Where will the Force finish overall this year?

A new poll - where will the Force finish oiverall this year?

Heart says 1-3 head says they'll make the finals and drop out early

I'd say 9th. I love the team, but I don't think we have the depth/experience to make a fist of the top 6.

I reckon we'll be ahead of the Cheetahs, Lions, Highlanders, Chiefs, Rebels and Brumbies.

I reckon we have the measure of the 'Canes, Blues, Sharks and Stormers as well.

Mainly because the 'Canes and Blues are both pretty inconsistent and usually have big lapses in their seasons. We dismissed the Stormers pretty effectively at home last year and the Sharks match them pretty well, but the home derby thing is what will work in our favour. We play the Rebels and the Brums twice this year, that's going to help, if we can knock off the Tahs and the Reds once it'll help a lot against the teams we'll be competing with (#2 in SA and #2 in NZ) because the other conferences aren't so cut 'n' dried, the Cheetahs, particularly perform very well in SA and are pretty consistently shit when they cross the Indian ocean, they'll throw upsets into the mix all over the place, similarly the 'Canes are pretty much unbeatable at home, but have lapses in memory, which means they can be relied upon to lose the crucial couple of matches they need.

Blues are a coin toss for every game of the season, so either of those teams could knock off the front runners once or twice in the derby rounds and leave the door open for two consistent Aussie teams to squeeze through the gate, probably at the expense of either the Sharks or the Stormers.

That, mixed with the fact that we played with 1/2 a team last year and didn't completely crap out and finish last.

The Blues will be strong this year. Perhaps still a bit inconsistent but still strong. Squad wise their only weakness is depth in the front row, however they have three All Blacks there. I think they'll make the top 6.

The Sharks are a maybe. I am being conservative there because everyone else seems to be talking them up. I'm not overwhelmed by them to be honest.

I think the Stormers will top the ladder. They were very good last year and add to that the extra year to get everyone on the same page. They have depth and they have really toughened up their tight five over the last few years and that has always been their achilles heel.

Not sure about the Canes. Will have to wait and see.