26 Man Force Squad For Cheetahs Match

26-MAN WESTERN FORCE SQUAD DEPART FOR SOUTH AFRICA

By Fraser Smith on Mon 27th June 16


Interim Head Coach Dave Wessels has named a 26-man squad that departed last night for the team’s Round 15 clash with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 2 July.

In a huge boost for the side Jono Lance has been named to tour after a 14-week stint on the sidelines after tearing his pectoral back in Round Three against the Brumbies. Lance was in spectacular form to begin the season and after putting in some serious work on the training track will be keen to get back on the park this week.

Dane Haylett-Petty, Adam Coleman and Luke Morahan all return to the group having completed their Wallabies duties with Haylett-Petty named vice captain.

A new face in the squad that leaves for South Africa is Sydney University second-rower Matt Philips who has been training with the team for the past three weeks.

The Force will name their final 23 on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s meeting with the Cheetahs at 9:00PM AWST.

Western Force Touring Squad
Ainsley
Alcock
Brache
Coleman
Cottrell
Cowan (c)
D Haylett-Petty (vc)
Faulkner
Godwin
Grant
Hardwick
Lance
Louwrens
Masirewa
Millar
Morahan
Phillips
Prior
R Haylett-Petty
Rangi
Rasolea
Scoble
Stander
Tapuai
Van Wyk
Walton

https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...t-south-africa

Is Hodgo injured

Yes, out for season, had shoulder surgery a few weeks ago.

Hopefully Hardwick gets the start ahead of Alcock now he's Brumbies bound. Still not sure why Brad Lacey doesn't get a gig. Former Australia U/20s winger who scored at will in Mauritius 10s and has performed well when given higher honours. Truly baffling. Still 8 guys in the squad with links back to WA club rugby. Good to have our 3 Wallabies back to inject some standards into the playing group now Hodgson isn't there to lead this. Great to have Jono Lance back to lead some running rugby.
Interesting game for Wessels after being deeply entrenched in Foleys plans the last couple of years. What will he be able to actually change? We have seen our players have had their rugby instincts almost totally coached out of them, i doubt 3 weeks is long enough to get them back.

#whereisLacey?

The West mentioned today Hardwick is a likely starter so good to see.

With Dane as VC appears he may be groomed to take over from Hodgo one day.

I too would like to have seen Brad get a run but look who is in front of him, hard to give him one of their spots.

Disappointing to not see Koteka there. I would've thought he would be straight in with Hodgo being injured as he's more of a 7 and Hardwick more of a 6/8?? We've got Alcock there, but if he gets injured, have we got another decent 7 option?

Looking at positions

Ainsley Prop
Cowan (c) Prop
Van Wyk Prop
Faulkner Prop
Millar Prop

Millar should miss out/be injury cover for the leadup. Ainsley will bench, I'd start Pek & Test, but the Cheetahs might offer us the opportunity to mix things up

Rangi Hooker
Scoble Hooker

Scoble to start - Rangi too green

Coleman Lock
Phillips Lock?
R Haylett-Petty Lock
Walton Lock

No real questions here apart from whether they will name a lock on the bench, Walton is workmanlike, but not really good enough, Phillips.....I don't know anything about him, surely if he was better than Walton he'd already be here right?
maybe not!

Alcock Flanker
Cottrell Flanker
Hardwick Flanker
Stander Flanker

I assume Alcock is down to play 80 minutes. Even if Hardwick starts, there isn't any real changes going on here.

Louwrens Scrumhalf
Prior Scrumhalf

I assume they'll start with Prior and finish with Louwrens, will either of them play the way they should?

Grant Flyhalf
Lance Flyhalf

Everybody knows what's going to happen here right? Grant for splinters unless Jono's hurt.

Godwin Inside Back
Brache Outside Back
D Haylett-Petty (vc) Outside Back
Masirewa Outside back/penaly magnet
Morahan Outside Back
Rasolea Slow outside back/speed hump
Tapuai Outside Back

The only one in this list who is even CLOSE to a 12 is Godwin, interesting that they have no backup for him on tour. I suspect he'll be partnered by Taps, but stranger things have happened. Let's all hope that the idea to put Rasolea in 12 didn't come from Wessels, because it was an all-around disaster.

For me, out of that list, I would consider
11 Morahan
12 Godwin
13 Brache
14 Masirewa
15 DHP

Which should give us more speed, but at the expense of size.

Unfortunately that leaves us with Masirewa starting and he's not proven himself to be a very clever little vegemite up to this point. If we see fit to bench the Fijian, we need to move Brache out to that wing and replace him with Taps or Rasolea (that's a no-brainer right there) Against the Cheetahs, I can't see this backline surviving for very long.....why would a coach who is working to impress the new bosses in the hope of gettign a promotion continue with more of the same?

Perhaps he's the motivator extraordinaire and he's been locked out by Foley.

Not much cover for the backs or back-row, although RHP can play 6 at a pinch.

Are Charles, Tessman, Mafi and Mathewson all injured? Or are they all leaving, so they don't get selected? Cos I thought Walton and Rasolea were leaving, too

I thought Mafi and Alby had already lef for Europe...released

slow day GIGS?
or is it school hols over there already?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jono

slow day GIGS?
or is it school hols over there already?

---

I had Year 12s,

They teach themselves these days!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GIGS20

I had Year 12s,

They teach themselves these days!

---

they're just ignoring you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jono

they're just ignoring you.

---

So nothing's changed then