Force hooker looks for final shot at Super 14 title

Article from: AAP

Justin Chadwick
May 01, 2009 09:59am


FORMER Wallaby Tai McIsaac wants nothing more than to win the Super 14 title but the evergreen hooker knows time is running out - and fast.
McIsaac, who will notch his 50th game for the Force in this weekend's clash with the Bulls, will hang up the boots at the end of the season to take up a coaching role in Japan.

But with the in-form Force just three points adrift of the top four, the 34-year-old is desperate to have one final crack at winning a Super 14 title.

"It would mean everything," said McIsaac, who notched 17 games for Queensland before making the move west.

"That's what you play for.

"You play every year so that you can make the finals so the next three weeks are vitally important.

"If we make the final it would be a great way to finish off the career.

"All the boys are very positive and confident at this stage but they're sensible enough to realise the need to focus on it on a week by week basis and not get ahead of themselves.

"They know they've got a big game ahead of them and they can't get too confident."

McIsaac, who made the unconventional switch from water polo to rugby at age 24, has featured in every single game for the Force since the club's inception in 2006.

He made his Wallabies debut at age 31 and notched eight Test caps in all for the national side in between two separate stints with the Australia A outfit.

As the man in charge of the lineout throws for the Force, McIsaac will play a key role against the Bulls.

Bulls captain Victor Matfield is regarded as the best lineout jumper in the world and McIsaac acknowledged the need to avoid the South African's poaching hands.

"His movement is very good and he's easy to lift because he's a good jumper," McIsaac said.

"He's very smart as a line-out reader.

"He reads the line-outs well and he reads where the calls are going and he's there before the attacking team is.

"That's what makes it so difficult to throw against him.

"But we've got Sharpie (Nathan Sharpe) as a master tactician in the lineout area and I'm confident with what he calls every game.

The Force have been boosted by the return of Wallabies enforcer Richard Brown, who has overcome an ankle complaint and will resume at the back of the pack.

Prop Pek Cowan replaces Gareth Hardy in the only other change to the starting XV, with coach John Mitchell once again opting for a five-forward, two-back split on the bench.

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005403,00.html