Round 3 of Super Rugby starts Friday 11th of March and the first Aussie game is the Force at home to the Brumbies. It kicks off at 7:05pm local, 10:05pm AEDT or 9:05pm if you live in QLD.
Importance
It is still early days in the season but none-the-less it is a top of the table clash for the Aussie Conference with the Brumbies in top spot visiting Perth on their way to their two game South African tour. Whereas the Force are occupying second, keen to make their home into a fortress this season and reach the still elusive super rugby finals.
Form
This year the Force lost by six in the first round to the Rebels before travelling to Brissie and defeating the Reds easily. The Brumbies comprehensively beat the Hurricanes in Canberra before beating the Waratahs at home in what was a close game until the final whistle. This is the Brumbies’ first competition game away of 2016.
Historically the last eight games between both teams has seen seven Brumby wins to one Force win.
Key Match-Ups
McCalman v Butler
McCalman is back in the starting side for the Force after being on the bench post his Japanese duties and will be keen to show that he is the number one no. 8 in Australian rugby.
Butler gets his first start of the year with Vaea out with a finger injury, he will also have huge motivation levels as his name has been thrown about for representative duties for the last couple of years. He’s not going to get there without demanding a Brumbies starting spot and putting on a good display against a World Cup Wallaby.
Haylett-Petty v Toua
No Mogg, No Ashley-Cooper, No McCabe and now even talks of Beale going overseas. These boys have a chance to be Folau’s understudy. Haylett-Petty’s solid defense, pace, error-free consistency and injury resistance comes up against Toua’s ridiculous agility. Enough said.
Why should I bother?
Watch Force v Brumbies to track the relentless progress of the best team in Australia. A few folks are saying that the Brumbies won’t be so good in 2017 and who knows if they are right or wrong?
All I know is: this is their year. Be part of it: watch every game of the Brumbies.
Prediction
Much has been made of the Force “resting” players, putting the Brumbies at almost un-back-able odds. I’m upset with the notion that they are resting players as I think the theory is rubbish as the players relegated to the bench have been under performing and then there’s McCalman starting, who is the best no. 8 they have.
Regardless, I do however think the Brumbies will walk this in. Even with Enever and Vaea out for a while with injuries their team looks unstoppable when head to head with the Force. Even if the Force win the key match-ups, which those players are certainly capable of doing, across the park they are more than matched with.
If the Force are capable of bringing the game down and making it a dire affair, i.e. playing at a level where they have more experience (like they did with the Reds last week), then the game could be close, but the Force will still lose.
If the Brumbies can play the up-tempo style that that have brought to the Hurricanes and fix the line-out woes they had holding them back with the Tahs,
Then the Brumbies will put 50 on the board.
Teams
[one_half last=”no”]
Force:
15 Dane Haylett-Petty
14 Luke Morahan
13 Ben Tapuai
12 Solomoni (Junior) Rasolea
11 Semisi Masirewa
10 Jono Lance
9 Ian Prior
8 Ben McCalman
7 Matt Hodgson (c)
6 Brynard Stander
5 Adam Coleman
4 Ross Haylett-Petty
3 Jermaine Ainsley
2 Heath Tessmann
1 Pekahou Cowan
Replacements:
16 Nathan Charles
17 Chris Heiberg
18 Guy Millar
19 Sitiveni (Stevie) Mafi
20 Angus Cottrell
21 Alby Mathewson
22 Peter Grant
23 Marcel Brache
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Brumbies:
15 Aidan Toua
14 Henry Speight
13 Tevita Kuridrani
12 Matt Toomua
11 Joe Tomane
10 Christian Lealiifano (c)
9 Tomas Cubelli
8 Jarrad Butler
7 David Pocock
6 Scott Fardy
5 Sam Carter
4 Rory Arnold
3 Ben Alexander
2 Stephen Moore (c)
1 Scott Sio
Replacements:
16 Joss Mann-Rea
17 Allan Alaalatoa
18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin
19 Tom Staniforth
20 Jordan Smiler
21 Michael Dowsett
22 Andrew Smith
23 Nigel Ah Wong
[/one_half]
Date: Friday, March 11
Venue: nib Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 19:05 local (11:05 GMT)
Referee: Andrew Lees
Assistant Referees: Damien Mitchelmore, Michael Hogan
TMO: Ian Smith
