Force present united western front after Brumbies upset

[GIGS20]

I thought Barnes did pretty well. especially when you compare him to the other 12s

Junior was probably the only competition, and while Junior did well, he wasn't as influential on the game as Berrick.

I'd suggest that the selection of Hynes was more dodgy than Berrick. Both the Force wingers were electric and paid a huge part in the victory, Shep was simply the one that scored the tries this week.

Shame Browny left the field so early otherwise he was a lock for the #8, Palu won this one by default.

I was surprised not to see an ACT lock in there, given that they competed extremely well in the lineout after getting a bagging in the leadup commentary (even from Phil Kearns) for being short and uncompetitive!

[travelling_gerry]

It was the bottom of the log clash after all.

Bottom of the LOG?

Next thing you know you will be numbering the team from 15 to 1.

[WF2006]

had suffered a lot, including endless tales of disharmony with their coach John Mitchell, off-field disciplinary problems and the threat of many players following Matt Giteau back to the east next season.

I love the way Grumbles seems to imply that the suffering was at the hands of others!

[Burgs]

Bottom of the LOG?

Next thing you know you will be numbering the team from 15 to 1.

Been hanging out with too many hairybacks

[Cowboy]

I have not watched all of the reds game but I was suprised that Quade Cooper was named at 10 in the team of the week. Both Beale and Giteau are being praised for their game on the weekend while Cooper was descibed as hot/cold by reds fans.

[slomo]

I have not watched all of the reds game but I was suprised that Quade Cooper was named at 10 in the team of the week. Both Beale and Giteau are being praised for their game on the weekend while Cooper was descibed as hot/cold by reds fans.

gits was hot/cold also.....surprised to see george smith named, in canberra they have the brumbies man of the match which smith won....sorry shep your 3 try performance wasn't deemed good enough.....

[TOCC]

gits was hot/cold also.....surprised to see george smith named, in canberra they have the brumbies man of the match which smith won....sorry shep your 3 try performance wasn't deemed good enough.....

um... Shepherd was picked

[laura]

Hope Grumbles liked his latest pie....Humble pie!
Its only 1 win, so far, but seriously SUCK ON THAT!
Sheps was fantastic and deserving any award on offer after that match.

[BDAVEY]

Each week, Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness pick the form Australian Super 14 team.

15 Sam Norton-Knight (NSW) (2)
14 Cameron Shepherd (Force) (1)
13 Digby Ioane (Qld) (3)
12 Berrick Barnes (Qld) (1)
11 Peter Hynes(Qld) (1)
10 Quade Cooper (Qld) (2)
9 Josh Valentine (Force) (1)
8 Wycliff Palu(NSW) (2)
7 George Smith (ACT) (2)
6 Matt Hodgson (Force) (1)
5 Nathan Sharpe (Force) (2)
4 Hugh McMeniman(Qld) (1)
3 Guy Shepherdson (ACT) (1)
2 Stephen Moore (ACT) (2)
1 Nic Henderson (ACT) (1)

(Number of times selected in brackets).

Player of the round:
CAMERON SHEPHERD. A rousing return from injury, securing a rare Force victory away from home with a hat-trick of tries.

Try of the round:
CAMERON SHEPHERD. Any of the three would do, but the first involving good lead-up work by Matt Giteau and Ryan Cross was special.


I think they missed Pocock somewhere there.....!

[gustafsl]

Force present united western front after Brumbies upset

Greg Growden | March 2, 2009


with Cameron Shepherd, who was out for most of last year with a broken ankle,

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au:80/new...842248423.html

And here I was thinking he broke his ankle playing for the Wallabies after the Force season was already over...but I guess I was wrong and he must have broke it early in the Force season and missed most of the year.

[gustafsl]

gits was hot/cold also.....surprised to see george smith named, in canberra they have the brumbies man of the match which smith won....sorry shep your 3 try performance wasn't deemed good enough.....

Shep doesn't play for the Brumbies, so that is probably why he didn't get the Brumbies man of the match.

[tic]

The call was good tic, I rewound it and watched it 4 times, get over it it was a good win. Maybe the five or so tries they bombed by dropping ball on the last pass were what cost you the bonus point!

Really nice to see a team play some entertaining rugby, sure it was messy in patches, but they did to the Cheetahs what the Force should've done last week. Those big Saffers were stuffed by the 20th minute and virtually stopped playing. Shame the Reds didn't have the fitness to make it last, because there would've been about 4 on offer in the last ten minutes if they could run.

mmm...perhaps the fact that you had to watch it 4 times, suggests that it was a pedantic call - which it was. However no disputing that the Reds bombed 4 or 5 more. The Cheetahs were massacred on the field, but only trounced on the scorecard.

In fairness the conditions were shocking - that may excuse some of the lack of finishing what were otherwise excellent movements.

As for fitness, the Reds have no problems. In fact I'd be surprised if they weren't the fitest team in the comp.

[slomo]

um... Shepherd was picked

not for the man of the match he wasn't......

[BDAVEY]

um... Shepherd was picked

The reds played well TOCC they will give the TAHS a real run for their money and MAY GO ALL THE WAY........ Reds by 10 points just through bloody grit

[AndyS]

Not unless they start completing moves. I was going to make the same point as tic - no point getting hung up on one disallowed try, they butchered plenty. If this week is the week it clicks though....