Western Force v Waratahs: Saturday 16th April

[Hawko]

The Western Force last week missed a golden chance to put the Rebels away and get a win at home. Their backline is disfunctional until you get to 14 and their coach is "dead man walking" and you'd think this game will be a bridge too far.
The Waratahs had the bye to help with their injury woes and this week will look to bank 4/5 competition points to set them up for the Kiwis. Hooper back at 7, an embarrassment of riches in the backrow and all three gun 10's to choose from.
So, you'd be tipping a Tahs win by 10-20. What can go wrong?

 

[Froggy]

Interesting to see who's back for this game, Harrison, Donaldson and Gordon were all rated a chance. IF all were back, my side would be:
Bell
Porecki
HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes)
Cridge
Holloway
Gamble
Hooper
Harris
Gordon (c)
Donaldson
Newsome
Foketi
Perese
Mark N (Nawaqanitawase)
Harrison
R: Horton, Faulkner, Holtz, Sinclair, RWV, Grant, Edmed, Peitsch
If no Gordon, Grant to 9, Wilson to the bench, if no Donaldson, Edmed to 10, Roberts to the bench, If no Harrison, Newsome to 15, Peitsch to wing, Roberts to the bench.

 

[fatprop]

From the Twetter

 

[chiraag]

Hooper and Gamble starting will be tough to deal with.

This is the side I'd like to see:
1. Robertson (hopefully he's back)
2. Kaitu'u
3. Holmes (need to ensure we've got parity or advantage at scrum time)
4. Rodda
5. FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) (Thrush is solid, but would prefer the extra mobility and workrate of FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) in the second row)
6. O. Callan (help combat the Gamble / Hooper threat)
7. Koteka
8. Anstee
9. Prior
10. Pasitoa
11. Mataele
12. Kuenzle
13. Kahui / Makara / anybody besides Godwin
14. Pulu / Lacey
15. Strachan

Reserves: Ready, Lloyd, Medrano, Thrush / Pugh, Stander, Fines-Leleiwasa, Any 2 of Parata / Poolman / Ala / Macgregor / Lacey / Makara (need to start looking towards next year - no point persisting with McIntyre).

The biggest selection will probably be the match officials though. Surely we couldn't be lumped with Damon Murphy two weeks in a row...!?

 

[Tomikin]

The biggest selection will probably be the match officials though. Surely we couldn't be lumped with Damon Murphy two weeks in a row...!?

East coast Mafia Repping

 

[Derpus]

To be fair Murphy equally distributes his ineptitude

 

[Eyes and Ears]

The referee is Angus Gardner. Murphy is refereeing Reds v Rebels

 

[RugbyReg]

FORCE (1-15): Harrison Lloyd, Feleti Kaitu’u (c), Santiago Medrano, Jeremy Thrush, Ryan McCauley, Fergus Lee-Warner, Kane Koteka, Brynard Stander, Ian Prior, Reesjan Pasitoa, Manasa Mataele, Bayley Kuenzle, Kyle Godwin, Toni Pulu, Jake Strachan

RESERVES: Andrew Ready, Bo Abra, Greg Holmes, Jackson Pugh, Ollie Callan, Michael McDonald, Jake McIntrye, Richard Kahui

WARATAHS (1-15): Angus Bell, Dave Porecki, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Jed Holloway, Hugh Sinclair, Charlie Gamble, Michael Hooper, Will Harris, Jake Gordon (c), Tane Edmed, Dylan Pietsch, Lalakai Foketi, Izaia Perese, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Alex Newsome

RESERVES: Mahe Vailanu, Tetera Faulkner, Archer Holz, Geoff Cridge, Rahboni Warren-Yosayaco, Jack Grant, Will Harrison, Jamie Roberts

 

[chiraag]

No Rodda and Robbo still for the Force makes it a much tougher prospect. Rest of the team looks solid though.
Pretty rough on Lacey after a great game last week to be left right out, and same for Fines-Leleiwasa who has generally been very good. But definitely need to get some game time into Macdonald, and the Prior / Pasitoa combination has been by far the best starting combination this season.

Tahs side looks rather strong though - must be close to full strength besides Donaldson. Force definitely the underdogs, but we often lift against the Tahs and I reckon we might get our act together and scrape a close win at home.

 

[RugbyReg]

No Rodda and Robbo still for the Force makes it a much tougher prospect. Rest of the team looks solid though.
Pretty rough on Lacey after a great game last week to be left right out, and same for Fines-Leleiwasa who has generally been very good. But definitely need to get some game time into Macdonald, and the Prior / Pasitoa combination has been by far the best starting combination this season.

Tahs side looks rather strong though - must be close to full strength besides Donaldson. Force definitely the underdogs, but we often lift against the Tahs and I reckon we might get our act together and scrape a close win at home.

Players unavailable for selection:
Ben Donaldson – Calf (Round 10)
Henry Robertson – Shoulder (Round 10+)
James Ramm – Groin (TBC)
Jeremy Williams – Hamstring (Round 11+)
Joey Walton – ACL (Season)
Lachlan Swinton (Shoulder TBC)
Mosese Tuipulotu – Knee (Round 11+)
Teddy Wilson – Australian U20’s

As for Mike MacDonald, has he been injured at all? Has he been playing club do you know?

 

[Derpus]

Swinton injury seems like it could potentially be pretty serious

 

[Braveheart81]

Swinton injury seems like it could potentially be pretty serious

There was an update about it in a recent SMH article. It's not great.

