Match Preview
Handbags at 20 paces! The bottom two teams face off in a game that could be the decider for the coveted wooden spoon.
In game likely to be largely of interest to only diehard Reds and Force fans (or whatever remains thereof for both teams), we, at GAGR, are pleased to bring you the key matchups. Yes, sit down and get comfortable, for this is the preview that you probably don’t want to read for the game you have been waiting all year to watch. Or is that the other way around?
Anyhoo, onto the key matchups…
The Form
Shocking. For both teams. Need we say more?
OK, OK, both teams have won one game in their last five, with the Force claiming two victories for the year, and the Reds claiming a tally of three victories, an impressive 50% more victories than the Force.
Graham vs Foley
The two master coaches go head to head in a coaching matchup that the purists will be drooling over.
Will Foley’s war of attrition beat Graham’s who the hell knows?
The Attack
Both teams have been getting plenty of ball, and both teams have been struggling to use the ball to score points. The Force have the lowest points for in the comp, and nearly all of their bonus points have come from keeping within 7 point range of the opposing team.
Like the Force, what the Reds don’t have is a decent attack – they have scored a whole five more points than the Force so far this season – 207 to 202. While scoring those five extra points the Reds have also let in the second most points against at 369 (us long suffering Reds fan can’t even celebrate being the best at sucking defensively, that dubious honour belonging to the Cheetahs), to the Force’s less poor 308 points.
If you plan on watching this game, be aware that the stats are screaming that you should not expect sparkling, champagne rugby.
The Battle of the Forwards
Ah, the good stuff. Here will be where the game is won, and lost.
The Force have the Michael Foley game style, playing an abrasive game where they attack the breakdown and try to disrupt the other team. Teams that get sucked into their style of play (see: Waratahs) struggle. The result is a low scoring slug fest that gives the Force a shot at a victory without needing to score a lot of points.
Then, we have the Reds. When someone finds Richard Graham’s game plan, please not only tell me, but also the players. Seems no-one has a clue what it is. What the Reds do have is a more than solid scrum – which should account for the Force’s scrum, who have been disappointing – and a solid lineout. The Reds will be looking to leverage their advantage at scrum time into field position and points. They will definitely need to up the ante at ruck time to stop the Force.
One interesting head to head will be Liam Gill and Mat Hodgson, both fighting for the tag of “unluckiest player not to make the RWC squad”. Gill has been in fantastic form for most of the season and has been showing there’s more to his game than pilfers, and Hodgson has been the inspirational captain for the Force for the last few years.
The key for both teams will be the same thing: the Force will want to suck the Reds into their arm wrestle, and the Reds will want to not get sucked in by the Force so they can play to whatever the hell Graham’s game plan is. What the Reds will look to do is to attack the Force’s set piece. Or, they could just get the ball to Kerevi, especially remembering Kerevi’s performance in the corresponding fixture last year. Whatever works.
If the Reds can avoid the slow, static ball and ugly step-sister rucks that the Force can inflict, then they can unleash their deadlier backs with the likes of Kerevi and JOC and this man, who may just prove the difference…
The Quade Factor
Quade is back! For the last three games. Reds fans will be hoping that the excitement machines and one of their favourite (Tokoroa) sons can produce some of the form we saw in 2011 and on the 2013 Wallaby EOYT before his (extremely likely) departure to Toulon.
Reds fans will be hoping that the Reds win off a fantastic Quade performance. Just not a fantastic enough performance to see Graham retained.
Can Quade make an impact in his just his third game of the year, and his first game back from yet another injury?
The Bold Prediction
Meh.
Oh, OK, fine then…
…that both coaches are looking for a job next year.
The Teams
Force v Reds
 |  | 
|
| Pekahou Cowan | 1 | James Slipper |
| Nathan Charles | 2 | James Hanson |
| Tetera Faulkner | 3 | Greg Holmes |
| Steve Mafi | 4 | Rob Simmons |
| Adam Coleman | 5 | James Horwill |
| Angus Cottrell | 6 | Adam Thomson |
| Matt Hodgson | 7 | Liam Gill |
| Ben McCalman | 8 | Jake Schatz |
| Ryan Louwrens | 9 | Will Genia |
| Sias Ebersohn | 10 | Quade Cooper |
| Nick Cummins | 11 | Lachie Turner |
| Kyle Godwin | 12 | Samu Kerevi |
| Marcel Brache | 13 | Karmichael Hunt |
| Luke Morahan | 14 | Chris Feauai-Sautia |
| Dane Haylett-Petty | 15 | James O’Connor |
| Reserves | ||
| Heath Tessmann | 16 | Andrew Ready |
| Chris Heiberg | 17 | Pettowa Paraka |
| Guy Millar | 18 | Sam Talakai |
| Sam Wykes | 19 | Ed O’Donoghue |
| Kane Koteka | 20 | Beau Robinson |
| Alby Mathewson | 21 | Nick Frisby |
| Luke Burton | 22 | Jake McIntyre |
| Patrick Dellit | 23 | Ben Tapuai /Jamie-Jerry Taulagi |
| Location: | nib Stadium, Perth | |
| Kickoff: | Sat 30 May 19:40 | |
| Referee: | Matt O'Brien | |
| Assistant Ref 1: | Damien Mitchelmore | |
| Assistant Ref 2: | Michael Hogan | |
| TMO : | Peter Marshall |
