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Force v crusaders

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Shiggins

Simon Poidevin (60)
Carters back but it won't make a difference. Crusaders will lose this one. Our problem is line out time. When MMM went off this week it fell apart.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Carter isn't back, he is out with a hamstring injury. Bleyendaal is out too I think. The Crusaders may bring in Willie Ripia!

I tipped the Force to win this game about two weeks ago. Still picking them this week.

For some reason the Force generally play well against the Crusaders. At $4 I may have a peanut or two on them to put my money where my mouth is.
.
 

Shiggins

Simon Poidevin (60)
Carter isn't back, he is out with a hamstring injury. Bleyendaal is out too I think. The Crusaders may bring in Willie Ripia!

I tipped the Force to win this game about two weeks ago. Still picking them this week.

For some reason the Force generally play well against the Crusaders. At $4 I may have a peanut or two on them to put my money where my mouth is.
.

Why not ey. In in. 50 on the force !its just one of those games we win
 

The Red Baron

Chilla Wilson (44)
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to fire up. For what it is worth, I also think it is a strange selection. Sias has been serviceable and has been kicking goals too. Seems strange to drop him unless he is carrying a niggle or is being rested.

What I am worried about is Cottrell. Have I missed something and is Cottrell injured or something?

Having said all of that, I am predicting a close contest. Crusaders should win, but you never really know with the Force.
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
Did CTM insult Foleys mother or something? You have an exciting attacking fresh player who cut it up in the trials and he can't even make the 22.

Godwin to 10, CTM to 12 and keep Stanley at 13 if you are worried about his defence ,as both Godwin and Stanley are excellent defensively. Even Christies first two games were decent if Sias is injured. 8 Games in and I am over Foley's overly conservative selections. We are 1 and 6. Have a go you mug.
 

Woodenspoon

Herbert Moran (7)
Did CTM insult Foleys mother or something? You have an exciting attacking fresh player who cut it up in the trials and he can't even make the 22.
I'm asking the same question since round one.
And there's apparently no answer. CTM was presented with much emphasis and was supposed to be our regular inside centre, but he's never made the 22 so far. That's really strange, I can only guess he's had behavioural problems. Otherwise I couldn't tell why the Force signed him.
Luckily Godwin is just fine.
Godwin to 10, CTM to 12 and keep Stanley at 13 if you are worried about his defence ,as both Godwin and Stanley are excellent defensively. Even Christies first two games were decent if Sias is injured. 8 Games in and I am over Foley's overly conservative selections. We are 1 and 6. Have a go you mug.
Imo Godwin's talent should be developed so that he can become a better inside centre. As a flyhalf, he's got a very bad foot and doesn't seem a big improvement compared with Ebersohn, who is not surely a world-class reference flyhalf (just remember the game against the Cheetahs)
Once said that, I've to say that the squad against the Crusaders is a little bit strange. SNK is surprisingly the new flyhalf and most of the backline is made up by players that have spent a lot of time on the bench in the first rounds.
Anyway, let me say this...I support the decision to make changes in a losing team (I would replace Ma'afu, too) and I like the fact that Rasolea is given a chance to earn a spot over Stanley, but I wonder whether to replace at once three out of five players in the backline is a good choice or not. We'll see.
 

thierry dusautoir

Alan Cameron (40)
i wouldn't mind a Godwin/CTM centre combo???

Also just saw the team list.......for every good change foley makes he counter acts it with three shit ones.

Drops Stanley for Rasolea = Good

Drops Cottrell for McCalman = Bad

Drops Dellit for Stubbs = Good

Drops Sias for SNK = questionable
 

RoffsChoice

Jim Lenehan (48)
I'm not judging on SNK at 10 until I see it. My fear here is that he will be like JOC (James O'Connor) and run the ball too much.

I think McCalman at 8 has been good enough, better than Brown at least. Cottrell has been great. Let him grow on the field.
Dellit has been meh, happy to see old Ed Stubbs playing. He consistent for the Brumbies (the three times he played). Stanley hasn't been bad.
Good to see Pek back.
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
So at what point in the game will wee see Ma'afu come off and back on again?

Force deny illegal rugby substitutions

Date
April 12, 2013 - 8:42PM
Justin Chadwick


Western Force coach Michael Foley denies the Super Rugby club have been making illegal front-row substitutions this season, claiming the moves have disadvantaged them at times.

A New Zealand publication questioned the fairness of some of the Force's substitutions after a trend developed between rounds 5-7.

In those games, Salesi Ma'afu would run his dash before being subbed out of the game, only to reappear in the second half once fellow prop Pek Cowan retired hurt.

Referees' boss Lyndon Bray cleared the Force of any wrongdoing, saying no questions were asked because Cowan's injuries in those games had been signed off by the club doctor.

Foley was adamant the Force weren't faking Cowan's injuries, pointing to the fact the 26-year-old even had to miss last week's loss to the Rebels due to the build-up of several niggles.

The trend of subbing off and re-introducing Ma'afu into games also wasn't ideal for Foley, given the 30-year-old's ongoing battle with knee inflammation.

And Foley said he would much prefer Cowan to play out entire games, especially when he was the stand-in captain against the Reds in round five.

"There's times when things happen and, as a coach, you've got to react to that in the player's best interest," Foley said on Friday.

"If you keep a player on the field when he's injured and it becomes worse, there's a greater issue to answer than somebody talking about some issue over whether or not we're doing the right thing.

"All of our props have long medical histories.

"They're not necessarily the things that make mothers grin about the game.

"But it's the reality. There's plenty of collisions in the game and we try to manage it as best as we can."

Cowan, who has battled neck, calf and hamstring injuries this season, will return in Saturday night's clash with the Crusaders in Perth.

But the Force will be without in-form lock Hugh McMeniman, who will miss at least six weeks with a fractured left shoulder.

The Crusaders are missing five-eighth Dan Carter, while coach Todd Blackadder has rested forwards Sam Whitelock and Matt Todd following the team's two-game tour of South Africa.

The Force (1-6) are in danger of finishing last in the Australian conference, while the Crusaders (3-3) still have their eyes firmly fixed on making the finals.

The Force made wholesale changes to their backline following the meek performance against the Rebels.

Former Wallaby Sam Norton-Knight was promoted to five-eighth at the expense of Sias Ebersohn, while Jayden Hayward was named at fullback and Junior Rasolea at outside centre.

Ed Stubbs was named on the wing, while flanker Richard Brown, lock Sam Wykes and prop Cowan were other inclusions in the side.

Force: Jayden Hayward, Alfie Mafi, Junior Rasolea, Kyle Godwin, Ed Stubbs, Sam Norton-Knight, Alby Mathewson, Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson (capt), Ben McCalman, Sam Wykes, Toby Lynn, Salesi Ma'afu, Heath Tessmann, Pek Cowan. Res: Ben Whittaker, Tetera Faulkner, Rory Walton, Chris Alcock, Mick Snowden, Sias Ebersohn, Patrick Dellit.
 

Forcefield

Ken Catchpole (46)
Of course they are illegal substitutions, if not technically so. It is a bit redundant now that there will be 2 bench props in future. Teams will play to the absolute limit of the letter of the law (or past it) on the field. It is no different.
 

Brisbok

Cyril Towers (30)
Tim Horan: "Could be a big year for Fruean in the All Blacks this year with SBW gone...."

How does SBW leaving have any impact on Fruean's AB chances? When did SBW ever play 13??

Geez he says some dumb things at times. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear he'd never played the game before after listening to his commentary.
 
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