Friday’s rugby news has the Force making changes, a No 8 battle looming, the JOC rumour mill and an injury blow to the Chiefs.
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Force make injury replacements
The Western Force have made three enforced changes for their match against the Melbourne Rebels. The team have lost three big-name starters in Sam Wykes (rib injury), Alby Mathewson (ankle) and Luke Morahan (hamstring). In response, second-rower Adam Coleman will make his run-on debut, with Ian Prior starting at halfback and Paddy Dellit returning to the right wing.
While dismayed at the loss of his regular starters, coach Michael Foley emphasised the depth within the Force squad. “When we get bumps, and it’s inevitable, we can’t avoid them, it is great to have these guys step up,” he said. The Rebels will be looking to avenge their 32-7 loss to the Force, who have the chance to move to a franchise record six straight wins. [/one_half]
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No 8 contenders face-off
One of the most compelling stories to look out for during the Force v Rebels game will be the matchup of Wallaby no 8 contenders Ben McCalman and Scott Higginbotham. Both players have been in good form this year but statistical analysis from the start of last year and from 2014 alone may give an indication of who should be wearing the gold jersey.
While McCalman has clearly stepped up his game in 2014, Higginbotham is still superior in almost every major attacking category, most notably average gain per run and lineouts won. On the other hand, McCalman has been a much more productive defender this year and has conceded far less penalties. Let us know who you think should be the Wallaby frontrunner in the comments below. [/one_half]
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Reds remain JOC’s only hope
James O’Connor’s last Australian lifeline appears to be the Queensland Reds, with the Force set to shut the door on the ex-Wallaby. Despite coach Richard Graham telling reporters a month ago that there had been no contact between the two parties, the loss of winger Digby Ioane to France and the franchise stalling on some key re-signings have led to rumours that the Reds may be interested.
But the improving Force have been said to be unwilling to spend the money on O’Connor in their state of stretched finances, especially when it appears that JOC is more interested in Olympic Sevens than Super Rugby. [/one_half]
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Muliaina out for Chiefs
Veteran All Black Mils Muliaina is set to have elbow surgery this week, effectively ruling him out of the remainder of the Super Rugby season. The 33-year-old, capped 100 times by New Zealand, has had a horror run with injuries, restricted to five starts for the defending champions since his return from two years in Japan.
Muliaina has been playing in the Chiefs back three and the loss of his valuable experience within the backline will exacerbate the huge injury to Aaron Cruden. The All Black flyhalf injured his thumb and is only expected back in the latter rounds of the competition.
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