Force Lineup for Brumbies Clash

[pruc]

I think Cross had two bad games; but i think he will step up this weekend. Junior for me is great in attack but only looks for the big tackles in defense, not the needed tackles.

#9- Henjak
#10- Hilgendorf
#11- Shepherd
#12- Giteau
#13- Staniforth
#14- Cross (to contain Rathbone)
#15- Mitchell (Coach persists)

#20- O' Young
#21- Pelesasa
#22- Ioane

Cross to contain Rathbone?? I dont think so. If anything Sare should be there. he does all the little things well. or even Ioane and in my view Cross shouldnt be in the team. he should go back to club land for a bit and actually learn how to play as a Center in Union not league!!!!

[Skiza]

Alright Bam Bam and Yak are back, my two favourite players!! Well done on Giteau for his 50th cap and let's hope we can get back on the winning side of things again and finish the year off strong!! GO FORCE!!

[WF2006]

Gee Skizza, if Yak is one of your favourites, how did you manage NOT to deck the bloody dopey redneck family that sit next to you and yell idiotic abuse at him all last season (and the first few games of this!)

Happy Birthday for yesterday too, I guess you'll have to be carried out of the next game now you're 18 and all! (though I guess that would be pretty poor form with your whole family watching!!)

[joblot]

How I Would play them

1 - Gareth Hardy
2 - Tai McIsaac
3 - Troy Takiari
4 - Rudi Vedelago
5 - Nathan Sharpe (c)
6 - Pusey
7 - Pocock
8 - Fava

9 - Henjak
10 - Hilgendorf
11 - Ioane
12 - Giteau
13 - Staniforth
14 - Mitchell
15 - Sheps


16 - Holmes
17 - Aj
18 - Brown
19 - Hodgeson
20 - O'young
21 - Pelesasa
22 - Cross

I wholeheartedly agree with your starting 15.

Cross started the season brilliantly, particularly in defence, but has certainly not put in the performances since.

Giteau is the best 12 in the World

I still cannot fathom the reason why Drew is at full-back. He is quick and has a good boot and should be on the wing, whereas Sheps has all the attributes of a World class full back including what I consider to be a better defence.

Staniforth is not a wing. He is an outstanding centre, who has proved it at International level. He provides the muscle and hard hitting which is required of a centre, not a winger.

Pocock will certainly make a difference at open side flanker. He will not leave the huge gaps which appeared last week.

Lastly, I think that Henners will be determined to put in a top performance, as his contest with George will certainly be watched closely from a RWC viewpoint, which I sincerely hope to be a match winning performance.

Dreaming?

I think not

[prop53]

yeah good team selection apart that i would have Cross on the bench.

[Burgs]

Agree with everything there joblot except I would say Staniforth is no longer a Wing
He used to be a very good one but has now proven to be better suited to the work you suggest.

[shasta]

I think Cross has really only played two bad ones defensively, the last two. But there are plenty of "full-time" rugby centres who've looked ordinary against that opposition.

The Coach is obviously gonna persevere with he and Mitchell but I'd have put Stanners at 12, Junior to 13, Hilgendorf at 15 with Cross and Mitchell getting splinters. But who's gonna second guess John Mitchell? He's been a pretty good judge for a lot of years so far.

[BeeJay]

Agree with your first post, Burgs, and most of the subsequent points. Cross may do better on the wing but Staniforth will do a good job against Rathbone - they have similar styles. Defence in the centres will be crucial as both Fairbanks and Ashley-Cooper are speedy and zippy and have an eye for gaps. Cross will have to be on his game. I agree he's lucky after last week. Junior will have to run straight and hard. Gits running the channel between Larkham and Fairbanks will take Bernie out of some plays. We mustn't forget that Gits' defence is excellent. Someone else moving into first receiver needs to be considered to take some pressure off Gits and confuse the defence. WHere is Lachy Mackay? He would be an excellent 10 or 12 with Gits, putting Staniforth at 13 (defensively the hardest position), Digby at 14 and Cross out or on the bench....

[inactive]

It will be interesting for wallaby selections since no one is really playing in the positions they play best at. Will be interesting for the selectors of the back line!!

[jazza93]

the walibies backline will come out of brumbies and force and maybe 1 from nsw and qld.

i think gerrad is a better player then rathbone. both there wingers will be hard to stop.

i hope they defend better this week.

