Team for Blues this week

[The InnFORCEr]

Pelesasa To Play His 50th While Ioane Has One Last Subi Hurrah
Wednesday, 2 May 2007 12:19pm
RugbyWA
Junior Pelesasa will play his 50th game on Friday nightPowerful centre Junior Pelesasa will earn his 50th Super rugby cap when the Emirates Western Force play the Blues at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.


Pelesasa returns to the starting line-up wearing 12, with Matt Giteau shifting back to flyhalf and James Hilgendorf switching to the bench.

In other, rotational changes, Luke Doherty and David Pocock come into the 1st XV at blindside and openside flanker, respectively, while Richard Brown and Matt Hodgson move to the bench.


Hodgson is bracketed with David Pusey, who has a leg strain and whose selection will be determined later in the week.

Friday night’s match, the final round of the regular season, will be winger Digby Ioane’s last in the ocean blue at Subiaco Oval, having decided to further his career with the Reds.


It will also be the final time that local fans will see scrumhalf Chris O’Young, who is leaving the Force to play in Glasgow.

Emirates Western Force Head Coach John Mitchell said the Blues had been the competition leader for most of the season, and would be bolstered by the return of Luke McAlister.


“Troy Flavell has also had an outstanding season, as has Isaia Toeava and of course Dougie Howlett is Super rugby’s most prolific try scorer of all time, so they are going to be a handful,” he said.

“Parts of our performance against the Cheetahs were outstanding but against a team like Blues we will need to sustain the pressure for longer periods of play.”


Mitchell said that, as with the previous week, the Force had no choice but to win and play well.

“We come in to Friday night’s game with a slim opportunity. We must make the most of it and finish the regular season at home with a performance we can be proud of. Our wonderful supporters deserve as much.”


The squad:

1. Gareth Hardy
2. Tai McIsaac
3. Troy Takiari
4. Rudi Vedelago
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Luke Doherty
7. David Pocock
8. Scott Fava

9. Matt Henjak
10. Matt Giteau
11. Digby Ioane
12. Junior Pelesasa
13. Ryan Cross
14. Scott Staniforth
15. Drew Mitchell

16. Luke Holmes
17. AJ Whalley
18. David Pusey/Matt Hodgson
19. Richard Brown
20. Chris O’Young
21. James Hilgendorf
22. Haig Sare

Digby at 11

[The EnForcer]

Go The Force

[AndyS]

NNNOOOOOO!!!....The Blues slide began when McAlister got injured and he's their key man in organising and executing attack. He's back, and I'd really question Pelesasa's ability to defend against him. What is Staniforth doing on the wing????

[hopep]

How did we let Chris O'Young slip away ? protest:
He's played great rugby, go forward, flat & fast passes, for two seasons now.
Admittedly Henjack has lifted his game this year (near his potential) but a good fly half to replace Chris will be hard to find in my opinion.

Any word on replacements or why he didn't get offered a new contract ?

[WF2006]

My understanding was that it wasn't that Rugby WA didn't offer him a new contract, he just took up the offer from OS first?

Happened a while back now Hopep. Original post http://thewholeforce.com/showthread.php?t=7114

[shasta]

Any word on replacements or why he didn't get offered a new contract ?

O'Young was "released" to Glasgow. Maybe he got sick of the bench, after a couple of years behind Chris Whittaker then a couple more behind Henjak. He's off to Scotland so maybe he's gonna get more money as well as more game time. I'm sure game time is the major factor for most players.

The Force still have John McGrath.

[WF2006]

Seem to remember that one of our Scottish connections thought he had some pretty stiff competion for the #9 jersey though.

[The InnFORCEr]

Seem to remember that one of our Scottish connections thought he had some pretty stiff competion for the #9 jersey though.

No, EmForcer has retired as far as I know

and EnForcer is well past his prime (on the rugby field not at the bar)

and Jedi, he'll tell you about the glory days, but certainly no threat to Chris O

[WF2006]

awwwwwwwww.......now I get it!! Sorry a little slow on the uptake hahaha!
Nice one InnForcer!

I found what I was referreing to - wasn't one of our Scottish connections at all - was our own home grown guru!

I would suggest that he is no walk up start at the Warriors either just quietly.
Unless one of them is retiring or moving on, these are the two already playing for them:

Graeme Beveridge:

Scrum half. Born: 17.2.76 in Edinburgh. Height: 5ft 6in (1.68m). Weight: 13st (83kg)

Graeme Beveridge made his debut for Scotland when he replaced Andy Nicol during the second Test of the 2000 summer tour to New Zealand, but it was more than three years later before he had his first international start in his fifth Test appearance.
That was against Wales in Cardiff in the second of Scotland’s three Countdown Tests before the 2003 World Cup.
He was in the Scotland squad in Australia for the World Cup but did not play in any of the five games.
Before the 2000 New Zealand tour Beveridge played in the non-cap match against the Barbarians, having been chosen for the senior Scotland squad for the first time for the match against France in March 2000.
He went on to win his second cap as a substitute against the USA in the first autumn Test that same year.
He was in Scotland’s under-19 team at the 1995 FIRA Junior World Cup in Bucharest and is also a former under-19 and under-21 international captain.
He was in Scotland’s squad for the 1996 Students’ World Cup in South Africa, and the following year, as an emergency replacement, he joined Scotland’s touring squad in southern Africa in time to play in the final-match win over Eastern Province.
He also played in two matches on Scotland’s 2004 tour to Australia, scoring a try in the 48-10 win against New South Wales Country.
A leg injury kept him out of Glasgow Caledonians’ early matches in 1998-99, but he recovered in time to make a try-scoring debut at A international level in the runaway win over Italy at Netherdale in March 1999.
Graeme, a former pupil of Peebles High School, has played 14 games for Scotland A, also scoring a try in the defeat by the French in Agen in February 2003.
He played his hundredth game for Glasgow when he made a replacement appearance against Munster in October 2004, and by the close of season 2005-06 he had an impressive tally of 17 tries in his Glasgow career.

