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Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
Force Ruck Stats
As far as Ruck Involvements are concerned this was the Matt Hodgson show. He was the one supporting our ball carriers and putting pressure on the Cane's ball. 3 Turn Overs Won. Game High 13 Tackles. He made 36% of the Force's total def ruck involvements and 30% of the team's TOW.
Other Force Tackle count: Cowan 11; Coleman 10; McCalman, Grant and RHP 9.
Unsure if it was the Game Plan to let Hodgo handle the bulk of the Defensive Rucks, in order to maintain the defensive line, but some of the Backs were just as involved as a few of the Forwards.
IMO below par Ruck Involvements from all Forwards except Hodgo.
After 50 mins, when the Canes were intensifying their own line speed most of the Force's Forwards went missing.
Some Positives:
+ I thought Paul Williams did a very good job of controlling the game. Decisions were good and he and his team didn't miss much.
+ At 43 mins the Force were still very much in the game - H10:6F.
+ Force had just kicked for the corner rather than taking the easy points and were pressuring the Canes.
+ This was only our 3rd real challenge of the Canes' line and once again Force went away without any points.
+ Good return from Tet Faulkner.
+ Another sound performance by Ross Haylett-Petty.
+ Tapuai seems settled with good defence.
+ Brache was running and holding onto the ball.
+ Set pieces were very good.
Negatives:
+ I question the commitment of many of our Forwards who seemingly can't lift their effort and are prepared to leave the bulk of the hard work to their 34yo Captain. (We should look at cloning Hodgo. IMO our best player by a country mile.)
+ Very subdued game efforts by McCalman (lack of pre-season in "soft' Japan - still catching up with pace & intensity of SR), Cottrell (carrying an injury??), Coleman - ditto??), Cowan (his shoulder appears to be giving him hell!)
+ Almost ZERO lift off the bench (and don't think that they should have been brought on earlier).
+ Grant missing touch way to often against a strong running back line.
+ Force DID NOT respond to the increased line speed of the Canes early in the 2nd half. Force's ball carriers became isolated with easy TO to the Canes. Simply killed what had been a very good effort up to the 56 minute mark.
+ The last 20 minute capitulation a most disappointing effort.
+ Whoever keeps the Missed Tackle stats at ESP is pretty tough (e.g Hodgo's efforts at an Ankle Tap from nowhere with the Canes last try. Hardly a missed tackle).
I hope that Foley and Hodgson do nothing but give the whole team one big serve over the next couple of days.
Hoping to see a better team effort against the Chiefs next week.
Last edited by andrewg; 20-03-16 at 00:49.
We could provide a better team effort next week and still go down by 30.
I get that completely changing the game plan will give us some disorganised performances until everybody gets onto the same page, but what was missing last night was Ticker, too few of the boys seemed to want to continue playing into the last quarter and that is unacceptable.
C'mon the
Not so much killer instinct, which is maybe players are only playing for contracts, I would more compare the force against the Hurricanes with cX factor players! I would think hurricanes and many other teams are way in front. The Fijian winger looked OK on this game as he has X factor.
How many years had this coaching group been together? Why I ask is from the year where they claim they have won the most games during their existence, which really is false as they played more games that year so had more opportunity. What has changed what we watch? Yeah they say we are going to play with lots of running and passing! But what if it doesn't the profile of the players that the 'force'have got.
Forgive me but this is what Tom Fearn talks about when he is invited to our club and speaks to coaches when they ask how should we play!
Hi All
Just a few things I have noticed this season with Rugby in Australia..
1) I watch nearly all Australian Games and I notice crowd number seem to be down.
2) Australian derby crowd numbers are low.
Have fans lost confidence in the ARU in the handling of certain maters ( Karmichael Hunt Drugs saga,, Kurtley Beale,, and a few more)
A few points about the force game..
I feel we have 2 completely separate teams on the field piggies and princesses... The Piggies spend time rolling it up and holding on to the ball its then is given to the princesses to kick away then the piggies do it all again.. We need to get them working together and the Princesses taking it into contact more often to give the piggies a rest..
When I played many yrs ago the coach we had was ex military and he always said 2 things 1)hold onto the ball and 2) don't kick it.. If you don't have the ball you can't win,,,
This was shown in last home game with runs from the backs and they looked hungry and willing. They had the ponies on the back foot then just went back to the kicking game..
Just watching the Jags V the chiefs .. The Force need to watch this game and take a leaf out of the Jags game and play like them as they holding the chiefs at half time...
Last edited by Tonkar; 20-03-16 at 08:58.
We looked ok for some of the game but the canes depth shone through. The subs came on, the intensity lifted and they ran away with it.
Oh well, well just have to smash the chiefs next week
and to think people were critical of our performance against the reds.
Non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate
I must remember I only got the two memberships so I could buy Wallabie tickets! Now I feel so much better!😉
May the FORCE be with you!