Waratahs prepared to take a gamble on Charlie

With Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton potentially needing surgery on a shoulder injury, understudy Charlie Gamble may be given an extended run.

www.smh.com.au

The hard-hitting Swinton suffered nerve damage in his right shoulder against the Drua in round one and is still experiencing numbness. And while Coleman is hopeful Swinton can return this season, he also raised the prospect of the 25-year-old needing surgery.

“There is no exact time frame, but we know it won’t be any time soon,” Coleman said.

“They usually give those nerve issues, before they surgically intervene, they give them four to five months to try and reboot themselves. I think he is coming up on three months now, so we are at least one to two months to go on trying to let nature take its course. And after that, it’s making a decision about surgery.

“Fingers crossed we get the best outcome, that it will reboot itself. It is a waiting game. We haven’t given up hope [he will be back]. We just don’t really know.”

Surgical intervention would also be a big blow for the Wallabies, given the abrasive Swinton has emerged as a favourite of coach Dave Rennie.

 

[7137]

Having Jake Gordon back and Hooper starting is huge for us. But we always struggle against the Force. Not expecting to walk away with this without a huge fight.

 

[Derpus]

There was an update about it in a recent SMH article. It's not great.

Waratahs prepared to take a gamble on Charlie

With Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton potentially needing surgery on a shoulder injury, understudy Charlie Gamble may be given an extended run.

www.smh.com.au

The hard-hitting Swinton suffered nerve damage in his right shoulder against the Drua in round one and is still experiencing numbness. And while Coleman is hopeful Swinton can return this season, he also raised the prospect of the 25-year-old needing surgery.

“There is no exact time frame, but we know it won’t be any time soon,” Coleman said.

“They usually give those nerve issues, before they surgically intervene, they give them four to five months to try and reboot themselves. I think he is coming up on three months now, so we are at least one to two months to go on trying to let nature take its course. And after that, it’s making a decision about surgery.

“Fingers crossed we get the best outcome, that it will reboot itself. It is a waiting game. We haven’t given up hope [he will be back]. We just don’t really know.”

Surgical intervention would also be a big blow for the Wallabies, given the abrasive Swinton has emerged as a favourite of coach Dave Rennie.

Damn what a shame. Fingers crossed no long term issues for the bloke.

 

[Purce]

Should be a good game, I like the look of both teams actually. Couple good players out for each team. I'd have started Kahui for Godwin and Fines to start but that's about it for the force.

Would have contemplated starting Roberts for the Tahs as I think he is most effective from the get go for 50 mins or so. Maybe they're trying to use his experience at the back end of games.

 

[Tazzmania]

Looks like Force have been hit with Covid issues:

From the West:

"Western Force have been hit by COVID ahead of Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific clash against the Waratahs at HBF Park with two players in quarantine and Tim Sampson isolating and likely to be coaching from home.

Scrum-half Issak Fines, Wallabies second-rower Izack Rodda, and Sampson have all been ruled close contacts.

Their absence means a Force debut from the bench for home grown No.9 Michael McDonald and a first appearance this season for Ryan McCauley....."

 

[Sully]

what is the point of having Jake McIntrye on the bench?

 

[Brumby Runner]

There was an update about it in a recent SMH article. It's not great.

Waratahs prepared to take a gamble on Charlie

With Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton potentially needing surgery on a shoulder injury, understudy Charlie Gamble may be given an extended run.

www.smh.com.au

The hard-hitting Swinton suffered nerve damage in his right shoulder against the Drua in round one and is still experiencing numbness. And while Coleman is hopeful Swinton can return this season, he also raised the prospect of the 25-year-old needing surgery.

“There is no exact time frame, but we know it won’t be any time soon,” Coleman said.

“They usually give those nerve issues, before they surgically intervene, they give them four to five months to try and reboot themselves. I think he is coming up on three months now, so we are at least one to two months to go on trying to let nature take its course. And after that, it’s making a decision about surgery.

“Fingers crossed we get the best outcome, that it will reboot itself. It is a waiting game. We haven’t given up hope [he will be back]. We just don’t really know.”

Surgical intervention would also be a big blow for the Wallabies, given the abrasive Swinton has emerged as a favourite of coach Dave Rennie.

Just a little bit of hyperbole there BH. "hard-hitting Swinton", "abrasive Swinton", though I do agree with the latter. Is he really a favourite of Dave Rennie? I thought Rob Leota had effectively displaced him as the test No 6 with Wilson left with a few things to work on, which on the evidence this year he has done so.

 

[Derpus]

Just a little bit of hyperbole there BH. "hard-hitting Swinton", "abrasive Swinton", though I do agree with the latter. Is he really a favourite of Dave Rennie? I thought Rob Leota had effectively displaced him as the test No 6 with Wilson left with a few things to work on, which on the evidence this year he has done so.

Pretty sure he was quoting the article BR

 

[qwerty51]

Players unavailable for selection:
Ben Donaldson – Calf (Round 10)
Henry Robertson – Shoulder (Round 10+)
James Ramm – Groin (TBC)
Jeremy Williams – Hamstring (Round 11+)
Joey Walton – ACL (Season)
Lachlan Swinton (Shoulder TBC)
Mosese Tuipulotu – Knee (Round 11+)
Teddy Wilson – Australian U20’s

As for Mike MacDonald, has he been injured at all? Has he been playing club do you know?

No Ruan Smith mentioned... I can't imagine he's not required.