Jenkins to rescue for Force
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian April 5, 2011, 6:34 am
UPDATE: Rookie flanker Jono Jenkins will make his Western Force Super Rugby run-on debut against the NSW Waratahs on Saturday after Wallaby Matt Hodgson was ruled out for at least a month with a shoulder injury.
Hodgson joins fellow Wallabies back-rower David Pocock on the sidelines as the injury list grows and a sense of déjà vu hovers over the Force, who were decimated by similar injuries last season.
Hodgson fell heavily when dropped from a line-out in the second half of the loss to the Rebels on Saturday night.
Force coach Richard Graham said he would opt for Jenkins, a specialist No.7, as a direct replacement for Hodgson on the openside flank.
Other options include injecting the equally inexperienced Tevita Metuisela, who is not a specialist openside, off the bench or take Sam Wykes from the second row.
“The thinking is really, do you go with an out and out seven (Jenkins) or do you move Richard (Brown) across and play a six-seven role,” Graham said.
“I’m leaning towards Jenkins to start. It’s going to be a good opportunity for him to start at seven.”
Jenkins, 24, was an emergency signing last year, brought in on a short-term contract (four weeks) to ease the injury woes.
But his 2010 Super career came to an abrupt and painful end with a broken leg against the Reds.
Jenkins, an Australian Schoolboys, under-19 and Sevens representative, will be hoping he can make the type of dramatic entry into Super Rugby as fellow back-rower Ben McCalman.
McCalman went from Force bench warmer to Wallaby, grabbing his opportunity when the Force were hit by injuries.
Graham will leave Wykes to partner captain Nathan Sharpe in the second row to maintain balance.
Wykes has been in outstanding form and scored his first try for the club in the loss to the Rebels.
“I would have given that try away for a win any day,” Wykes said.
He credits a long pre-season talk with Graham for the turnaround in his form.
“He thought I had hit a plateau and was just accepting playing Super Rugby,” Wykes said.
“They gave me a heads up and told me there were some off-field things that I had to work on. Hopefully it’s coming good.”
The Waratahs had a setback yesterday when captain Phil Waugh was ruled out with a calf strain.
