Western Force rank outsiders for rematch with hungry Brumbies
The Western Force have set their sights on producing a famous underdog triumph when they take on the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday night.
The Force were thumped 57-5 by the Queensland Reds last week in one of the worst losses in the club’s history.
The wooden spoon certainties face another monumental challenge on Friday when they take on the ladder-leading Brumbies.
When the teams met a month ago, the Brumbies won 24-0.
Most betting markets have ranked the Force a $10 outsider to knock off the Brumbies in the rematch.
Japan to fill the hole in Hooper's pay packet https://t.co/ct9d7JszOQ
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Force coach Tim Sampson believes his players will thrive off that underdog tag.
“There’s been some great underdog stories in the past. Let’s hope we wake up Saturday morning and it’s another one,” Sampson said.
“We won’t have any problems getting up for this one.”
Captain Ian Prior said the team went through a brutal review of their performance against the Reds, and would come out firing against the Brumbies.
“A few guys were pretty emotional after the game,” Prior said.
“They’ve invested a lot into this club, and were disappointed with the result.
“It was the players’ idea to watch the game together there at the end of the game. We wanted to go through it with the staff. It’s never easy watching yourself or your teammates making mistakes.
“But it was a process we had to go through. It was pretty brutal, but it was needed.
“We’ve got great characters. We’re a bunch of fighters and are going to come out swinging this weekend and rectify that result.”
The Brumbies have made just one change to the starting line-up from last week’s 38-11 win over the NSW Waratahs – the inclusion of scrum-half Joe Powell.
The Force have recalled centre Henry Taefu and utility back Marcel Brache, with former All Blacks centre Richard Kahui going to the bench.
Brumbies: Tom Banks, Andy Muirhead, Solomone Kata, Irae Simone, Tom Wright, Bayley Kuenzle, Joe Powell, Pete Samu, Will Miller, Lachlan McCaffrey, Cadeyrn Neville, Murray Douglas, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Connal McInerney, James Slipper. Reserves: Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio, Tom Ross, Darcy Swain, Rob Valetini, Nic White, Reesjan Pasitoa, Len Ikitau.
Western Force: Jack McGregor, Marcel Brache, Kyle Godwin, Henry Taefu, Brad Lacey, Jono Lance, Ian Prior (c), Henry Stowers, Kane Koteka, Fergus Lee-Warner, Ollie Atkins, Jeremy Thrush, Kieran Longbottom, Andrew Ready, Pek Cowan. Reserves: Feleti Kaitu’u, Chris Heiberg, Tom Sheminant, Tevin Ferris, Brynard Stander, Nick Frisby, Richard Kahui, Jake Strachan.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments