Beyond the Great Divide

WA suddenly exists in the Eastern Media, if only to be claimed as their own returning from beyond the Great Divide!

Can't see the Tahs for the Woods

Phil Wilkins
Friday, March 2, 2007

The invasion of the wandering sons will take place when the Western Force run out against the Waratahs at Aussie Stadium tonight.

No less than four former Eastwood club players have been included in the Force's 22-member squad - Test utility back Scott Staniforth, international No.8 Scott Fava, utility back James Hilgendorf and halfback Chris O'Young.

Other Force players with Sydney bloodlines involved in the homecoming are Cameron Shepherd, Troy Takiari, Brendan Cannon, Gareth Hardy, David Pusey, Angus Scott, Haig Sare, Matt Hodgson, Luke Holmes, AJ Whalley and ex-rugby league centre Ryan Cross.

Takiari, a powerful 119-kilogram tight-head, will anchor the Force's scrum, while fellow ex-Northern Suburbs player, goalkicking winger/fullback Shepherd, has been one of the outstanding players of the Super 14.

Another enjoying a magnificent tournament is strong running former Sydney University loose-head Gareth Hardy, who has distinguished himself with two tries in the past two games.

Ex-Southern Districts forward Pusey rejoins the run-on pack as blind side breakaway, while ex-Sydney University prop Scott and former Warringah centre Sare are on the reserves bench.

Ex-Sydney University hooker Cannon has done it all. Having broken into representative rugby with the Queensland Reds in 1996, he transferred to the Waratahs and was the first player signed by the Force in 2004.

The 42-Test hooker is now fully recovered from a neck injury that required surgery after a scrum accident in Dunedin last year.

Of tonight's clash, Cannon said: "It's a pinnacle game for both sides. The intensity will be pretty fierce with the Tahs coming off a bye and not having as satisfying a tour of South Africa as they would have liked.

"Our momentum was stalled somewhat with last weekend's loss [24-25 to the Lions], so both sides will be keen to get their season back on track.

"For us, visiting Aussie Stadium as the Western Force franchise for the first time will be an awesome experience. It doesn't decrease the seriousness of the game for all of us. You only have 13 chances to get it right and we have already let two slip by.

"We'll cherish our first win when it happens at Subiaco Oval, and it's not too far away. But for all of us returning east, and especially those who have played at Aussie Stadium, we have fond memories of it as a superb venue.

"It is a very special place to play rugby. All the boys are looking forward to getting back there and playing in what we used to call the 'Tah Pit'."

Few know the ground better than Cannon. In all, he played 71 games for the Waratahs, one behind the great hooker, Phil Kearns.

It will be also be a special occasion for Staniforth. Making his debut for NSW in 1997, he made 61 Super 14 appearances before deciding that the signings of Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor made it virtually impossible to retain a position in the team.

He went overseas and was the last player signed by the Force. He won their initial player of the year award last winter and regained a Test spot after four years on the outer - as inside-centre.

Should the Force win their first game in Australia against the Waratahs, expect the Eastwood club at Tom Millner's Field to rock on Saturday. Their five musketeers, Staniforth, Fava, O'Young, Hilgendorf and Hodgson, will see to that.

Tahs rely on inside knowledge

By Jon Geddes
March 02, 2007

WARATAHS coach Ewen McKenzie is using his intimate knowledge of Western Force players to plot their downfall in tonight's Super 14 showdown at Aussie Stadium.

Five members of the Force starting side - Cameron Shepherd, Scott Staniforth, Troy Takiari, Brendan Cannon and Gareth Hardy - are ex-Waratahs players.

Their presence adds extra spice to what already had all the ingredients of a fiery Australian derby.

"There is a fair bit of familiarity with our opponents - that's not such a bad thing actually when you know their strengths and weaknesses in detail," McKenzie said.

"There are definitely some opportunities we want to exploit in the game."

McKenzie said Force have been fairly consistent in the way they have played and that was probably why they have been doing all right.

"We still think this scope there to do well," he said.

Morgan Turinui said shutting down star Force five-eighth Matt Giteau will be crucial tonight.

"You don't give a guy like that space and you don't let him dominate the game and control the game," he said.

"Sometimes when he is caught in a ruck - or if you saw when Matt Henjak went to the bin last week and he went to halfback - they lost a little bit of direction," Turinui said. "So it can be hard when a team relies so heavily on one player."

He said with Giteau being Force's one ball-player, their great strength of having so many ball-runners can sometimes be a weakness.

Turinui has been given a roving commission on the wing tonight. "If you look at the way we play a lot of times you see Lote Tuqiri and Peter Hewat in at first receiver," he said.

"I'll be looking to get in and around the ruck and sniff around there."

McKenzie also had a shot at the Force's preparation for the game with one closed training session in Sydney yesterday.

"I think you have to promote the game and if we hide for the media that makes it very hard to promote it," he said.

Is there a bigger belter in Australian Rugby than link?

Phil Wilkins is so old he can't find his teeth in the jar by his bed. This is the guy who raked the NSWRU over the coals for not selecting mediocre club players like Sydney Uni centre Trevor Allan. The poor guy thinks Sydney club rugby is the epicentre of the universe.

And McEnzie's game plans make Scott Johnsons' backline tactics look elaborate and well thought out.

But if the Tahs get back to their trademark intensity and finally kick into 5th gear, the Force will go out with a wimper.

I nearly dropped dead of shock when I opened the Sydney Daily Telegraph this morning and found an article on David Pocock headlining the S14 section of the sport!

I can't find it online but it was about his family's struggle to flee Zimbabwe to make a new life in Australia. Good read.

From memory, wasn't his family copping a bit of flack from the government over there for leaving the country?

Recently Coach? That was Rathbones Grandma in the last few weeks.

Thats the one!

Yeah, dickhead bigot in Parliament was bagging her for coming back to Australia to join her family or something, I think I posted it somewhere here.