Ailing Force search Japan for marquee replacement
Ailing Force search Japan for marquee replacement
- Bret Harris and Brent Read
- From: The Australian
- February 20, 2010 12:00AM
FORMER All Blacks five-eighth David Hill has emerged as the frontrunner to replace injured South African five-eighth Andre Pretorius as the Western Force's marquee foreign player.
Pretorius sustained a season-ending hamstring tear in the pre-season and the ARU has given the Force permission to recruit another international five-eighth.
The Force is looking hard at international five-eighths in Japan where the season has just ended.
Hill is coming out of contract with Japanese club Toshiba Brave Lupus and he has a strong connection with Force coach John Mitchell, having played for him at the Chiefs in New Zealand and the All Blacks.
Former Wallabies five-eighth Stephen Larkham (Ricoh Black Rams) and ex-All Black No 10 Tony Brown (Sony Wild Knights) are also playing in Japan.
It is highly unlikely Larkham would return to Super rugby, but Brown has a history of playing for South African Super rugby teams (Sharks and Stormers) while contracted in Japan.
The Force desperately needs to sign an experienced playmaker to stabilise the team following the loss of Pretorius and a spate of other injuries, including David Pocock, Richard Brown, Cameron Shepherd and Mark Bartholomeusz.
But it will have to make do with what it has when it takes on the Hurricanes in Wellington today.
There has been criticism of Force coach John Mitchell's decision not to shift Wallabies utility back James O'Connor from fullback to five-eighth to direct the team, especially after fill-in playmaker Sam Harris struggled in the role in the 24-15 loss to the Brumbies in Perth last Friday.
While O'Connor will wear No 15 on his back, it would be surprising if he did not spend more time at first receiver against the Hurricanes.
"He's going to be popping up in positions he may not have been in last week," Force captain Nathan Sharpe said cryptically.
No one expects the depleted Force to upset the Hurricanes, which is the best thing it has going for it. "Our preparation has been good considering what we have been through," Sharpe said.
"The thing for us is that the only people who believe in us are us and that's a good thing going into a game.
"In any match, if you turn up and play you can make a contest of it. If we turn up physically and mentally, we are a chance."
Sharpe is looking to rookies such as backrower Ben McCalman to make the most of their opportunities. "What is exciting is that guys will get an opportunity in Super 14 rugby," Sharp said.
"You'll see guys come through. Ben McCalman will be great for us. Sam Wykes and Dane Haylett-Petty will step up. They will all get better with experience."
While disappointed with the result against the Brumbies, the Force had threatened to cause an upset with 10 minutes to go.
"Last week against the Brumbies we were disorganised," Sharpe said. "We didn't play a great deal of footy because we were disjointed. This week we have prepared better. Even though Ryan Cross is out, Mitch Inman is well versed in that position.
"We'll have more combination and we have to stick to the game plan more.
"We didn't play well, but we put ourselves in a position to win. The Brumbies' three tries came from defensive errors by us rather than by fantastic play by them. It shows we are on the right track."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225832369528
Hill, Staniforth boost depleted Force
The Western Force have snared former All Blacks playmaker David Hill as a replacement for injured signing Andre Pretorius.
And they have re-signed 2006 player-of-the-year Scott Staniforth on a short-term contract to help ease the injury crisis.
The Force have been in delicate negotiations with Hill and his Japanese club Toshiba for the past week since the Australian Rugby Union gave them dispensation to recruit another overseas player.
They have been desperate to fill the fly-half role after Pretorius was ruled out for the season and back-up Mark Bartholomeusz injured his back.
Stand-in pivot Sam Harris has been far from successful at No. 10 and Hill will ease the burden on teenager James O'Connor, who was used in a dual role as full-back in defence and playmaker on attack in the 47-22 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Hill will return to Japan at the end of the season and Staniforth has signed initially for four games while players such as Cameron Shepherd recover from injury.
Speaking from Japan last night, Hill said the past two weeks had been "pretty crazy" since receiving a phone call from Force head coach John Mitchell.
"It's been an interesting couple of weeks," Hill said. "Pretty crazy.
"It's a unique situation for me and a real challenge but I'm looking forward to it.
"I'm hoping to get to Perth by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest, as soon as I can arrange my flights."
Hill, 31, last year's Japanese player of the year, is already well known to Mitchell, who coached him with the All Blacks and at Waikato, where he played until 2006.
He could make his Force debut against the Chiefs at ME Bank Stadium on Saturday.
Hill played his early rugby at full-back for Marlborough and Southland and joined Waikato in 2001. He made the All Blacks on that year's tour of Ireland, Scotland and Argentina.
He played the midweek games against Ireland A and Scotland A, and made a surprise return to the NZ squad in 2006, coming on as a substitute against Ireland. He also played in the Junior All Blacks and NZ Maori.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...epleted-force/
