GUTTED!
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GUTTED!
Just watched the replay, that last 10 minutes and the penalties against us just broke our backs
The boys played well for 50 mins or so. I'm not sure how we fix turning possession into points. The loss of Ebersohn hurt us. We lost all continuity in the backs. We really need a fullback who can read the play and inject themselves at the right time. This is costing us big time.
I thought we lost a lot of thrust when Alcock went off. He is a point of difference for us. He makes meters, tackles like a demon and can pass. Great player. Maafu had a great game, maybe his best in a Force jersey. He's getting around the park really well now he has lost some kilo's.
So, we need a fullback and an outside centre. Stanley is awesome in defence. Just doesn't provide the breaks in attack.
Once again it shows the Force lack quality players with a Rugby brain. That game was there for the winning last night, however this team doesn't know how to win consistently. The comment that Maafu had one of his best games to me was rubbish, He is not quality, unfit and cost the Force 6 points with 2 penalties against him, for being too slow around the paddock. Foley needs to look at this aimless kicking, the chip kicks were pathetic, the up and unders worse. Why the hell Alcock was subbed I don't know, consistently the best foward in a losing side. Vast improvements need to be made or we'll finish bottom of the overall ladder, in a year when Russell Perry tells us that we have changed personnel and we're on our way to success, on that performance hardly likely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Players are only playing what coaches tell them. So as per the coaches records over the past 12/18 months they are losers on performances hence the chain reaction to the players.
Mitchell has proven he was a fraud, Graham is worse as per last week v force and Coopers kicking performance. Foley has only won one game in past season, who actually doesn't want to coach hence the dir of coaching role, Meehan hasn't won anything and by players who have played under him cannot be trusted, Fowler is our kicking/ strategy coach well ask yourself and Stiles is from an era of the reds when they were really poor performers and cannot now rely on Sharpe.
That game last nioght showed a lack of vision from the coaches a lack of knowledge from the coaches and a total lack of an understanding of selections and player abilities.
No coach in their right mind would have set up a kicking game like the one I saw in the last 15 minutes.
I've liked the gameplan when I've seen it. Last night they panicked. It appears that causes them to revert to the bad old days.
Ebersohn is essential to this team, his tactical kicking kept us in it, when he decided to go for yardage we got yardage, when hi kicked to a contest there was always a contest, we didn't always win the contest, but the kick was good.
I think the loss of Ebersohn was a turning point, they seemed to lose a bit of control after he went off. Hopefully Cummins coming back, and with Mafi on the other wing will give us a bit more direct running and stop some of these silly chip kicks. Agree with the comments about fullback, we need someone who can give us that extra dimension in attack.
Has anyone seen any news regarding the injuries to Cheese and Sias last night? Sias injury looked like a hamstring twinge while for Cheese it looked like a medial knee ligament.
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Sias went off with a lower back strain according to fox sports news last night
Agree with the comments about 65mins good football followed by 15mins of panic that cost us the game. No way do I blame the ref - I reckon Pat Dellit's stupid centre field bomb (that went nowhere) 10-15 mins from the siren completely turned momentum to them at a critical time - it was akin to simply handing the ball to the opposition with good field position. I am amazed Dellit and Stanley continued to put shit balls into the air instead of keeping the ball in hand (when will they stop that crap!).
High points for me were. Intensity at the ruck was excellent for 65mins and gave us breakdown dominance. Scrum performed very well. Alfi ran the ball well. Godwin looked great when he ran it (not often enough perhaps). Sias tactical kicking was mostly very good (pity about the goal kicking though). Also liked our defence in our 22. New stand is v good (although the climb was very tough for some older people)
Yep he kicked when there was space, BUT there was also space to keep ball and run. The vision of two and sometimes three cheetahs outside defenders defending hoone as all force attack was inside them was schoolboy stuff. This scenario is a classic example of coaches and players mindset.
Also when you kick you have to apply pressure frpm the ensuing tackle contest or next setpiece, too easily the cheetahs cruised out of there danger zone. So if the force do not have the ability to apply pressure then why not keep the ball - but there again you need skill and an attacking mindset to be capable. The coaches lack this abilty to create,they have come from northen hemisphere - well the supposed attack coach has so does not have it and is found out in this comp. Foley is only a tech coach (even he agrees to this) the reason Sharpie was behind his appointment, Sharpie loves technique which he is good at, but lacked game plan knowledge, the poor results of the force give account to this, he obviously had to much say.
Recruitments are second tier players - apart from Mathewson, so obvious that he has taken the bull by the horns to try and build and crreate something, Ebersohn was released by the cheetahs because he is a kicking 10. They didn't even have Goosen playing plus they were on a four game road trip - why would the force kick to them , why not play a quick, paced game.
Brainless coaching and also dumb by the players to buy into it - but they want to play next week don't they, so better to not rock the boat!
What about this great fitness coach who talks himself up! An earlier and previous posts have questioned the players fitness. Well the struggled last night and they were home, the cheetahs were spent and had one foot on the plane.
I doubt Foley instructed them to kick away possession and hope for the best.
We lost Sias (tactical kicker and a key ball distributer). Godwin is awesome at centre, but I almost choked when he decided to attempt that drop goal and also when made that awesome break, but instead of retaining the ball or passing it, he attempted to chip kick and was charged down by the Cheetah's.
Second half seemed to lack direction. The ball was like a hot potato and hardly anyone wanted to really hold onto it, except Mafi.
All in all, It's not a hard thing to fix. They resorted to tactics of yesteryear during part of that second half.
I think we will see a more composed game from them next week in Sydney.
I had a weak moment after last nights game and was pretty disappointed with the games outcome.
Apologies for that. Haven't lost faith!
GO FORCE!
I saw many positives. The new attacking style of rugby should have had the force up comfortably at half time, just let down by kicking and to the Cheetahs credit when they had the opportunity with penalties (and there were plenty) they capitalised. The guys looked tired with ten to go, which i think led to much of the kicking out of defence as there was no support getting back. Good luck next week lads, the tahs are there for the taking. Great stadium....but where's the members bar ?? Didnt know it had opened.
This cheese guy is overrated big time, he does not go to the hard places often enough. Another latte drinker!