Force need Faulkner to cover for Cowan
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
May 23, 2011, 6:52 am
Newly-signed front-rower Tetera Faulkner could be a shock inclusion in the Western Force squad to New Zealand after Wallaby prop Pek Cowan was ruled out for the rest of a season with a broken cheekbone.
Cowan had an operation yesterday to repair the damage caused when he clashed heads with hooker Nathan Charles just two minutes into the frustrating 13-all draw with the ACT Brumbies on Saturday.
Faulkner's move to the Force was only announced five days ago and he was not due to join his new teammates until after the Sydney Shute Shield competition had ended.
But the loss of Cowan and Force rookie prop Paul Alo-Emile preparing with the Australian under-20 squad for the Junior World Cup has left Force front-row stocks running low.
The club was yesterday trying to rush through Faulkner's contract and medical clearances before the side leaves for the two games against the Hurricanes and Highlanders.
Faulkner, 22, is in the NSW Waratahs academy and plays for Southern Districts in the Shute Shield. He has played Australian schoolboys, under-19 and under-20s.
An injury cloud also hangs over fly-half Willie Ripia, who left the field early in the second half of Saturday's game with a calf injury.
Ripia has clearly not been playing at 100 per cent and his kicking game has come up short since he made his round-eight debut after nine weeks on the sideline with a foot injury.
In a sad indictment on the Force, coach Richard Graham could only describe it as better than a loss.
It was a game that was there for the taking by his side and there was scant consolation in statistics that show they were the better side.
The Force finished with more than 60 per cent of possession, but that climbed to an astonishing 78 per cent midway through the second half as they camped in the opposition half.
They should have put the game out of reach of the visitors but once again were unable to convert possession and territory into points.
Graham admitted his side should have made more use of the ball.
"There's going to be a lot of questions about possessions and territory but at the end of the day unless you build pressure by holding onto the ball, it's not really the pressure that's ultimately going to lead to points," he said.
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