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Western Force Head Coach John Mitchell has announced his team for Friday night’s Investec Super 14 Week 2 clash with the Cheetahs at Subiaco Oval.
Mitchell has made five changes to his starting lineup and injected fresh blood to the reserves bench following last week’s 25-19 season-opening loss to the Blues.
2009 signings Ben Castle and Josh Valentine will make their first Super 14 appearance for the WA side, with Castle having recovered from a neck injury and Valentine a minor hamstring strain.
Castle, a 42-cap Super Rugby veteran with the Chiefs, will become the 50th player to represent the Emirates Western Force in Super 14 competition since the team’s inception in 2006.
The former Junior Black prop will be joined in the front row by Gareth Hardy, who returns to the lineup after missing out on selection for the season opener against the Blues last Friday.
Mitchell has also re-shuffled his backline, calling 18-year-old James O’Connor into the starting XV at inside centre and Nick Cummins at right wing.
O'Connor comes into the midfield to partner Ryan Cross, who remains in doubt for the match with shoulder bruising despite being named in his customary No.13 jersey.
Local front row product Kieran Longbottom joins the reserves bench looking to add to his 3 career caps, while the Friday night clash will also see the welcomed return of Scott Staniforth.
Staniforth has been named on the reserves bench after finally recovering from a knee injury which saw him miss the final four matches of the 2008 season.
Following his last Super 14 match, against the Reds in Week 10 of last season, Staniforth underwent exploratory surgery on his left knee and missed the remainder of the season before returning for the WA side’s development tour of England.
In just the first match on tour, against the Newcastle Falcons, the 12-Test veteran aggravated the injury again, forcing a second surgery and ultimately delaying the start to his 2009 Super 14 campaign.
Mitchell said that his players were hurting after the opening week loss to the Blues and were determined to bounce back in front of their home fans.
"The boys were very disappointed in their performance last Friday and are very much looking forward to the opportunity to turn things around this weekend,” said Mitchell.
"There were some positives from the performance but we certainly need better finishing and need to maintain our physicality throughout the contest.”
In the corresponding round last season, Matt Giteau kicked a match-winning penalty goal after the full-time siren had sounded to steal victory from the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. The final score on that occasion was 16-15 to the Emirates Western Force.
The WA side has never lost a Super 14 match to the Cheetahs, winning all three encounters since both sides entered the competition in 2006.
Emirates Western Force v Cheetahs
Friday 20 February, 2009
Subiaco Oval, Perth
Kick off: 7.45pm WDST
Emirates Western Force
1. Gareth Hardy
2. Tai McIsaac
3. Ben Castle
4. Pat O’Connor
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Tamaiti Horua
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Josh Valentine
10. Matt Giteau
11. Nick Cummins Drew Mitchell
12. James O’Connor
13. Ryan Cross
14. Haig Sare Nick Cummins
15. Drew Mitchell Cameron Shepherd
16. Luke Holmes
17. Kieran Longbottom
18. Tom Hockings
19. Matt Hodgson
20. Chris O’Young
21. Josh Tatupu
22. Scott Staniforth
Last edited by Darren; 19-02-09 at 09:00. Reason: Updated Player List
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
I love the look of this backline!
Lets hope the forwards dominate.
Agreed - love the backline
It will be interesting to see how the front row goes
coz Stone Cold says so
JOC must be excited - bit worried about him against the Cheetahs - normally quite a physical side.
Anyone else want a stable game winning combination?
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
just read todays newpaper and apparently there was a bit of a punch up at Cheetahs training on Monday
Article on Page 110
Big Cheetahs bare claws
Dave Hughes
18th February 2009, 7:00 WST
A fight between two Cheetahs forwards at training on Monday revealed the intensity with which the South African team is preparing for Friday’s Super 14 rugby match against the Western Force at Subiaco Oval.
An onlooker said blood was spilled during the session at Wesley College but Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske yesterday dismissed the incident as a brief flare-up as his players strive to snap a three-year sequence of losses in Australia and New Zealand.
“It got a bit physical,” said Drotske. “You know what forwards are like. There wasn’t much in it —it’s the sort of thing that happens every few weeks.”
The Cheetahs conceded two key scrums when scores were tied near the end of Friday’s loss to the Lions at Johannesburg.
Drotske, a former Springbok frontrower, warned his players were getting ready to fight back against the Force, six-point losers to the Blues in round one.
He said the Cheetahs forwards backed themselves to get the better of their Force counterparts.
“We’ll definitely target their scrum,” he said.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=125458
Maybe they should send one home...
Can you imagine the media if the Force pack were constantly taking swings at one another?
Look what happened when a couple of our Backs had an argument about who’s hair cut was better!!
I think Pek Cowan was unlucky. Is he injured? AJ was shite
Great to see BC getting a go. This is a major weakness for the Force
Great to see JOC at 12. He's good enough. Let him play for f---s sake. None of this cotton wool sh1t. The kid carves up
Cummins will cement his spot. He is a try scoring machine. Haig can go to the Brumbies with Gits
The backs look fast.
Pat O'Connor better aim up. He was toilet last week but I'll give him a break. Big guys take a few games to get into their stride. I like Hockings. A head with that much fibrosis spells 'ard.
Can we get some pill? Horua better take it forward this week. He was toilet last week as well. Matt Hodgson is Mr Reliable. He's the hard working head cracker that goes about his business and gets no raps. I like him. He's 'ard and he takes no sh1t
'Cheetahs Baring Claws'
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
awww... wook at da widdle puddy tats
meow
"Believe in the best, think your best, study your best, have a goal for your best, never be satisfied with less than your best, try your best, and in the long run things will turn out for the best."
haig sare dropped right out of the 22, i guess the committee have made their decision........