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Western Force Head Coach John Mitchell has announced his team for Saturday night’s Investec Super 14 Week 10 clash with the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The WA side will welcome back Cameron Shepherd on the left wing after a three-week absence with injury.
The 24-year-old back has managed just four appearances for the Emirates Western Force this season due to repeated setbacks in his comeback from extensive ankle surgery last June.
The Australian fullback’s return is timely for the WA side with Nick Cummins sidelined for up to a month after suffering a hairline fracture in his lower left leg during last week’s 1-point loss to the Hurricanes at Subiaco Oval.
In the only other change to the backline this week, James O’Connor returns to inside centre to replace the injured Junior Pelesasa.
Pelesasa strained a triceps muscle in the defeat to the Hurricanes and was unavailable for selection, while O’Connor has recovered from the minor hamstring strain which kept him out of the Good Friday encounter.
Mitchell has also opted for a switch in his second row with Australian Under 20s lock Sam Wykes moving in to replace Tom Hockings.
Wykes has earned 28 minutes of game time from the reserves bench in his two appearances this season, having returned to action in Week 8 following a long rehabilitation from off-season shoulder surgery.
Hockings moves to the reserves bench where he joins rookie 19-year-old RugbyWA Academy hooker Ben Whittaker.
Whittaker, a product of Barker College in Sydney - the school which produced teammate Cameron Shepherd, is in line to make his Super 14 debut after being named in the number 16 jersey.
Whittaker replaces Luke Holmes, who was omitted from the 22 which fell to the Hurricanes.
For the seventh consecutive week the WA side will take to the field with same starting front row combination of Pek Cowan, Tai McIsaac and Ben Castle.
Tighthead prop Castle will celebrate his 50th Super 14 match against the Waratahs on Saturday night. The 29-year-old played 42 matches for the Chiefs before joining the Emirates Western Force during the 2009 pre-season under the newly-introduced foreign player policy.
The Waratahs are the only Australian team yet to be conquered by the Perth-based outfit. The two sides played out a 16-16 draw in their 2007 clash in Sydney.
Mitchell said his side was wary of the Waratahs after their last up defeat to the Bulls.
“The Waratahs have a particularly proud home record and they will certainly be keen to put last week’s performance behind them very quickly. We know were in for a contest that’s for sure,” said Mitchell.
“They have been the best of the Australian provinces for the past couple of seasons and one of their hallmarks is their consistency. It’s something we aspire to,” he said.
2009 Investec Super 14 Week 10
Emirates Western Force v Waratahs
Saturday 16 April, 2009
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
Kick off: 7.40pm AEST (5.40pm WST)
Emirates Western Force
1. Pek Cowan
2. Tai McIsaac
3. Ben Castle
4. Sam Wykes
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Matt Hodgson
7. David Pocock
8. Richard Brown
9. Josh Valentine
10. Matt Giteau
11. Cameron Shepherd
12. James O’Connor
13. Ryan Cross
14. Scott Staniforth
15. Drew Mitchell
Reserves
16. Ben Whittaker
17. AJ Whalley
18. Tom Hockings
19. Tamaiti Horua
20. Chris O’Young
21. Josh Tatupu
22. Haig Sare
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Originally Posted by GIGS20
