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Do you remember the good old days a couple of months ago when we said we were short on locks and young front rowers?
Says he played for the Force, but can’t remember him. What year did he play?
Was part of the wider squad around 2012ish. Overlooked by Richard Graham. Became a Welsh international shortly after. Frustrating.
Was part of the wider squad around 2012ish. Overlooked by Richard Graham. Became a Welsh international shortly after. Frustrating.
Echo echo echo echo echo.
i think you mean double frustrating!
If he's a way junior who was in the extended squad and left to become an international player I'd agree.Quote:
Originally Posted by brokendown gunfighter
He says he coming to Australia in July (after the end of the northern hemisphere season), so he wont play for the Force in 2021, if that is part of the plan.Quote:
Originally Posted by GIGS20
Looks like he could be back in time for some games.
Western Force will look to sign Welsh international Jake Ball for the new trans-Tasman Super Rugby tournament
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Wed, 30 December 2020 3:03PM
Western Force will chase Welsh international second-rower Jake Ball when he returns to Perth to be reunited with his family including a newborn son he has not yet seen.
Ball, who was in the 2012 Force extended squad, is leaving Welsh Pro14 club Scarlets when their season ends in March.
He will be available for the trans-Tasman Super tournament that starts in May but would be ruled out of the Australian Super competition if WA’s quarantine restrictions are still in place.
It is understood the 197cm, 120kg Ball had shown an earlier interest in returning and the Force would relish having his experience in the side.
They have one spot open and second row is an area they want to strengthen.
Head of rugby Matt Hodgson said: “Jake would be a player of interest and to have players of Jake’s standard coming back to Australia is exciting for the game.”
Ball, 29, who played for Palmyra in the RugbyWA competition, left the Force for the Scarlets before making a Super appearance.
He was born in England, moved to Perth as a 16-year-old with his family and qualified for Wales through his father’s heritage.
He made his Test debut in 2014, has 49 Caps, played at two World Cups and has 121 appearances for the Scarlets.
The move would end his international career because players must have 60 Caps to be eligible to play for Wales if they sign for teams outside the country.
After nine years in Wales, where he established himself as the regular second row partner for Test captain Alun Wyn Jones, Ball said it was time to put his family first.
His pregnant wife Christie returned to Perth to give birth to their fourth child, a boy named Max, in November.
“It has been a difficult decision to make but one I have made for the family,” Ball told Scarlets website.
“My wife was expecting our fourth child and with COVID around and players having to be in bubbles and everything, we made the decision that she and the kids should go home to have some family help and support around her.
“Max was born last month; there have been Zoom calls and things, but I haven’t seen him yet and it has been difficult.
“As the season goes on, it would be pretty tough of me to ask Christie to come back here away from her family again.
“It has been a massive honour to represent my country, but at the end of the day I made a huge sacrifice in staying behind for a year without my family.
“I have four kids now and I won’t have seen them for close on a year.”
Ball was a talented young fast bowler who opened the bowling for WA under-19s and played for Fremantle before concentrating on rugby.
Why frustrating? There was little chance of him breaking into the regular playing squad in 2012.
In 2012, the 20yo Jake Ball was up against 22yo Phoenix Battye (2012-14), 28yo Toby Lynn(2012-13), 34yo Nathan Sharpe(2006-12) and 24yo Sam Wykes (2008-15).
In addition he was up against a formidable Back Row which included Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson, Ben McCalman, David Pocock with Angus Cottrell. The latter was named in the Extended Playing Squad (Jake Ball wasn't). All of these players proved to be more than useful in the lineout.
SR had strict control on the squad sizes and salary caps.
He didn't earn a cap in 2012 and moved to Wales (Lianelli) at the end of the SR season. Ended up playing for Wales in 2014.
In 2013 the WF recruited Hugh McMeniman (to replace Nathan Sharpe) as well as Rory Walton.
Wykes was a plodder apart from that year he carved up then did his knee and was restored to plodder status.
Battye against Ball. One had a career the other a journeyman. How many of these have we had in Australian Rugby? Finlay Bealham the first prop since Noriega who can scrummage both sides, carry and do grunt work with mongrel was passed over by the Brumbies at the time when Ruaridhi Murphy and the Smith twins were around and the RA were trying to qualify players through residence. None of those players played for the Wallabies and they went away when they realised their residence was reset.Quote:
Originally Posted by jargan83
Bealham’s old man sent to tapes to Ulster where his grandfather is from. Didn’t get a game and Connacht picked him up. I have watched him play and he is Thor with discipline and more versatile. Scrummaged against far better props in European competition then here.
Super Rugby has failed more props here (let alone other forwards) than developed for nearly twenty years.
Toby Lynn was average. Phoenix Battye was average. Sam Wykes also fairly average. Not having a crack at them as people mind. None of them had the grunt Jake Ball displayed.
It is frustrating no-one saw the potential and instead we persisted with guys who weren't up to that level (Lynn, Battye). He didn't necessarily have to be rushed into the side but offered a contract and/or looked at options for getting him game time while staying in the fold (loaned to Japan maybe?).
I think Phoenix Battye was seen to have huge potential but just didn't seem to have the toughness or mongrel to make it at the top level. Might have just been too nice a guy.
Trouble is if some had recognised Jake Ball's potential back then and offered him a Force contract to stay. He then would likely have gone to earn a Wallaby top-up contract, and the ARU would have transferred him to Melbourne like they did to DHP and most of our best players. Question is then, would we still be getting him back in 3 months time, as an international player with 49 caps with several good playing years still left in him? And would the RA, in that hypothetical situation, object to the Force poaching a contracted Rebels star player?Quote:
Originally Posted by James