Happy 50th Cam give us a win
Shepherd wants to finish season well
29/04/2008 8:41:32 PM
Chris Pike
Sportal
Western Force fullback Cameron Shepherd will play his 50th Super rugby match against the Chiefs this Saturday night at Subiaco Oval and is desperate to see the Force finish off the season in the form they started it with.
The Force have slipped out of the top-four race with losses to the Reds, Waratahs and Stormers, but Shepherd is confident the bye last week has freshened the team up and they hope to finish off strongly.
He is under no illusion that the Chiefs are in ominous form and will be tough to conquer, though. The Force also have some injury concerns to add to the loss of Haig Sare after the loss to the Reds with Scott Staniforth sitting out training with a knee complaint and AJ Whalley and Chris O'Young training away from the main group.
"We will be trying to get back to the way we were playing at the start of the season. Attacking football is the way we want to play and we want to pull width and use the ball, so hopefully that's the way it turns out on Saturday night," Shepherd said.
"They've got an awesome backline which will make it hard for us with the quality players they have there, so we are going to have our work cut out for us but we look forward to the challenge."
No matter how unlikely make the finals is, Shepherd and the rest of the team want to keep whatever faint glimmer there is alive, while making sure they end the season in good form individually.
"Even though we could still miss out on the semi-finals if we win these last three games, it's a chance to save a lot of pride and make it a decent year for us. We started off so strong, have had only a reasonable middle section but if we finish off strong the season doesn't look too bad for us and you'd say we have definitely moved forward," he said.
"Personal pride is what's going to drive us the next few weeks and if we win all three games, we give ourselves a chance of making it. Playing for finals isn't what we are doing at the moment, we are playing for ourselves."
Shepherd is proud to reach the 50 cap milestone at home and is feeling a little fresher after the bye, but will need to play at his very best to impress his brother who is flying to Perth for the clash.
"The biggest boost for me is that my is coming over for the game and he's a harder marker than John Mitchell, so I will have to really be on my game to impress him. It is pretty special for me, though, and I'm really looking forward to it," he said.
"I am feeling good, am looking forward to these last three games and feel as though I'm coming into better form. It will be nice to get back out there on Saturday and hopefully continue that."
With the potential of a fifth Australian team and a 26-week season coming in by 2010, Shepherd is unsure if either is a good idea and sees the positives and negatives in both proposals.
"It's going to be tough for Australia to support five teams, there's no doubting that, but if Australian rugby wants to move forward you have to look past 2010, 11 and 12 and down the track five or 10 years. There's a lot of things to take into account and I'm a bit half and half on it at the moment," he said.
"Combined with the international season that would make for a long year, but you would look at the younger guys getting more time to play and you could develop better depth that way. If it happens it happens and we'll cross that bridge when we have to."
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
Wooh good luck Cam with the 50! bring us home a win
Originally Posted by Jehna
why's that????
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
Maybe they did a Digby?
my golly i hope not!!
sheps was just on the news, said about 2 sentences, 3 seconds of the boys training and onto harbajan and his slapping. gosh
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
did harbajan slap his monkey?
He slapped his Indian team mate but who is on a different IPL team.
he looses his IPL match payments.
thats hillarious.
he misses out on the biggest money hes ever likley to make in cricket!
sounded funny in my head, harbajan slapping, andrew symonds monkey taunts etc etc ... oh well
Congrats to shep on his 50th cap. The boys will be primed for a big one after a week off. A bit of pride to salvage..... should be massive.
cool thread laura by the way
Congrats too Shep. Lets have a party, your 50th my 19th!!
PARTY!!!
a sure fire hangover cure is to keep drinking when you wake up .....
then next month we can celebrate the strong finish and my 18th!
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