up and full credit to him.

 

[Lee Grant]

This is the first time I have heard of a player contracted to one Franchise (Brumbies in this case) being loaned to another. Have there been others? Can it only happen to players on "Academy" contracts? In any case I bet he gets a full contract somwhere after that performance.

Sheehan went to the Reds from the Tahs Academy on loan yonks ago, but IIRR it was on the understanding that he could be recalled during the season if needs be. Then he was formally contracted by the Reds the following year.

I can't remember a case where a contracted player was put on loan. It's possible, I suppose but I always thought that the idea that To'omua or Lealiifano should have been made available to the Force when Pretorius went down was a nonsense in the real world, as contrasted with the what was best for Oz rugby world.

I hope the Sheehan kind of thing happens to Charles. I always rated him, but was surprised to see that he lost his Uni 1st Grade spot team to Ben Roberts even after the U/20 tournament was over. He got it back for the Grand Final; so maybe he had an injury. Roberts looked like a more robust player than Charles last year and looked even more so playing for the JWs recently. But if that is right Charles is young and will catch up, if he hasn't already.

topo - maybe you or Bruce could compare Roberts and Charles for us and tell us why Roberts was playing so much last year.


Well done to the Force. I knew the droppie would miss because the flight of the ball was like a wounded duck trying to escape when it left Hill's boot. When I realised I was wrong I jumped out of the chair, which wasn't a good idea because I had a glass of expensive cask red in my hand at the time.

PB must have cried into his beer the rest of the day as his boys didn't show up to play. They could have won anyway but wasn't their passing execrable when they got a break? Good defence is a valuable asset but when you have the ball, which is usually half of the game, you have to know how to score tries - and the Stormers haven't been good at it even with Fourie and Habana in their stable now.

Andries Becker would have served his team better at working on his game than the referee, and he appeared to be a bit of a goose - and Burger was the captain, not he. Having said that - is there a better 2nd rower in the Super15 this year? I doubt it. He had a couple of moments of ordinary play last night but he has been in great form - and not just at lineout time either.

The Force will have to be better in the attacking department also but at least they will have all three Horsemen Of The Backrow starting the game next week. There should be more incursions and the faster guys running off them more often.

It was good to see McCalman getting a couple of games though and I don't think it's the last we will be hearing of young Ben in Super rugby. It was also good to see that the Inman genes are well established with young Mitch. The Sydney Uni boys did their club proud.

It's a bitch to get so many injuries as the Force have had this year but often times there is serendipity for later on.

 

[en_force_er]

Wasn't Whitaker used as a prop in the U20 world cup?

I may be wrong but I remember seeing him pack down there and being surprised. Either way Nathan Charles looked good.

The Force boys were giving him some extra post-game pats on the back. Maybe they are keen to have him back next season?

 

[Biffo]

Biffo look like you changed in Farcer Boet? Thought DickHeadSon did OK, the linesman need glasses. The Stormers only have themself to blame for the loss, our scrum and lineouts went OK, Pocock the best player today, worst Pie Eater and Sereli by a mile. There were more then enough changes and hopefull we,ll learn from this one and need a 2000 percent improvement to beat the Bluesers next week. Congrats to the Force supporters, your team was deserved winners after a difficult season so far.

Pretty good summing up, PB, except that you should give away your night job as an optician. The Force did the Tahs, Reds and Brumbies a big favour.

 

[TheRiddler]

Whilst O'Young had a good game (and I've often been left wondering why he doesnt get more game time), I thought Justin Turner had a good game when he came on as well.

Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable Gordon mafia have the word on whether he will be playing for the mighty Highlanders in this year's Shute Shield?

 

[DPK]

Didnt see the game, can someone summarise how Pocock is adapting to the new interpretations?

 

[Lee Grant]

Riddler

Dunno about that but Turner had a rookie contract for 2009 and would have had a full contract this yea, but he had a back injury and missed the whole of the 2009 season. He was put back into the Academy for 2010 but emerged again last night because of the injury to Sheehan.

Incidentally Turner left school half way through his last year in 2008. He already had a rookie contract in his pocket and a Force tour beckoned. He may have picked up his injury then.

 

[GC]

Didnt see the game, can someone summarise how Pocock is adapting to the new interpretations?

No problems at all. Some excellent steals and can't remember the ref hammering him. Made shit loads of tackles and didn't miss many. Brilliant combination with Hodgson. Will be even better with Brown back in the starting lineup.

 

[DPK]

Didnt see the game, can someone summarise how Pocock is adapting to the new interpretations?

No problems at all. Some excellent steals and can't remember the ref hammering him. Made shit loads of tackles and didn't miss many. Brilliant combination with Hodgson. Will be even better with Brown back in the starting lineup.

Cheers. I thought he might get pinned early on if he tried to do the one motion tackle-rise-steal stuff that was saw in the masterclass against Wales in the EOYT 09.

 

[TheRiddler]

LG

Pretty sure Turner played for Gordon in last years finals series when Vinnie Byrne was injured. Seem to recall we may have sniped him from North Sydney but I may be imagining things.

 

[topo]

topo - maybe you or Bruce could compare Roberts and Charles for us and tell us why Roberts was playing so much last year.

Bruce may have a more informed view on this but it was my impression that Roberts offered a bit more experience and was a bit tougher in what was a pretty young pack. There was very little between them most of the time and Charles often came on for the last 20 and made a huge contribution. He was picked for the GF because Roberts had a couple of poor games with his lineout throwing. Both good players in their own way with Roberts probably a bit better at scrum time and Charles a bit more precise at lineout.
And I agree 100% with your assesment of Bekker. Great game, but a bit of a goose.

 

[Thomond78]

Dickinson. By far the best refereeing performance of the S14 so far.

I have only one question - how did Burger stay on the field after three penalties for foul play? That is pure red card stuff.

No. It isn't. And the laws deal with it explicitly. Law 10 (3) (c).

So stop trolling, there's a good lad. It's not big, and it's not clever.

 

[Bruce Ross]

topo - maybe you or Bruce could compare Roberts and Charles for us and tell us why Roberts was playing so much last year.

Bruce may have a more informed view on this but it was my impression that Roberts offered a bit more experience and was a bit tougher in what was a pretty young pack. There was very little between them most of the time and Charles often came on for the last 20 and made a huge contribution. He was picked for the GF because Roberts had a couple of poor games with his lineout throwing. Both good players in their own way with Roberts probably a bit better at scrum time and Charles a bit more precise at lineout.

I think that topo has summed the situation up pretty well as far as last season is concerned.

The new ingredient is their off-season training and performances. While Nathan has been with the Brumbies, Ben has virtually reinvented himself training at Uni. He has really put in, is lifting very serious poundages, hardly has a drink and is really looking after his diet. I expect him to have a very big season this year, and he would be a great buy for any of the franchises.

I didn't see any of the Waratah A games but apparently he has started every game and been quite impressive while I don't think that Nathan got much game time with the Brumby Runners.

It appears that the Force were considering both players for the fill-in spot and went with the younger bloke. As I've mentioned before on the Rebels thread, what I really like about Roberts is that he's a cattle dog; he'd sooner fight than fornicate. That makes him very valuable in a Uni pack where you don't often see the street-fighter mentality.

I think that the Uni selectors will have a real dilemma again this season, and if the Rebels can't find a spot for Roberts in their roster for 2011 they must have some outstanding hookers.