As good as it is to face the chiefs without those players, it’s also a shame we don’t get to see them live. Not that often we in the west would get to be up close with some of the best All Blacks and Wallabies as well in the case of the Brumbies.
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As good as it is to face the chiefs without those players, it’s also a shame we don’t get to see them live. Not that often we in the west would get to be up close with some of the best All Blacks and Wallabies as well in the case of the Brumbies.
I guess in the context of this season it's fair to say we haven't earned the right to play against the best in the world.Quote:
Originally Posted by boof1050
Just got my flights home from work in. Arrive in to Perth 17:35 Saturday night!
Lets goooooooooooo! :yeah:
Maybe so. But are we OK to play against the third best??Quote:
Originally Posted by GIGS20
Force wait to see if Reds, Highlanders do them a favour
Story by Justin Chadwick • 1h ago
Western Force coach Simon Cron says he won't be wasting time cheering for the Queensland Reds or Highlanders this week ahead of Saturday night's crunch Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Chiefs in Perth.
The Force's finals fate is no longer in their hands following last week's 52-14 loss to the Melbourne Rebels.
That result dropped the Force to ninth spot with just one round remaining.
It means they need either the Highlanders to lose to the Blues on Friday night, or the Reds to lose to Fijian Drua on Saturday, to have any hope of sneaking into the top eight.
If at least one of those results goes the Force's way, then they'll need to topple the ladder-leading Chiefs in the final game of the round in order to lock in a finals berth.
Cron says he won't let the Reds and Highlanders' games distract him from the task at hand.
"I won't (pay close attention to them). But the other coaches will. They'll tell me (the results) most likely," Cron said.
"I will focus on what we've got to do. Ultimately we need to win, so that's what we need to focus on."
The Force's cause has been helped by the fact that the Chiefs have rested most of their front-line players in order to freshen them up for the start of the finals.
The Chiefs' 31-21 win over the Brumbies last week guaranteed they will finish first, and they've made a whopping 11 changes to their starting line-up.
Stars such as Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane, Brad Weber and Damian McKenzie are among the All Blacks being rested, but Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan is still determined to walk away with the win.
"We've earned the luxury of being able to do what we've done, which has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears," McMillan said.
"We know it's important going into the finals series to have some momentum.
"Although there's some front liners that are getting an opportunity to freshen up, our mentality stays the same - to put our best foot forward and keep growing our game.
"If you stay stagnant, you get passed. That's our mentality."
The Force are a perfect five-wins-from-five at home this season, and they are desperate to keep that record going.
The return of Wallabies lock Izack Rodda, prop Santiago Medrano and halfback Gareth Simpson in the starting line-up has given them a much-needed dose of firepower.
If the Force end up finishing eighth, they will take on the Chiefs again in the first week of the finals - this time in New Zealand.
"Once you're in there, anything goes," Cron said.
"It's knockout for them, and knockout for us. Once you're in there, all bets are off."
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/afl/...91a8cf9c&ei=42
They have Pearce listed as 16 & Horton as 17. I'm hoping that's just a mistake.Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewg
I really don't understand this. Fines has been excellent and Simpson is leaving us at the end of the year. Simpson has a half decent kicking game, but don't think box kicking the ball to the chiefs is really going to end well for us either.Quote:
Originally Posted by boof1050
So good to have Medrano, Rodda and Pulu back though.
I'm firmly in the camp of calling for Pugh over Wells also. Or captain has had more than enough chances and has been consistently middling
Flights bumped until Wednesday :verysad:Quote:
Originally Posted by WFDom
Get the W boys! Let's end the season on a high!
Bugger. Don't suppose there are many sports bars in Nuakchott that have Stan. VPN+phone a goer?Quote:
Originally Posted by WFDom
Mate they don't have many bars in Nouakchott! 99% muslim. It's as dry as the Western Sahara to the North!Quote:
Originally Posted by shasta
Pic of the national sports stadium from my hotel window! Poor buggers don't have much here :verysad:
Attachment 6094
Oh that’s just poo Dom. I’m on shift also, but at least I’m in cooee of home. Go get ‘em lads rip in and walk off with your heads held high.Quote:
Originally Posted by WFDom
Yep. I think your photo makes it look good! One of the blokes I worked with up north did a couple of swings driving the iron ore trains. So I watched a doco about the job & the place:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by WFDom
We must win.
Win with no bonus points, we get 8th. Win with a BP, we get 7th.
In either case, Reds can suck on their 51 points from Round 2. We'd be in the finals and they wouldn't.
Probably comes down now to who the Chiefs would prefer next week - Fiji, the Force, or the Reds. My guess is not Fiji, or least of all anyway, so I wouldn't count on any favours done...wouldn't imagine the Reds would scare them much after todays game.
Not quite BnB. Win by 3 or more - 7th & go to Ch-Ch. Win by less go to Hamilton next week. Lose and save the Reds. I think?