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I have been looking for a thread on this game between the two cellar dwellers and haven't found one, so thought I would create one. Being the lone Force member present in the stands of Ellis Park this weekend, I think I will have the first say......
After a moral victory over the previously unbeaten Crusaders at fortress Subi, John Mitchell's men can go into this game with a truck load of confidence. The side is starting to click and their improved defence and flair in attack seems to have caught opposition sides by surprise. Also, I see there is talk of an early return by Lachlan McKay and Junior P, who would both be very welcome inclusions in the side. Can anyone confirm this for me?? Did I mention we also signed a guy by the name of Matt Giteau this week? Anyone know anything about this guy? Suddenly the pricks in the Eastern States are having a panic attack about the Force dominating Australian rugby and with the possible arrival of Drew Mitchell, Al Kaanar and Toutai Kefu at Subiaco next year, the pricks ought to be very worried...... It’s all good for the Emirates Western Force.
The Cats, on the other hand, put in a terrible performance against the Bulls at Securicor Loftus. Even with Andre Pretorius back in the side they are easily the worst side in the Super 14. For some unknown reason, South African sides continue to want to kick the ball at every opportunity which is fine by the opposition because without the ball it's impossible to score a try. So expect Pretorius to give us a lot of ball on the weekend!
However, keep in mind that even a quarter full Ellis Park is an intimidating venue for visiting sides. One only has to look at the Wallabies poor track record there to see that away wins at Ellis Park are very few and far between! Also this is the first game for the Force at altitude so the last 20min will tell a lot about the fitness levels of our guys.....
One big win for the Force off the field this week was the announcement by SARFU that the bottom SA side in the Super 14 for 2006 will not be relegated. Originally the bottom side for '06 was to be replaced by the ANC supported Southern Spears in '07, but they so crap (they were beaten by a second tier Free State side 48-0 at the start of the year) that SARFU have reversed their position and now face legal action by the SA Government who want a majority black/coloured Super 14 side out of the Eastern Cape. Anyway, the Cats are no longer playing for their survival in the Super 14, which could have been a major motivation for them to come out and play their socks off against us.
I have FAITH that the Force will record their first Super 14 win at Ellis Park this weekend. This will also ensure that the CATS end up on the bottom of the log too. I reckon the CATS will start strong in the first twenty minutes and then lose interest allowing Staniforth and Co to cut loose in the second half. So my $10 million Zimbabwe Dollars is on a 21-13 Force victory and if we lose, I will be looking for the fastest way out of Ellis Park to my Hotel in Sandton!
Discuss