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Western Force vs NSW Waratahs, 2011R08

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Lance Free

Arch Winning (36)
Matt Hodgson is out for a month. Some damage to his AC joint injury but he doesn't need an operation. Back around the Crusaders match.
 

waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
no waugh = no win
not holding out hope, havnt been to impressed with mccutchin this season, think alcock should be given the nod.
hopefully TPN stays out of trouble and can provide some direction for the forwards to follow.
 

rugbysmartarse

Alan Cameron (40)
was watching Cutch get smashed back every time he took the bal into contact last week wondering why Alcock is not on the bench. Also, without Pockock and hodgson, they are down a fetcher, should we play Mowen Dennis Palu as the back 3 and hve 3 solid runners an tacklers instead?
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Challenging game for the Tahs.

Expectations are that they should put the force away, but these are the games where the mental side is as important as the physical.

The side knows they are good enough to win, but they need to play to their structure for more than twenty minutes.

If they back their processes and are prepared to be patient, they should win comfortably.

If they decide to score off every break, playing one out selfish rugby, using stupid kicks and 30% chance passes, they will struggle.
 

waratahjesus

Greg Davis (50)
was watching Cutch get smashed back every time he took the bal into contact last week wondering why Alcock is not on the bench. Also, without Pockock and hodgson, they are down a fetcher, should we play Mowen Dennis Palu as the back 3 and hve 3 solid runners an tacklers instead?

its probably a better idea, problem is, every team without a decent 7 has got close to murdered at the breakdown this year.

brown should play there for the force, we need someone quicker on the tahs side to combat him
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
McCutcheon has been poor the last few weeks and you could see how disorganised the Tahs were when he was given the ball to run with. He has no impact in contact - maybe he is good in avoiding contact but I didn't see it last week. I would start Alcock, by all reports he had a good one in Shute. I expect Jono Jenkins to start, but will wait to see the team sheet. If its Brown at 7 then I think it will work to the Tahs advantage.

I'm keen to see Kepu at THP again this week, Fuse is still battling injury and Kepu and Benn looked really good. TPN looked stuffed after half time and injured to boot. This would be another good game to start Fitzy and have TPN on the bench. Last week would have been too, but that's not Hickey's way.

I wonder whether O'Connor will keep his spot? He was OK in the first half but went invisible in the second. Making Mumm captain means he will play 80, but our locks have been pretty awful all year except for one Timani cameo. Funny, I thought that this year it was going to be a real strength and its turned out the opposite.

We are playing a team that tends to lift against the top 6 and play badly against the lesser teams, so this week will be an absolute banana skin. The Force will miss Hodgson almost as much as they would Pocock and Sharpe, so I am very confident that we can but not very confident that we will..
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
I'm keen to see Kepu at THP again this week
He has been a big surprise for me. As a scrummager he was decent enough at LHP when Fat Cat was out but I never rated him as a THP before and he looked the part last week.

In the past his work around the park for the Tahs hasn't been what we have seen from him for Randwick, but that is better this year too. He's starting to look like the backrower he was as a young bloke.

If he keeps this up, against better scrums, he could be a RWC smokey. Ironically: the more injuries that Fat Cat and Fuse get, the more he can press his claims.
 
A

Alex-A

Guest
Yea, not too sure about this one either. The force / tahs games are always tight affairs. I hope its nothing like last year where there was not 1 line break by either team for the full 80 mins. I dont have great expectations for the Tahs to launch back into form just yet.
 

hench

Johnnie Wallace (23)
Barnes faking an injury because he wants no part of O'Bieber.

Force by plenty.
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
He has been a big surprise for me. As a scrummager he was decent enough at LHP when Fat Cat was out but I never rated him as a THP before and he looked the part last week.

In the past his work around the park for the Tahs hasn't been what we have seen from him for Randwick, but that is better this year too. He's starting to look like the backrower he was as a young bloke.

If he keeps this up, against better scrums, he could be a RWC smokey. Ironically: the more injuries that Fat Cat and Fuse get, the more he can press his claims.

I claim Gnostic rights on this prediction. Remember I was saying he deserved to go on the EOYT. He did very well at THP last week, and while I don't think it is his best spot he is a serviceable THP. I wouldn't want to start him there against the top Loose Heads but I can definitely see him as the bench cover for both sides. Surely now nobody can doubt my assertion from last year that he is a better scrummager than Alexander on either side of the scrum.
 

hench

Johnnie Wallace (23)
I claim Gnostic rights on this prediction. Remember I was saying he deserved to go on the EOYT. He did very well at THP last week, and while I don't think it is his best spot he is a serviceable THP. I wouldn't want to start him there against the top Loose Heads but I can definitely see him as the bench cover for both sides. Surely now nobody can doubt my assertion from last year that he is a better scrummager than Alexander on either side of the scrum.

We can only take so many props to NZ.

Everyday people just throw up any prop that has 1 decent game so far this year.
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
I also have to say I was encouraged with the debut of Paddy Ryan as well. A few of us have been calling for him to get a run for a while. In my case after Baxter was again blown off the park against the Saders I said that he should be dropped in favour of Ryan and Kepu either starting at LH and moving to the TH role later in the match or Kepu covering from the bench. A move to looking at the future as no matter what we think of the Fuse he is a referee target and unfortunately for him this is a massive liability for the team. The Chiefs are not a highly rated scrum but it was a good start.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
We can only take so many props to NZ.

Everyday people just throw up any prop that has 1 decent game so far this year.

Yeah, four or five. On form so far, they would be Slipper, Robinson, Palmer, Kepu with the last spot a coin toss. Out of the running are Daley and Alexander, who have proved to everyone so far that they can only play in league scrums. Kepu's play all season has been strong, not just one week. Anyone who can keep Fat Cat on the bench is playing very OK.

Gnostic, I too was appalled that Kepu was left behind for the EYOT and said so. We all saw how well those who were selected played at 1 & 3.
 
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