Western Force v Stormers: Will the Force prevail after the Waratahs could not?
The Western Force hosts the Stormers on Saturday night for the South African team’s last match on their four-week tour of Australasia. The Force are near enough to level pegging in their record against South African sides in Perth having won ten and lost eleven, so they’re in with a shot.
Both teams have recorded bonus point wins in Sydney this season against the reigning Super Rugby champions, the Waratahs. But that doesn’t quite tell the full story.
The Form
The Stormers moved into the top six on the log with their impressive win in Sydney last Saturday. Physical defence smothered the Waratahs and their rapid outside backs capitalised on opposition mistakes to counter-attack and run in four good tries. While they’ve lost matches against three New Zealand sides, the Stormers have won well in South Africa to have a 5–3 record halfway through their schedule.
By contrast, the Western Force is one of three teams at the bottom of the table with a solitary win (against the Waratahs) after eight starts. For most of those matches the losing margins have been respectable. They were probably even unlucky in a couple of them but the team hasn’t been able to close out their games and win. The match last week against the Cheetahs was symptomatic of their season; leading at the 60 minute mark before being gazumped in the last quarter.
Squad News
For the Force, captain Matt Hodgson is still a week away from taking the field this season. His stand-in at openside, Kane Koteka, sits out for this match after suffering concussion last weekend. So bullocking flanker Chris Alcock slots in at No.7 in the only change to the starting side. To add a little extra motivation for the home team, Alcock will receive his 50th Super Rugby cap for this game.
Another milestone awaits young backrower Ross Haylett-Petty who has been named on the Force bench for his possible Super Rugby debut. The younger brother of fullback Dane Haylett-Petty, Ross has worked his way through the pathways of WA rugby from the Cottesloe Club through to Australian U20s and Perth Spirit in the NRC last year.
Ross Haylett-Petty at the Under 20 World Championships in 2014
For the Stormers, eighthman Duane Vermeulen remains wrapped in cotton wool; extending the Springbok’s rest break into a second week. You might think this would present an opportunity for the Force with Vermeulen widely touted as the best No. 8 in the world last year, but his replacement Nizaam Carr didn’t concede an inch against the Waratahs last week.
Stormers’ coach Allister Coetzee has added one new name to his match-day 23 and shuffled the pack. Blindside flanker Michael Rhodes who started at No.7 against the Waratahs, flew home with a hamstring tear. He is replaced by the winner of the 2015 Laureus (Lazarus?) World Comeback Award, Schalk Burger who moves across from No. 6. From the bench, Siya Kolisi is promoted in his place and Skuna Notshe, who scored a try against the Reds at Suncorp last year, comes onto the bench as the reserve backrower.
The other changes are Bongi Mbonambi starting at hooker instead of Scarra Ntubeni who goes to the bench, and Louis Schreuder starting at scrumhalf instead of Nic Groom who goes to the bench.
Schalk Burger – midweek flights to China to collect his Laureus award
Key Matchups
The battle between the two South African-born 10s is likely to play a big role in this match. Conditions are expected to be clear and mild and amenable to running rugby but expect both Sias Ebersohn for the Force and Demetri “Cat killer” Catrakilis for the Stormers to regularly kick for territory when in their own half. Goal kicking will also be important. While Ebersohn has a decent success rate this season at 76%, Catrakilis has been a real sharp shooter at 96%.
The Stormers will want to bring their dominant performance in the collisions and breakdowns from Sydney over to Perth. Schalk Burger, back at his preferred position of blindside, together with lock Eben Etsebeth will be players to watch for the Stormers. Force counterparts Steve Mafi and Adam Coleman should provide strong opposition. In the lineouts, the Force will be looking to Sam Wykes to provide the leadership in concert with hooker Nathan Charles. With several changes to the Stormers pack, new hooker Mbonambi may be under some pressure to get his throwing right.
Western Force lineout winner Adam Coleman
There is also an interesting clash in centre field, with WA young gun Kyle Godwin going up against the power running of Stormers’ captain Juan de Jongh.
The Prediction
While the Force has a decent defence, the Stormers do it best. They also have more weapons out wide. The home side will want to keep themselves in contention during the first half and hope the visitors fade in the second, but recent results point to it going the other way.
Stormers by 12.
[one_half last=”no”]
Western Force
1. Pekahou Cowan
2. Nathan Charles
3. Tetera Faulkner
4. Sam Wykes (c)
5. Adam Coleman
6. Steve Mafi
7. Chris Alcock
8. Ben McCalman
9. Alby Mathewson
10. Sias Ebersohn
11. Nick Cummins
12. Luke Burton
13. Kyle Godwin
14. Luke Morahan
15. Dane Haylett-Petty
Replacements
16. Heath Tessmann
17. Chris Heiberg
18. Oliver Hoskins
19. Ross Haylett-Petty
20. Angus Cottrell
21. Ian Prior
22. Zack Holmes
23. Marcel Brache
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Stormers
1. Steven Kitshoff
2. Bongi Mbonambi
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Eben Eztebeth
5. Ruan Botha
6. Siya Kolisi
7. Schalk Burger
8. Nizaam Carr
9. Louis Schreuder
10. Demetri Catrakilis
11. Dillyn Leyds
12. Damian de Allende
13. Juan de Jongh (c)
14. Kobus van Wyk
15. Cheslin Kolbe
Replacements
16. Scarra Ntubeni
17. Alistair Vermaak
18. Vincent Koch
19. Jean Kleyn
20. Sikhumbuzo Notshe
21. Nic Groom
22. Kurt Coleman
23. Huw Jones
[/one_half]
Referee: Mike Fraser
AR1: Andrew Lees
AR2: Will Houston
TMO: Ian Smith
Western Force v Stormers
Venue: Force Field (nib Stadium) Perth
Date: Saturday 18 April
Kickoff: 7:45 pm Perth time (9.45 pm AEST)
