High stakes could stifle this big match

[travelling_gerry]

High stakes could stifle this big match

Rupert Guinness | April 11, 2008


The match-up between the tall timbers of tomorrow night's Super 14 derby - NSW's Dan Vickerman and Nathan Sharpe of the Western Force - is set to be as much a battle of wits as bodies.

There are intriguing individual contests all over the field in the Subiaco Oval clash. But none will involve two players who know each other as well as these two Wallabies second-rowers.

Vickerman and Sharpe are the line-out generals of their respective sides and will have an in-depth understanding of each other's mindset when under pressure.

Despite their physicality and size, so tactical could the contest between the 204 centimetre Vickerman and 200cm Sharpe become that it may well turn into a rugby union version of chess.

"For the purist, [it could]," Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said of the match-up on arrival in Perth yesterday. "I am not sure a lot of people out of the crowd will get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

"For us old forwards who have done a bit of coaching, it will certainly be interesting to see how it goes."

Force coach John Mitchell is just as excited about the prospect, agreeing that Sharpe has improved markedly since last season, let alone since 2006, when the two second-rowers last played against each other. Vickerman missed last season's derby in Sydney, which ended in a 16-16 draw, because he was injured.

"He is highly competitive and highly intelligent," Mitchell said of Sharpe, who captains the Force.

However, McKenzie believes that if both Vickerman and Sharpe play to their full potential, the two players could negate each other's impact. "There is always the potential," he said. "But if they do, they are going to be playing pretty well.

"It will be physical. And they do different things in the game. But they are also going to have to match wits at times because they both call shots at line-out times. Strategies and tactics will be interesting."

Tomorrow's game has the potential to be a season highlight - not just for Australian rugby, but for the Super 14 tournament. With so much at stake for both sides - a win could lift either side into the top four on the ladder - nothing will be left in the dressing room.

The Force sit fifth with 23 points after five wins and three losses from eight games, while NSW are sixth with 22 points from five wins and two losses from seven games and a bye round.

McKenzie says the timing of the derby clash - just a week after NSW's resounding win against the Blues - could not be better. Gone, he says, will be any risk of his side taking their feet off the pedals and going into cruise control.

"It is a good game for us because there are similarities in the teams [Blues and Force] … with their strengths and weaknesses," he said. "It is [also] good to have an important game to back it up.

"One sandwich doesn't make a picnic. So we have to make sure we set it up to play well again. It is good to have a game that is easy for us to focus on.
"It won't be lost in complacency. It won't be lost in over-confidence or anything like that. Far from it.

"Motivation comes from within the players. You can sniff it. We won't be banging too many locker doors."


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...420585984.html

[James]

Force coach John Mitchell is just as excited about the prospect, agreeing that Sharpe has improved markedly since last season, let alone since 2006, when the two second-rowers last played against each other. Vickerman missed last season's derby in Sydney, which ended in a 16-16 draw, because he was injured.

I hate to constantly nit pick but Sharpie has never played against the Waratahs for the Force. I'm knocking on wood that this year will be the exception.