Western Force 2012

[Bruwheresmycar]

Tomorrow morning on Eurosport 4 former force players are set to play in Toulon vs Agen.

Toulon: Giteau/Henjak
Agen: Pelesasa/Pat O'Connor

 

[SuperGrover]

Tomorrow morning on Eurosport 4 former force players are set to play in Toulon vs Agen.

Toulon: Giteau/Henjak
Agen: Pelesasa/Pat O'Connor

Not sure if he's in the game tomorrow, but David Smith is also on Toulon's books

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Congratulations the to boys on their Awards At the RUPA last night.

Matt Hodgson - Academic Achievement

David Pocock - Community Award

and the big one

Nathan Sharpe - Medal of Excellence

3 out of 4 awards for the force men aint bad.

(Conrats also to Ben Tapuai - Newcomer of the Year)

 

[Moono75]

Interesting to see Rugby magazines Super 15 predictions with the Force tipped to finish 11th. Early at this stage and sure loosing Rab's O'Connor was a blow but I can't wait to see Nalaga run round or over a few oppenents this year. Will Cam Shepherd play 15 allowing Cummins and Nalaga to start on the wings? Will Toby Lynn push Wykes to partner Sharpie?

 

[Newter]

Interesting fact: of the nine matches the Force lost in 2011, six of them were by less than seven points. They won five games and drew two.

The Force were "competitive" in 13 out of 16 games.

Could be a big year...

 

[Shiggins]

Interesting fact: of the nine matches the Force lost in 2011, six of them were by less than seven points. They won five games and drew two.

The Force were "competitive" in 13 out of 16 games.

Could be a big year...

that's right mate. And interesting enough when JOC (James O'Connor) was injured the force played great. I love the look of the back line. Stannard is looking great and I think he is going to be in the top 3 10s in aus this year.

The force still need to learn to win close games. I would be interested to see where they think the rebels will finish.

 

[Lee Grant]

Shiggins

Stannard performed well starting in the last 5 games of Super Rugby in 2011 at flyhalf and probably deserves to start ahead of Ripia at the beginning of the 2012 S15. However he played scrumhalf in 2nd Grade for Eastwood in the Shute Shield in Sydney last season, and not very well when I saw him.

It's not a good look for somebody expected to run the show for the Force at 10, but he is an old dog for the long road and I'll back him to be able start where he finished off.

You're right Shiggins: the Force have to win the close ones which has been an annual bugbear of theirs since they started, give or take an exception here and there. One of the big things for the Reds in 2011 was their abiltity to win a couple of key games they would have lost in the past and look what happened.

The Force have to emulate them in that regard and if they can, they could turn a few predictions upside down.

 

[tranquility]

Lee, what is the significance of your quote? It seems rather straight forward..

 

[Shiggins]

Well put Lee. The thing I like about the force is that the players are coming through now. We don't have 1 or 2 big stars and that's it. We have guys trying to make names for themselves and they are all good rugby players. That's what a good team needs. I think the reds are a good example of that. a good team is what's needed. Not a few great players. Eg the brumbies 2010

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee, what is the significance of your quote? It seems rather straight forward..

The McCall quote? It doesn't relate to the post: it's my signature on all my posts, and part of my Don Quixote quest to get the IRB to do something about the scrummage.

 

[Moono75]

that's right mate. And interesting enough when JOC (James O'Connor) was injured the force played great. I love the look of the back line. Stannard is looking great and I think he is going to be in the top 3 10s in aus this year.

The force still need to learn to win close games. I would be interested to see where they think the rebels will finish.

Rebels tipped to finish 12th, Brumbies 15th, Reds 3rd and Tahs 2nd. The bane of the Force for the last 6 years has been loosing those close games. I've sat through too many of those home game loses in the last 5 minutes. I'm hoping a well balanced, healthy team in 2012 will see us pushing for a finals place......at last.

 

[Newter]

Shiggins

Stannard performed well starting in the last 5 games of Super Rugby in 2011 at flyhalf and probably deserves to start ahead of Ripia at the beginning of the 2012 S15. However he played scrumhalf in 2nd Grade for Eastwood in the Shute Shield in Sydney last season, and not very well when I saw him.

It's not a good look for somebody expected to run the show for the Force at 10, but he is an old dog for the long road and I'll back him to be able start where he finished off.

You're right Shiggins: the Force have to win the close ones which has been an annual bugbear of theirs since they started, give or take an exception here and there. One of the big things for the Reds in 2011 was their abiltity to win a couple of key games they would have lost in the past and look what happened.

The Force have to emulate them in that regard and if they can, they could turn a few predictions upside down.

Interesting mail on Stannard. His form at 10 was surely too good for Graham to ignore. Yet I've heard him say a few times that a fit Willie Ripia is the man for that jersey.

