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Will be interesting to see how many spectators attend Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta for this match.
Traditionally Tahs fans don't like to travel west (past Homebush) and Tahs fans go into hiding when the team isn't doing well.
As far as I know, there are minimal COVID restrictions as far as limiting ticket sales for this event. Of course, this could change.
Bankwest Stadium is a fantastic new facility and there is not a bad seat in the house.
Force by 15.
Exile
Sydney
"Pain heels. Chicks dig scars and Glory lasts forever." Shane Falco
NSW is at 100% capacity for ticket sales for attendance at outdoor sporting events and 75% for indoor events.
Force by the same amount of NSW fans that actually attend - 11.
Are you going along?
I think the opposite, every tahs fan that hasn't given up will shelve their sensitivities and trek to the great unwashed in the hope of swing their team possibly win one this year. It'll be a kind of last chance deal.
Force with a bonus point
Crowd of 1500 reported as 4000
C'mon the![]()
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Parramatta Stadium is a fantastic venue for Rugby and Soccer. But in true Sydney style there is no public parking on match days and it's 1.5 km from a train station. If they get 10K they'll be chuffed.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
I believe that there is some form of COVID restrictions in place as when I got tickets it said that you could sit together if you bought tickets together otherwise 2 seats in between and I think I saw every other row. Seemed to be plenty of seats available but some stupid prices though. Paid $90 for two seats just about on the try line but hopefully can move to a better seat if it’s not empty.
Will let you know how it goes.
May the FORCE be with you!
NSW WARATAHS: (1-15): Tetera Faulkner, Dave Porecki, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Sam Caird, Hugh Sinclair, Lachlan Swinton, Carlo Tizzano, Jack Dempsey, Jack Grant, Will Harrison, James Ramm, Tepai Moeroa, Alex Newsome (c), Jack Maddocks, Mark Nawaqanitawase
Reserves: Tom Horton, Sio Tatola, Chris Talakai, Jack Whetton, Jeremy Williams, Henry Robertson, Tane Edmed, Triston Reilly
INs: Chris Talakai
OUTs: Angus Bell
WESTERN FORCE (1-15): Tom Robertson, Feleti Kaitu'u, Santiago Medrano, Jeremy Thrush, Fergus Lee-Warner, Tim Anstee, Kane Koteka, Brynard Stander (c), Tomas Cubelli, Jake McIntyre, Toni Pulu, Richard Kahui, Tevita Kuridrani, Byron Ralston, Rob Kearney
Reserves: Andrew Ready, Angus Wagner, Greg Holmes, Ryan McCauley, Tomas Lezana, Ian Prior, Domingo Miotti, Marcel Brache
INs: Domingo Miotti, Toni Pulu
OUTs: Jono Lance, Kyle Godwin
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2021/0...ms-round-three
Despite their first 2 results of the year, that's actually a pretty decent 15 for the Tahs. Their bench does look pretty thin though. The force will definitely have to put in a good performance to come away with the win and the relative strengths of the bench should help seal the deal towards the end of the game.
Good to see Cubelli and McIntyre starting, although I think I'd prefer to see Cubelli/Miotti and Prior/McIntyre as the combinations to at least have 1 decent goal kicker on the field at all times. McIntyre hasn't looked great in that area. Also good to see Pulu in the starting team as he should be far more dangerous than Lacey or Brache.
Over half of the starting team is new to the Force in 2021, so hopefully they've had sufficient time to get their combinations and understanding OK.
Force by 12!
Glad Cubelli is starting, Jono didn’t do himself any favours last week.
Cubelli doesn't play where Jono plays
...but I agree it's brilliant that he's starting.
Western Force make a whopping nine changes against the Waratahs
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Wed, 3 March 2021 3:43PM
Ian Prior has been dropped. Credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Western Force coach Tim Sampson has made a huge call and dropped captain and scrum-half Ian Prior to the bench for Friday’s Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs.
And there is no place in the squad for fly-half Jono Lance, Prior’s starting partner in the halves in the first round loss to the Brumbies.
Their places are taken by Argentinian Test star Tomas Cubelli and former Australian junior World Cup playmaker Jake McIntyre.
Both made a big impression when they came from the bench in the first game with Cubelli scoring late in the clash.
Sampson has brought in another Los Pumas star, Domingo Miotti, as reserve fly-half in nine changes for the must win game against a Waratahs side that has had two record defeats 61-10 by the Brumbies and 41-7 by the Queensland Reds.
Former Australian 7s player Tim Anstee, who made a huge impact from the bench against the Brumbies, makes his starting debut in the back row swapping with a third Argentinian Tomas Lezana.
Former Chiefs and Brumbies speedster Toni Pulu, once dubbed the fastest man in Super Rugby, replaces Marcel Brache on the left wing. Brache moves to the bench.
Hooker Andrew Ready returns to the match day squad after missing the Brumbies while waiting for the birth of his first child.
No.8 Brynard Stander will lead the side at Bankwest Stadium for the first time in his eight years at the club.
Sampson said it was a great achievement for the man known as “little bull”.
“It’s nothing but 100 per cent from Brynard,” Sampson said.
“He trains exceptionally well, he’s a very passionate and loyal player.
“His contributions to the club from over the years have been outstanding.”
Waratahs coach Rob Penney has added three new faces to his starting side.
Hooker Dave Porecki replaces Tom Horton and Hugh Sinclair gets his first start of the season, replacing Jack Whetton in the second row.
Former Force prop Tetera Faulkner starts at loosehead with one positional change in the backline, Jack Maddocks shifting to the wing and Mark Nawaqanitawase to full-back.
Force starting side: Tom Robertson, Feleti Kaitu’u, Santiago Medrano, Jeremy Thrush, Fergus Lee-Warner, Tim Anstee, Kane Koteka, Brynard Stander, Tomás Cubelli, Jake McIntyre, Toni Pulu, Richard Kahui, Tevita Kuridrani, Byron Ralston, Rob Kearney.
Reserves: Andrew Ready, Angus Wagner, Greg Holmes, Ryan McCauley, Tomás Lezana, Ian Prior, Domingo Miotti, Marcel Brache.
Waratahs starting side: Tetera Faulkner, Dave Porecki, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Sam Caird, Hugh Sinclair, Lachlan Swinton, Carlo Tizzano, Jack Dempsey, Jack Grant, Will Harrison, James Ramm, Tepai Moeroa, Alex Newsome, Jack Maddocks, Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Reserves: Tom Horton, Sio Tatola, Chris Talakai, Jack Whetton, Jeremy Williams, Henry Robertson, Tane Edmed, Triston Reilly.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...ng-b881811814z
Brynard!!!!
I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest this was scheduled.
The tahs are the closest they're going to get to an easy game and the Brumbies were always going to be their hardest. So there are several reasons why you might keep your powder dry in game 1.
They named their most cohesive team in the harder game
You want to blood new players in the easier game
It gives the tahs less to analyse making the win more likely
Tim might have considered round one with 3/4 of the team starting fresh as a bridge too far
It's the least damaging way of having a look at combinations in real terms.
I like the commitment to putting everything into the tahs game, the change that was pretty inevitable was the halves, but the rest of the ins are smart as well
Go force
C'mon the![]()
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I know that- was meant as 2 comments -my bad.