0
In what has been the most physically demanding and toughest pre-season trial phase since the club’s inception, the Emirates Western Force has turned in a confidence boosting 26-0 win against the Sharks at Newlands Stadium.
Tries to Sam Wykes, Ryan Cross and Cameron Shepherd in the opening half set up the win for the Emirates Western Force while a great run in the final minute by James O’Connor capped off a terrific performance.
The defensive effort against a physical Sharks side was particularly impressive with contributions across the board repelling any attacks the South African’s could muster. Even a yellow card in the second half which left the visitors a man short for 10 minutes couldn’t disrupt their strong line.
While Coach John Mitchell was happy to register the win it was the response from the playing group to rectify areas that fell short in their opening loss of the tri-series last Saturday night that pleased him the most.
“Over the few days since the last game we looked to get some growth in our physical methods and habits and we improved in that tonight. As a result we were able to get a little bit more momentum and dominate the game,” Mitchell said.
The Force run on side took on a whole new look with 12 different players coming into the starting XV. Experienced campaigners Nathan Sharpe, Ryan Cross, Brett Sheehan and Andre Pretorius, just to name a few, made their first start of 2010 and worked well in their on-field connection.
For Sharpe it was another big step in his return from off-season shoulder surgery and the skipper was delighted to get through the full 80 minutes. His efforts in the line-outs seizing momentum for the visitors from the set-piece.
“It was good to be back in the saddle, I’ve had a few months out after shoulder surgery so I’m really enjoying my football,” Sharpe said following the game.
“Our organization was much better tonight and if you’re well organized then that allows you to become more physical in the tackle. We created a lot of turnovers and played with some good width at times.
“It certainly is very encouraging for us. I think that first half against the Stormers was a real eye opener for us and we took a lot out of that. They brought a lot of intensity into that game and we learnt and replicated that in own performance tonight.
“It was a quality Sharks outfit across the board. They’re a strong team and we got a quality hit-out. That’s exactly what we wanted to achieve in this trip to South Africa.”
Mitchell echoing the sentiments of his Captain and reiterating the value of the Neo Africa Tri-series to the Emirates Western Force pre-season build-up.
“It’s a new group this season for us. People perhaps don’t appreciate that when you bring 12 new players into the system it takes time to get continuity. Already we can see some uniformity starting to show which is pleasing,” said Mitchell.
“This has been the toughest pre-season trial period we’ve had. The learning from the Stormers performance is huge for a lot our younger guys. For them to experience this kind of environment has been invaluable.
“Life is about experience and experiences and you’ve got to learn quickly. You also have to learn quickly in rugby so this opportunity has been very beneficial for everyone at the club,” Mitchell said.
The Emirates Western Force will depart South Africa on Wednesday and return to Perth the following day where they will continue their preparations ahead of the new season. Their next match will be a trial against the Queensland Reds at ME Bank Stadium on Friday, 5 February 2010.
No injuries to Emirates Western Force players were sustained in the match against the Sharks.
Neo Africa Tri-series – Match 2
Tuesday, 26 January 2010 at Newlands, Cape Town
Sharks 0
Emirates Western Force 26
Tries: Sam Wykes (6min), Ryan Cross (20min), Cameron Shepherd (30min), James O’Connor (79min)
Conversions: Andre Pretorius (2), James O’Connor (1)
Emirates Western Force XV: 15.James O’Connor, 14.Dane Haylett-Petty, 13.Ryan Cross, 12.Sam Harris, 11.Cameron Shepherd, 10.Andre Pretorius, 9.Brett Sheehan, 8.Richard Brown, 7.David Pocock, 6.Matt Hodgson, 5.Nathan Sharpe, 4.Sam Wykes, 3.Matt Dunning, 2.Ryan Tyrrell, 1.Kieran Longbottom
Substitutes: 16.Ben Whittaker, 17.Nic Henderson, 18.Tom Hockings, 19.Ben McCalman, 20.Chris O’Young, 21.Mitch Inman, 22.Mark Bartholomeusz, 23.Mark Swanepoel, 24.Josh Tatupu, 25.Joelin Rapana, 26.Tim Fairbrother, 28.Richard Stanford
By the clock: (*score – Sharks mentioned first)
6min: Try to the Emirates Western Force by Sam Wykes. Not converted by Andre Pretorius. (0-5)
20min: Try to the Emirates Western Force by Ryan Cross. Converted by Andre Pretorius. (0-12)
30min: Try to the Emirates Western Force by Cameron Shepherd. Converted by Andre Pretorius. (0-19)
HALF TIME: Sharks 0– 19 Emirates Western Force
79min: Try to the Emirates Western Force by James O’Connor. Converted by Andre Pretorius. (0-26)
Replacements –
40min: Nic Henderson replaces Kieran Longbottom
49min: Nic Henderson Yellow Card & Kieran Longbottom replaces Richard Brown
59min: Nic Henderson returns & Richard Brown replace Kieran Longbottom
59min: Mark Bartholomeusz replaces Andre Pretorius
62min: Josh Tatupu replaces Dane Haylett-Petty
62min: Tom Hockings replaces Sam Wykes
62min: Tim Fairbrother replaces Matt Dunning
63min: Mitch Inman replaces Mark Bartholomeusz (Blood rule)
65min: Chris O’Young replaces Brett Sheehan
65min: Ben McCalman replaces Matt Hodgson
72min: Mark Bartholomeusz replaces Cameron Shepherd