Shepherd keen to move on after night of blights

[travelling_gerry]

Shepherd keen to move on after night of blights

Rupert Guinness | April 14, 2008


CAMERON SHEPHERD had intended to celebrate his re-signing with the Western Force with an influential role in their victory over the Waratahs.

The last thing he had envisaged, besides the Force losing 17-12 to NSW, was that his impact would be a game riddled with hiccups.

To be fair, his misfortunes were caused more by fate than individual fault.

He was critical of himself as he left the Force dressing room with his left elbow packed in ice to soothe a midweek hyperextension from wrestling.

But what would any player feel had the matchwinning try come from the ball bouncing off him, as it did in the 72nd minute when a Lote Tuqiri grubber no one could have held ricocheted off Shepherd and into winger Lachie Turner's hands?

What would any player feel had his first attempt at a penalty kick resulted in him booting the tee further than the ball, as his did in the 30th minute?

What would any player feel had their fourth penalty attempt hit the goal posts and rebounded back into play again, as his did in the 49th minute?

Afterwards, Shepherd put on a brave face, and a wry smile, when asked to describe his night of horrors - especially Turner's try that put NSW ahead 17-12.

"I keep going over in my mind what I could have done differently and it keeps going past in slow motion," he said. "It will probably play on my mind for a couple of days, but it's just something you have to get over.

"You have to put it out of your head, and hopefully next time I will get the lucky bounce."

Shepherd had already thought of one way to put it out of his head.

As the former Waratah walked off into the darkness, he turned and quipped: "Maybe I'll go to Margaret River for a few days and not think about rugby."

Then again, there is a certain derby match against Queensland to deal with first.
A win against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday night would certainly do the trick.

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...024992509.html

[shasta]

He shouldn't give that match any further negative thought. Most people wouldn't have given either the missed attempts or the reflex kick into Turners fortunate hands a second thought. No surprise to see a SMH journo ask him those kind of questions though, is it?

[jargan83]

Thats rubbish, that try was freakish, i bet Lachie Turner couldn't do that again. Sometimes the bounce of the ball doesn't go your way unfortunately.

Head up Shep

[Swee_82]

Sadly the lads (and Shep in particular) just didn't have luck on their side on Saturday. No point dwelling on it. I'm told the commentators wrote us off as soon as Gits was hurt, so good on em for putting in as well as they did.

[waratahjesus]

there is a reason why we sent sheps your way. half nsw b team, half queensland b team!

you should just concentrate on winning the bottom half of the table!

and as for turner, him a lote practice that on thursday arvos, if you watch it in slow motion lote aims for his foot, thats why he makes the big bucks, for playing football, not for lying down on the job like gits!

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Jesus, the good thing about posting on a premier rugby site(ie TWF), is that someone will answer your post in a nanosecond.Try the same thing on your site....well life we pass you by. Tahs won and good on them.

[chook]

Didnt really get the impression that the commentators wrote the Force off after Gits went off. They mention that most of the points to the Force had been scored after he left. If that counts for anything. Or even makes sense. Anyway, no negativety that I detected from them.

Did I mention that Lote is awesome? Well he is.

[waratahjesus]

people dont answer on gothetahs.com cos there is other things to do in sydney than sit on the internet making excuses about why your team lost!

[laura]

Yes so it seems. You come on our forum instead!

[waratahjesus]

good call laura.......or it would be except im in adelaide the only city in australia more boring than perth!

[chook]

Its internet comedy night in Sydney at the moment, Laura.

[The InnFORCEr]

15/04/2008
Sportal.co.nz


Cameron Shepherd
Cameron Shepherd re-signed with the Force on Saturday until the end of 2010.

The 24-year-old was delighted to do so and he now wants to make sure he is an even better player at the end of that contract.

"It's pretty exciting. It dragged on for a while, but I love it here in Perth. I have so many fond memories and I love the direction the team's going," he said.

"I had a lot to weigh up with and away from football, but in my heart I always knew Western Australia was where I wanted to stay. I came over here to get an opportunity and those that I've been given by Mitch (coach John Mitchell) and RugbyWA have been fantastic, so I wanted to repay that."

"I feel I'm coming into my best football and didn't think locking in for a long period was what I needed at the moment. I wanted to set myself a challenge to become better in two years and that's what I hope to do."

However, Saturday was a day of contrast for Shepherd. Just hours after he signed his new deal, the Force fullback had to endure a loss to the Waratahs at Subiaco Oval.

The Waratahs defence was brilliant all night and they deserved the 17-12 victory, but two incredible pieces of luck helped their cause and both involved Shepherd.

The first came when a penalty attempt from Shepherd hit the upright and crossbar before missing, and the second saw Lachie Turner score the game-sealing try after an attempted dribbled kick through the Force defence by Lote Tuqiri rebounded off Shepherd's boot and into the waiting arms of Turner.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't get the job done against the Waratahs, but it's the bounce of the ball that sometimes doesn't go your way. We just have to deal with that and move forward," Shepherd said.

"I keep going over what I could have done differently and it keeps going by in slow motion. It might play on my mind for a couple of days, but I just have to try to put it out of my head and hopefully next week I get that lucky bounce."

"That was one thing that put us on the back foot, but we had a chance to win the game. We pushed a few passes that we should have held onto, we are building momentum with a lot of phases and it's just that last play that is where we're lacking."

The Force's task of making the finals will now rely on them winning all of the remaining four games. The bye in between will not help and nor will being without Matt Giteau this Friday night against the Reds, but Shepherd is confident Lachlan MacKay can continue his good form.

"We have set ourselves to do it the hard way, but we've been battling all year. We haven't had an easy game once and have had to fight until the 80th minute in every single one. Battling the last four games out isn't a worry for us," he said.

"I can't talk Lachie up enough. He hardly played a game for two years and comes back looking like he has been playing non-stop. His direction was just as good and, sure, we missed a bit of Gits' spark, but that's what happens when you lose one of the best players in the world."