Wounded Force limp towards finals push

[The InnFORCEr]

Nick Taylor The West Australian
June 30, 2014, 5:38 am



Western Force were left counting the cost, both on and off the field, following their 40-14 thumping by the Blues at nib Stadium on Saturday night.

The Force's biggest loss of the season left them in seventh spot and their finals aspirations on the brink.

And their injury count paints an equally alarming picture.

Fly-half Sias Ebersohn, captain Matt Hodgson and second-rower Adam Coleman are in danger of missing next Saturday night's must-win clash with the Queensland Reds at nib Stadium.

Ebersohn left the field after 20 minutes with a suspected torn left bicep after a tackle on Blues winger Frank Halai.

Hodgson, who had treatment late in the first half but played out the game, and Coleman, who did not return for the second period, received head knocks.

Coleman failed a concussion test.

If Ebersohn is ruled out, local product Zack Holmes will start, while flanker Chris Alcock will be ready for his return three months after surgery to fix a shoulder he injured against the Waratahs in February.

Winger Nick Cummins is also expected to be cleared of a neck injury sustained in the Wallabies' first Test against France.

Coach Michael Foley needs a spark from his players if the Force's season is to remain alive going into the final matches of the home-and-away season in the next two weeks.

They need to beat the Reds and then the Brumbies in Canberra to shore up a finals berth. However, if other results fall their way they could scrape in with one win plus bonus points.

The Force gave the Blues too many soft opportunities from bad kicking, took wrong options in their own half and had poor body height in contact where the visitors monstered them at the breakdown.

"We weren't ready," Foley said.

"There's been enough things to distract us, whether that's been the three weeks off, Wallabies coming back, you can search for those sorts of things.

"Who knows what the distractions are? You can spend a lot of time chasing shadows.

"The reality is, it's not good enough to put in all the work that we do and then come to the moments that matter most and not be ready.

"Sometimes the pain of that sort of performance brings a focus. What we have to do is accept that if our attitude is right then our focus is right. We're not looking for OK."

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...s-finals-push/

[BLR]

So was Cummins rested or injured? If injured surely the Wallabies and/or their medical team have a case to answer for playing him in the last two tests.

[Jeansyjive]

I thought Zack Holmes played well when we he came on. We went wide to early though alot of the time though.

Cmon Force, turn it around and come out firing against the Reds

[The InnFORCEr]

So was Cummins rested or injured? If injured surely the Wallabies and/or their medical team have a case to answer for playing him in the last two tests.

He was injured in Test, being a "late withdrawal" could mean "rested" or perhaps they just didn't want to announce to early in the week that he would not be playing, apparently he draws a crowd

I think we had our second biggest for the year on Saturday, just awaiting a confirmed figure, but have heard over 13,000.

Who would they have to answer to anyway?

The ARU pay Nick (good) money to be part of the Wallabies squad, and releasing him to be part of that squad is a contract condition.

[shasta]

The story is that he injured his neck in the first Test. Got worse during the series. Not saying he did, but he would hardly be the first bloke to downplay a niggle to keep a starting spot. Nor the first to aggravate one by doing so.

[Alison]

One of the biggest cheers of the night was when they showed the Badge on the big screen!

[andrewg]

I think we had our second biggest for the year on Saturday, just awaiting a confirmed figure, but have heard over 13,000.

13,331 in attendance for the game against the Blues.

Crowds so far this year:

Brumbies - 10,600

Rebels - 9,900

Chiefs - 16,400

Waratahs - 14,300

Bulls - 14,200

Lions - 11,600

Blues - 13,300

Average (with Reds to come) - 12,900

Sadly, a long way short of where we'd like to be.


FYI...averages of other Aussie teams:

Reds - 27,400 (Down to ~24,000 for past 2 games)

Waratahs - 16,400 (A terrible number really for top of the table in our largest city)

Brumbies - 12,600

Rebels - 11,400

[BLR]

Who would they have to answer to anyway?

The ARU pay Nick (good) money to be part of the Wallabies squad, and releasing him to be part of that squad is a contract condition.

Well if Cummins was downplaying it no worries but even still medical staff have a certain duty of care to show, although it is possible they left it up to Cummins if it wasn't particularly serious.

The ARU paying him a majority of contract money means nothing if they are knowingly putting him on the field with a known injury. That duty of care still exists. But maybe I am just viewing at this wrong as I support Association Football where you see players played and subsequently injured in a meaningless friendly even after the clubs tell the national squad that they are nursing a niggle and shouldn't play.

[The InnFORCEr]

Is Association Football the same as soccer

[sloppy]

Yes

[Nic]

I'm suprised the attendance was 13,000 on Saturday. It felt like a lot less.
There were a few unlucky folks sitting in front of me with West Coast Eagles scarves. They had to endure twice the pain I did on Saturday!

[Tonkar]

Rugby WA dont need to worry about the die hards turning up whether HB plays as thinking we could have won was a good draw cardt but they stuffed up as he should have been on the mic with Sue and been down signing kids autograghs , that would have deleighted the crowd also... Use him for PR when he can't play

[Tonkar]

Did you all get the email from Rugby WA

I did like how quick Rugby WA released the Email and made an apology for the game and I praise Nathan (chese) for his press release. He and the team are real men who can admit they got it wrong...

The wife was chatting to one of her suppliers in NZ who is a Blues supporter and she told him of the press release and he was dumbfounded that a team would be man enuff to admit defeat and was full of praise to the force.. Said he would never hear any other team do it

Go the Force and apology accepted

[WFDom]

Did you all get the email from Rugby WA

I did like how quick Rugby WA released the Email and made an apology for the game and I praise Nathan (chese) for his press release. He and the team are real men who can admit they got it wrong...

The wife was chatting to one of her suppliers in NZ who is a Blues supporter and she told him of the press release and he was dumbfounded that a team would be man enuff to admit defeat and was full of praise to the force.. Said he would never hear any other team do it

Go the Force and apology accepted

Any chance you (or anyone else who got it) could post it tonk?

[G_Beard]

Did you all get the email from Rugby WA

I did like how quick Rugby WA released the Email and made an apology for the game and I praise Nathan (chese) for his press release. He and the team are real men who can admit they got it wrong...

The wife was chatting to one of her suppliers in NZ who is a Blues supporter and she told him of the press release and he was dumbfounded that a team would be man enuff to admit defeat and was full of praise to the force.. Said he would never hear any other team do it

Go the Force and apology accepted

Speaking with Marcel, Chris Alcock and Heiberg, Phoenix and Wykes after the match, and they expressed the same sentiments.
All the keyboard supporters saying there was no heart and passion, should speak to the players. They were gutted.
The reaching out to be a part of the community that the Force do, is head and shoulders above anything I experienced back in South Africa.
We have an awesome team of players here, I hope people realise this.
Pull in tight in defeat, and cheer loudly in victory.
Not splinter and tear each other apart in defeat.