International record: 6 caps. 2000 – NZ(2r) USA(r) Sam(r). 2002 – Fj(r). 2003 – W. 2005 – R(r).


Sam Pinder:

Scrum half. Born: 15.2.79 in Taupo, New Zealand. Height: 6ft 1in (1.86m). Weight: 13st 12lb (88kg).

Samuel Jared Pinder won his first cap for Scotland as a second-half substitute for Mike Blair against South Africa in Durban in June 2006 and followed up with a second replacement appearance in the second Test in Port Elizabeth a week later.
Before departing for the tour he had made a try-scoring debut in Scotland’s non-cap match against the Barbarians.
He had been in Northland’s NPC squad since 1998, the year in which he played for New Zealand under-19 along with a couple of All Blacks, Aaron Mauger and Jerry Collins.
That same year he was in the New Zealand Youth team who toured Wales and Canada, and he has also been on the replacements’ bench for Auckland Blues in two Super 12 matches.
In Northland club rugby he captained Otamatea (1999 and 2000) and Waipu (2001).
He joined Glasgow Rugby in summer 2003 and scored a try on his Celtic League debut in the September victory against Cardiff at Hughenden.
Sam, who has a degree in physical education from Auckland College of Education, qualifies for Scotland as his paternal grandmother was born in Cockenzie, East Lothian.

International record: 1 cap. 2006 – SA1(rep) SA2(rep).

[Burgs]

Nervy Blues bypass All Blacks again

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Prop Tony Woodcock is the only one of four Blues from the All Blacks reconditioning squad to make the starting 15 for the key Super 14 clash with the Western Force on Friday.

Though all four have made the run-on side against various opponents since they joined the second half of the competition, Woodcock is the only one retained for their most important fixture of the season.

Hooker Keven Mealamu, in last week's team that lost 40-19 to the Bulls in Pretoria, lost his place to Derren Witcombe while lock Ali Williams remains on the bench.

And winger Joe Rokocoko remains on the outer for Friday night's match in Perth.

Witcombe is one of three changes to last week's team by coach David Nucifora who pinned his hopes on the players who helped the Blues reach top spot, before losing three consecutive matches.

Though the Blues are in third place, the tight race for the top four spots could mean they miss the semifinals altogether if they lose this weekend's final round-robin game.

"We have to win, that's the bottom line," Nucifora said today.

Witcombe and Mealamu will both be used on Friday, Nucifora said.

"This is a tactical decision. We wanted to look at ways to best utilise both Keven and Derren within the 80 minutes," he said.

As expected, Luke McAlister returns from a jaw injury and replaces Sam Tuitupou at midfield and Nick Williams returns to No.8, with Jerome Kaino moving from the back of the scrum to blindside flanker and Angus Macdonald out of the squad.

"Sam received a minor neck strain in the Bulls match and has returned to New Zealand. We are fortunate to have Luke back in the fold. He was playing extremely well prior to his injury," Nucifora said.

"Nick has been used at different times throughout the season in games he is particularly suited to.

"We feel his strength in this match will be a key factor and have moved Jerome to blindside."

Nucifora said his team trained well, as they did before the Bulls match and his team had only themselves to blame for not securing a playoff berth before they had left for South Africa, where they lost to the Stormers and Bulls.

"We are aware more than anybody how important this match is for us. We are very focused on delivering a winning performance - that is all that we can control in this complex race for semi-final positions."

Blues:

1. Tony Woodcock,
2. Derren Witcombe,
3. John Afoa,
4. Greg Rawlinson,
5. Troy Flavell (c),
6. Jerome Kaino,
7. Daniel Braid,
8. Nick Williams,
9. Steve Devine,
10. Isa Nacewa,
11. Rudi Wulf,
12. Luke McAlister,
13. Isaia Toeava,
14. Doug Howlett,
15. George Pisi.
16. Keven Mealamu,
17. Nick White,
18. Ali Williams,
19. Justin Collins,
20. Taniela Moa,
21. Ben Atiga,
22. Anthony Tuitavake.

NZPA

[shasta]

If the Force manage a win here, and the numbers somehow work out that the Blues miss the semis, what will the NZ press make of that?..............

Convict Bastard Coach Sabotages Blues

[jazza93]

Force really need gits in the centers for this game. McCalister and Toeava are the best center combination in the super14. cross and junior have a very hard game. it should be a good game and im sure heaps of trys will be scored.


CMON FORCE

[Thequeerone]

When we get over the Blues Subi once again becomes the house of Pain - wouldn't that we a good epitah for the end of the season

CARN THE FORCE

[pruc]

go the force. *yes* that means hodgo will play forpaly this weekend!?!

[BeeJay]

If Spanner and Diggers look for the ball as much as they did last week, we are in for a great game. Cross had one of his better games in attack last week, and if he and Junior can replicate that, and work hard in defence, we are in with a chance.
I reckon the Blues are under greater pressure than we are, and if we can post some points against them in the first 20 mins they might panic and the game could open up.
For mine, Hilgendorf at 10 and Gits at 12 would still have been a better option, bringing Junior in for impact like last week.
Going for more height in the lineout is a good idea, and I hope Pusey is fit to add some grunt. Pocock can terrorise them at the breakdown for 55 mins, and then Brown can come in and do the same!!