Western Force V Reds 5th July

[Moono75]

Alexander Kepu and Slipper can all play both sides.

Cowan v Slipper generally would be Slipper on top but with Dales out there it might be a different equation. I wish Dales the best of luck and the rest of the Reds scrum but Dales might want to put his boots on backwards in his battle with Longbottom.

I have hoped and hoped he would improve at scrum time for several years but for some unknown reason he just doesn't seem to improve. His work around the paddock is generally pretty good and RG must think one is compensated by the other.

Taps and Frisby must be looking forward to this week as well. I am.

Force should be favourites but youth and enthusiasm will prevail. Reds by 15

Youth & enthusiasm.....yep that served Nick Kyrgios well.....just not ready

 

[GaffaCHinO]

1. Pek Cowan
2. Nathan Charles
3. Kieran Longbottom
4. Sam Wykes
5. Wilhelm Steenkamp
6. Hugh McMeniman
7. Matt Hodgson (c)
8. Ben McCalman
9. Ian Prior
10. Zack Holmes
11. Nick Cummins
12. Chris Tuatara-Morrison
13. Marcel Brache
14. Dane Haylett-Petty
15. Jayden Hayward

Reserves
16. Heath Tessmann
17. Tetera Faulkner
18. Oliver Hoskins
19. Adam Coleman
20. Brynard Stander
21. Justin Turner
22. Dillyn Leyds
23. Solomoni Rasolea

http://www.westernforce.com.au/News...e-Badgers-back-as-Force-readies-for-Reds.aspx

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

i was one of the very few that wasnt a kiwi that predicted the force to lose against the blues. Seeing as there are some opinions about the performance against the blues and how it is a reflection on how the result will be this week, i will probably compare the reds and blues a fair bit.
The force success lives and dies by the success of the force pack and there are certain teams in super rugby we don't match up against well at all with. Blues being one of them and the Reds...not.
I think we will see a different pack turn up against the reds. recent history shows the force forwards win the breakdown and collision contests. I dont see it being much different from previous encounters especially without Gill, but Browning is an improvement over Quirk imo. but none of the back rowers can be cmpared to kaino, luatua and braid of whom came off 3 weeks bashing poms for the all blacks or winning the 10s tourny in singapore. They came to perth n great mental condition. As mentioned in earlier posts the reds will have superiority at the lineout and expect to see them utilizing it a fair bit to set up mauls of which theyre good at and the force at times are poor at defending against. The scrums will be marginally to the force advantage but cant see the advantage being of any real value to the outcome of the game.
Will be interestng to see how the force backline functions with Holmes and whether he continues with the kicking game, pinning the reds in their half or not? what we have seen in his minimal appearances at the force and brumbies is quite opposite and he doesnt have the touch off the boot like ebersohn. What he lacks in the kicking game will hopefullly inspire more positive and attacking rugby. He can be prone to error though but would be good to see the local perform as what he did for the brumbies a couple years back. I think the reds halves have the advantage over the force both of whom I highly rate and if the reds pack as a minimum are able to neutralize the force at the breakdown lucas and frisby could be the difference. Despite the injuries the reds are still putting out a nice looking back line. The other thing about the blues that the force doesnt match up well with is the sheer size, speed and physicality in contact of the blues backs.......cant say the reds backs will strike the same sort of fear against their opposing numbers in the force who should contain them for the most part.
I always look forward to the Force playing Queensland B, and thnk this will be a cracker.....anyone who thinks the same Force will turn up this weekend from the Blues game is delusional.

Result - Too close to call but the heart always backs the force.

 

[biggsy]

The Force have had there lucky run this years, and The injury struck Reds will show the depth of QLD rugby which feeds France and Melbourne rugby.

Reds by 25

 

[Scrubber2050]

biggsy - ever the erternal optimist.

I only said by 15

Fuck I hope YOU are correct

 

[Scoey]

The Force have had there lucky run this years, and The injury struck Reds will show the depth of QLD rugby which feeds France and Melbourne rugby.

Reds by 25

This is the Biggsy I know and love! He's back!! YEW!!

 

[biggsy]

This is the Biggsy I know and love! He's back!! YEW!!

Yeah sorry, for being a negative prick this past years. I will shout you a beer at ballymore at a NRC game.

 

[biggsy]

Last home game for the honey badger, sure that going to play out well for the force this game.

Will the Japanese rugby fans understand his post match chat...

 

[Scoey]

Last home game for the honey badger, sure that going to play out well for the force this game.

Will the Japanese rugby fans understand his post match chat.

Mate, I'm not sure half the Australian Rugby fans understand his post match chat.

 

[Moono75]

The Force have had there lucky run this years, and The injury struck Reds will show the depth of QLD rugby which feeds France and Melbourne rugby.

Reds by 25

Yep the harder we worked the luckier we got. Probably explains why the Reds are where they are and why QLD ran out of Kleenex tissues

 

[tranquility]

The Force can't play rugby.

Reds in a canter.

 

[Moono75]

The Force can't play rugby.

Reds in a canter.

Come on your barely even trying! I've seen better bait in a tackle shop

 

[Moono75]

The quality of the verbal stoush when we played the Tahs was a much higher standard. The Reds providing nothing on the park this year and their fans are following suit in this forum....ho...hum

 

[RugbyReg]

its a fair point Moono. Now Cummins is going, there's extra motivation for the Force to be fired up. The stadium will be pumping as the Force faithful come out to say bye bye to Badger.

Force by plenty.

 

[tranquility]

The irony of this encounter is that we are at a very low ebb, after a disastrous season and The Force are at their highest point of the clubs history. Yet, the Reds should still win.

 

[Moono75]

The irony of this encounter is that we are at a very low ebb, after a disastrous season and The Force are at their highest point of the clubs history. Yet, the Reds should still win.

You don't sound convinced to me. Much like QLD hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games your thinking....shit are we actually good enough to do this!

 

[Scoey]

Yeah man, we're plenty good enough to win this. That's the thing. All the chest beating and bravado from you guys, buoyed by your best season ever may well amount to nothing in two weeks time when the universe will revert to it proper state; with the Reds, Tahs and Brumbies making up the top three in the conference and the also rans, the Force and the Rebels just making up the numbers. You guys know it, we know it; hell, everyone knows it.

 

[Moono75]

Yeah man, we're plenty good enough to win this. That's the thing. All the chest beating and bravado from you guys, buoyed by your best season ever may well amount to nothing in two weeks time when the universe will revert to it proper state; with the Reds, Tahs and Brumbies making up the top three in the conference and the also rans, the Force and the Rebels just making up the numbers. You guys know it, we know it; hell, everyone knows it.

Best tell that to Dick Graham cause he knows he's gonna f@rk this game up......as usual

 

[Scrubber2050]

You don't sound convinced to me. Much like QLD hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games your thinking..shit are we actually good enough to do this!

Mate - if you didn't have iron ore over there you would still just be a little outpost. The Badger gone to Japan for a short stint - then probably to Ballymore (where his heart and soul naturally want to lay).

 

[Forcefield]

Plenty of rubbish being let fly in here.

Some of you Queenslanders would make Jaymes Diaz look like he knows what he is talking about.