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The Emirates Western Force has been dealt a double-blow, losing two players to injury ahead of Friday night’s Investec Super 14 Week 8 clash with the Bulls at Subiaco Oval.
Inside centre Lachlan MacKay and reserve back rower Tamaiti Horua withdrew from the team’s lineup with minor injury complaints.
MacKay was listed in the number 12 jersey at yesterday’s team announcement, but was forced out this morning with a niggling groin strain.
Flanker Horua became a second casualty when he failed a test on his injured rib cartilage at today’s ‘Captain’s Run’ session at Subiaco Oval.
Coach John Mitchell said he was not prepared to carry a player at less than full fitness against the reigning Super 14 champions.
“Lachlan has got a bit of a (groin) strain and is at about 85 per cent, so we’ve decided not to take a risk with him,” said Mitchell.
“We can’t afford to carry someone who’s not at 100 per cent fitness, so both Lachlan and Tamaiti have been pulled out of the team for tomorrow night,” he said.
World Cup Wallaby Scott Staniforth will take the place of MacKay at inside centre, while Staniforth’s right wing position has been awarded to rookie flyer Nick Cummins.
Matt Hodgson joins the reserves bench in place of Horua, while the new man on the bench is 19-year-old local product Dane Haylett-Petty.
The Durban-born fullback-cum-winger moved to Perth in 2000 and attended Hale School, where he represented WA Under 16s and captained both WA Schoolboys and the Combined States School team.
Haylett-Petty becomes only the second local product to win a place in the Club’s selected match 22, joining inaugural Emirates Western Force and Wallabies lock John Welborn who played 10 matches for the Perth-based team in 2006.
Overall head to head: Played 2, EWF 1, Bulls 1.
Last met: 16 February 2007, EWF 30 def Bulls 27, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, SA.
Emirates Western Force v Bulls
Friday 4 April, 2008
Subiaco Oval, Perth
Kick off: 7.45pm (10.45pm AEDT)
1. Pek Cowan
2. Tai McIsaac
3. AJ Whalley
4. Tom Hockings
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Scott Fava
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Chris O’Young
10. Matt Giteau (vc)
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Scott Staniforth
13. Ryan Cross
14. Nick Cummins
15. Cameron Shepherd
Reserves
16. Luke Holmes
17. Troy Takiari
18. Sam Wykes
19. Matt Hodgson
20. James Stannard
21. Josh Tatupu
22. Dane Haylett-Petty