[Burgs]

Fava rues tongue poke

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Former Brumby Scott Fava has learnt his lesson and won't be giving his old teammates any extra ammunition at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

Fava still rues the cheeky postscript to his stadium-rattling effort to cross for the Western Force's maiden Super 14 try in the corresponding fixture last year.

The Force No.8 brought the sell-out Subiaco Oval crowd to its feet with his second-half try which put the competition debutants into an unexpected lead at 10-8.

But he also made the Brumbies' blood boil by poking out his tongue at the cover defence before diving over to score from a turnover.

The Brumbies didn't enjoy it and responded by running over for two tries in five minutes to seal the 2006 season-opener 25-10. (Jeez, imagine if he had given them the "bird" )

Looking forward to his first match back in Canberra after enjoying a successful four-year stint with the Brumbies, which included the 2004 Super 12 triumph, Fava is chastened by the bitter-sweet experience.

"If I go in for a try I won't be sticking out my tongue ever again," he told AAP.

"It stirred them up a little bit and they scored a couple of quick tries and it really put us out of the game.

"It all went backwards from there."

Fava said Wallabies teammates and Brumbies leaders Stirling Mortlock and George Gregan later in the year explained what happened.

"They got into a huddle and said: 'These guys are gone. They've pumped themselves up for one try. Let's have a go at the them'," he recalled.

"My first try and in my first game against my old team, it all just came out and there was the little cheeky poke of the tongue.

"I'll be keeping my emotions intact when we're leading out there (tomorrow)."

Both teams, placed sixth and seventh, need victory to keep their finals aspirations alive with three rounds remaining.

Fava and fellow former Brumbies Matt Giteau and Matt Henjak have tapped into their "innate knowledge" of the ACT side's play by taking a lead role in the Force's tactical sessions this week.

AAP

[Darren]

Gits has gotta score a try this match - and I expect nothing less than a huge swan dive with a double somersault with triple twist ...

[Burgs]

Force focus on defence

April 20, 2007 - 11:10am
Story by: Sportal

The Western Force have focused on fixing their defensive frailties ahead of their crucial Investec Super 14 clash with the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.

The Force stayed in Sydney to work on their game in the lead up to the vital week 12 fixture, having conceded 117 points in their last two matches against the Crusaders and the Chiefs in New Zealand over the past fortnight.

With the Force needing to win the derby in order to keep their finals hopes alive, coach John Mitchell said his side needed to restore its defence to compete with the in-form Brumbies, who also need to win on Friday.

"We've gone away from some of our core principles in defence in recent weeks and we've had to address them quickly going into this match," Mitchell said.

"We've acted as individuals in defence, there's no denying that, and it's something that we're addressing quickly and we're going to have to address quickly to be competitive in the remainder of this competition."

The Force, bolstered by the return of former Brumby Matt Henjak at scrumhalf and David Pocock at flanker, have been looking at returning to their early season form, but flyhalf Matt Giteau, also a former Brumby, said their confidence had not been dented by recent results.

"I think, as a side, you've got to try to stay as confident as you can," Giteau said.

"It's such a short, intense competition that you can't worry too much about previous results.

"Obviously you've got to look at them, see what you're doing wrong, and obviously our defence has been lacking in the last couple of weeks and we're looking at fixing that, but you've got to move on and I think confidence is still up there."

The Force will have extra incentive to win the match, in an attempt to send tribute to former Force hooker Brendan Cannon, who was tragically forced to retire from the game early in the week due to a series of neck injuries that threatened to cause serious spinal problems if he continued with the sport.

Force captain Nathan Sharpe paid tribute to Cannon's contribution to rugby.

"Obviously it's been a very disappointing week for Brendan, he's been a fantastic player for Australian rugby, and also for the Western Force and was integral in the set-up there, so the guys would love to put a result on for Brendan and send him into retirement with our best wishes," Sharpe said.

Aidan Brunskill

[inactive]

Isnt Spanner making his decision this weekend. Its taken a while!!!

[Skiza]

Gee Skizza, if Yak is one of your favourites, how did you manage NOT to deck the bloody dopey redneck family that sit next to you and yell idiotic abuse at him all last season (and the first few games of this!)

Happy Birthday for yesterday too, I guess you'll have to be carried out of the next game now you're 18 and all! (though I guess that would be pretty poor form with your whole family watching!!)

Pfft, i believe they're entitled to their own opinions, but it was still hard to put up with them dissing players on their own team constantly! I can't stand that!! You're right, that would be poor form getting drunk with my whole family there (and in public too) so i'll be careful, its worked so far!