Western Force aim to flex muscles in opening trial

Nick Taylor
Wednesday, January 25, 2017 8:37AM

Western Force will learn whether their pre-season training has been beneficial when they play their first trial match on Saturday.
And even though it will be teammate against teammate, captain Ben McCalman said there would be no holding back.
The Force squad will feature players from Perth Spirit’s NRC premiership side for the first “live” hit-out in Busselton, starting at 5.30pm.
The Force play a second trial game against Melbourne Rebels at Bond University on the Gold Coast on February 6.
“The boys will be ripping into each other,” McCalman said.
“You’ve got to go in with intensity to see if our pre-season has paid off. We’ll see if the plays, if the defence, are up to scratch.
“Anything that has got to be worked on has to be found out now so we can go into the first game humming.”
McCalman entered the pre-season after an enforced break, having twice broken a shoulder while playing for the Wallabies.
He broke a scapula in the 23-7 second-Test loss to England in June last year and re-injured it two months later in the 42-8 caning by New Zealand.
“It’s been a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to have a break and an actual pre-season which I haven’t had for a long time,” McCalman said.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...-ng-b88365131z

Anyone know if the Busso game will be streamed?

Anyone heading down to Busso to watch the game?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JediKnight

Anyone heading down to Busso to watch the game?

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Yeah, at this stage. Will watch the 7s then stay for the Force.

I was thinking about heading down but the Big Bash final is on in Perth and will probably be far more entertaining than an intra-club match.

I'll probably be making the trek

Would have been good to head down and do the Busselton Sevens/trial double but I'll be at the cricket.

Western force team
1. Francois Van Wyk
2. Tatafu Polota Nau
3. Jermaine Ainsley
4. Matthew Philip
5. Isa Naisarani
6. Anaru Rangi (Due to player unavailibilty)
7. Matt Hodgson
8. Brynard Stander
9. Ryan Louwrens
10. Peter Grant
11. Semisi Masirewa
12. Bill Meakes
13. Curtis Rona
14. Chance Peni
15. James Verity-Amm

https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...on-trial-match
Spirit team


1 Mees Erasmus
2 Heath Tessmann
3 Shambeckler Vui
4 Onehunga Havili
5 Ross Haylett-Petty
6 Harry Scoble (Due to player unavailability)
7 Kane Koteka
8 Richard Hardwick
9 Michael Ruru
10 Ian Prior
11 Brendan Owen
12 Marcel Brache
13 Alex Newsome
14 Will Latu
15 Clay Uyen
https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...sselton-battle

Heath Tessmann will lead the Perth Spirit against the Western Force for tomorrow’s (Saturday, 28 January) pre-season trial at Barnard Park, Busselton.

The Spirit side is heavily dominated with Western Force players who will be looking to put their hands up for selection come Round One of Super Rugby.

Tessmann says the trial match will serve as a good challenge for the team to put what they have learnt in pre-season into practice.

“Obviously this is essentially an internal trial,” he said. “We are coming up against guys that know how we play and know our calls so I think it is going to be an excellent test for us to see if we can execute our game plan against a team that know what’s coming.”

“There are going to be players competing for spots and looking to impress so it is definitely going to be a hard fought game and it will be a really good hit out to help us prepare for Super Rugby.”

"Hopefully there is good crowd down to watch us. The South West Tour has been great and we've loved being able to get down here and engage with the rugby community so hopefully we can put on a show for them on Saturday."

Tessmann will be joined in the front row by young props Mees Erasmus and Shambeckler Vui who will pack down at loosehead and tighthead respectively.

Palmyra big man Onehunga Havili and 2016 Western Force Rookie of the year Ross Haylett-Petty make up the second row.

Due to player unavailability Harry Scoble will start at blindside flanker with fellow young guns Kane Koteka and Richard Hardwick completing the starting forward pack.

New signing Michael Ruru will start in the No.9 jersey and look to provide quality ball to Ian Prior at flyhalf.

Marcel Brache will aim to take on the Force defence when he links up with new signing Alex Newsome in the centres.

The back three is made up of entirely Future Force Foundation talent with Will Latu and Brendan Owen to fill the wings while UWA product Clay Uyen will control the back in the No.15 jersey.

The Spirit will take on the Western Force at 5:30pm tomorrow (Saturday, 28 January) at Barnard Park, Busselton following the conclusion of the Jetty 7s.

https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...sselton-battle

A host of new recruits will make their first appearances in the Western Force jersey in tomorrow’s pre-season trial match against the Perth Spirit at Barnard Park in Busselton.

68-time capped Wallaby Tatafu Polota-Nau has been named to start at hooker in what will be his first outing for the club while the talented backline trio of Bill Meakes, Curtis Rona and Chance Peni will also pull on the jersey for the first time.

Western Force Head Coach Dave ‘Blood’ Wessels says the trial match is an important step in the squad’s preparation for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

“What we really want to see is just some of the work we’ve done over the last couple of weeks come together in a game like situation,” he said.

“The South West Tour has been fantastic so far, just to see the community rally behind us and take an interest in what we are doing. It’s nice for the players to engage with the fans down here, hopefully the community have enjoyed it and come down to watch tomorrow.”

In the front row, Francois Van Wyk and Jermaine Ainsley will link up with Polota-Nau starting at loosehead and tighthead respectively.

2016 debutant Matt Philip will partner with dynamic Fijian young gun Isireli Naisarani in the second row.

In the back row, player unavailability will see Anaru Rangi start at blindside flanker with Matt Hodgson and Brynard Stander rounding out the starting pack.

Ryan Louwrens and Peter Grant will look to spark the attack when they link up in the halves.

Bill Meakes and Curtis Rona will look to continue to develop the chemistry they have built this pre-season when they combine in the centres.

In the back three, Semisi Masirewa and Chance Peni will man the wings with Future Force Foundation outside back James Verity-Amm named at fullback.

The Force will kick-off against the Spirit at 5:30pm at Barnard Park, Busselton, following the conclusion of Western Australia’s premier sevens event, Jetty 7s.
https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...on-trial-match

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Originally Posted by beige

Would have been good to head down and do the Busselton Sevens/trial double but I'll be at the cricket.

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Same!

4 hookers starting. Wessels is obviously looking to have a mobile front row. Lots of flankers playing lock, but with only Adam and dog having a wallaby break, are there injuries, or are we just shallow in the back 5?

Arnold is with the squad so he must have an injury (or illness).

Or be on the bench?

I wonder why they didn't name benches for both teams?