Giteau set to make Force debut
Giteau set to make Force debut
c/o ABC Sport
Western Force fans will get their first chance to see star recruit Matt Giteau in action tomorrow night against Manu Samoa.
The Force has announced a 28-man squad for the trial game in Perth, which will be Giteau's and Captain Nathan Sharpe's first game ahead of this year's Super 14 season.
Hooker Tai McIsaac and backs James Hilgendorf and Scott Staniforth have all been left out.
Coach John Mitchell said while both Giteau and Sharpe would start, they were unlikely to play the full 80 minutes.
"We're a unique sport in the fact that of all the top players in rugby union, they get probably the most little base of preparation of all the sports, and it's important that we manage our players properly so they get a time to come into the competition with some kind of conditioning," he said.
Sharpe said he expected the match to be very physical.
"[I am] not sure how long they'll last in terms of their fitness and how many players they [Manu Samoa] are going to play, so that makes it a hard hit out for us, as well as that physicality that I spoke about," he said.
"They [Manu Samoa] are renowned for their big hit and I know a lot of guys will be reaching for their mouth guards tomorrow night before we run out."