 

[Hawko]

Interesting mail on Stannard. His form at 10 was surely too good for Graham to ignore. Yet I've heard him say a few times that a fit Willie Ripia is the man for that jersey.

Its not just the squad that ensures good performances. The two other key factors are the selectors and the coach, usually in Super rugby with the same key person involved. Blind Freddie could have seen that Ripia was severely limited and that Stannard, on the basis of his seven's play, had the ability to lead a team around the field. But he was only chosen there as a last resort when there was no one else. My prediction is that Ripia will start again in 2012, the backline will turn to stodge and the efforts of the pack will be, once again, totally wasted.

The game against the Tahs last year was instructive. Man for man the Force hopelessly outclassed the injury-hit Tahs, yet the Force had as their key strategy trying to turn the game into a bore-fest so the Tah fans would boo their team. It was a totally negative gameplan and the Force lost a match they should have won in a canter. It screamed out that the head coach had no belief in his team. And his team played to the message that their coach had given them - that they were second raters who could only win if they dragged the other team down.

Looking through the squad at the Force, they should be competing with the Tahs and the Reds for first spot in the conference. But, they had a great squad last year and they didn't. On the basis of last year's coaching and selecting, they will once again be bottom six and only if they change the mind-set and self belief at the top will they achieve their full potential.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

To be fair to the coaching staff last year was their first year incharge and even then it was a suprise i guess with mitchell jumping ship so hopefully this year the players and coachs might be reading from the same book alittle more. We all saw what happened at the Reds and there is no reason it wont happen this year for the force. I am looking forward to the season and think the boys may suprise a few people and do abit of damage to the so called "better teams".

 

[Brumbies Guy]

The game against the Tahs last year was instructive. Man for man the Force hopelessly outclassed the injury-hit Tahs, yet the Force had as their key strategy trying to turn the game into a bore-fest so the Tah fans would boo their team.

Their key strategy was to make the Tahs fans boo their own team? I think you've cracked it, everyteam must have been secretly plotting against the Tahs last year, what a conspiracy.

 

[Hawko]

Their key strategy was to make the Tahs fans boo their own team? I think you've cracked it, everyteam must have been secretly plotting against the Tahs last year, what a conspiracy.

The Force came out and said it publicly (on here if I remember right). It was not my paranoia.

 

[Forcefield]

Its not just the squad that ensures good performances. The two other key factors are the selectors and the coach, usually in Super rugby with the same key person involved. Blind Freddie could have seen that Ripia was severely limited and that Stannard, on the basis of his seven's play, had the ability to lead a team around the field. But he was only chosen there as a last resort when there was no one else. My prediction is that Ripia will start again in 2012, the backline will turn to stodge and the efforts of the pack will be, once again, totally wasted.

Richard Graham said just before Christmas that he will be giving Stannard first crack at 10. Whether that pans out remains to be seen but at least he acknowledges what Stannard offers. In Ripia's defence, he was brought back too early from injury and should be slightly less stodgy than last year if fit.

The game against the Tahs last year was instructive. Man for man the Force hopelessly outclassed the injury-hit Tahs, yet the Force had as their key strategy trying to turn the game into a bore-fest so the Tah fans would boo their team. It was a totally negative gameplan and the Force lost a match they should have won in a canter. It screamed out that the head coach had no belief in his team. And his team played to the message that their coach had given them - that they were second raters who could only win if they dragged the other team down.

I think hopelessly outclassed is a bit of a big call. It wasn't inspirational coaching but then again we had lost to the Tahs by about 30 points in our last encounter at home. Despite what he said, I don't think Richard Graham actually factored in the booing much. With Ripia at 10 not playing for territory would be foolish. The Tahs were the best defensive team in 2011 and the Force one of the worst attackers; in an Australian derby it was always going to be a bore-fest.

 

[Shiggins]

Haha the force made tah fans boo. I wonder why else they can do. Not having a go but the fans are to blame for that one. I'm pretty sure England didnt try to make wallaby fans boo when they played a boring bat shit game. Better be careful talking about this subject. It might bring up bad memories.

It also might give the force thread more pages. This thread seams to lack the discussion compared to the others.

My mission is to get this thread pumping. I'm way of topic lol.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

My mission is to get this thread pumping. I'm way of topic lol.

Then with that in mind lets start to talk for real.

I think the forward pack if pretty settle and will pick its self for most of the year.

Something like this
1)Cowan
2)Charles
3)Ma Food
4)Wykes
5)Sharpie
6)McCalman
7)Pocock
8) Browne
16)Whittica
17)Longbottom
18)Lynn
19)Hodgeson

A very very good forward pack with some very good players on the bench.

But what do we thinkt best Backline will be me im not sure what the final will look like? any ideas

 

[todd4]

With McCalman having played 8 for the Wallabies I think he will get the starting nod for the Force at 8 with Brown starting at 6.