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Highlanders v Western Force
At Queenstown Events Centre
Kick-off: 2.30pm (local, 12.30pm, AEST)
Referee: Marius Jonker
Will it be a case of third time lucky for the Highlanders?
Saturday represents the Otago-based franchise’s third ‘home’ match in the lower South Island resort town, and they are currently none from two, after losing 34-38 to the Chiefs in 2007, and 28-36 to this weekend’s visitors, the Western Force, a year later.
Such has been the turnover in playing staff since that match two years ago; both teams have just eight players from that game left each; with the Highlanders’ number of ‘survivors’ being reduced by one after All Black prop Jamie Mackintosh was sidelined by a foot injury. He is the second international to have been lost to Glenn Moore’s squad, after second row Tom Donnelly, who is also out injured.
While gallant in defeat last weekend at Mt Maunganui; the 21-27 loss to the Chiefs means the Highlanders have just the Cheetahs, Force and Lions below them on the table, and they are fast running out of matches if they are to improve on the 11th-placed finishes achieved in each of Moore’s first two seasons at the helm.
One plus against the Chiefs was the performance of the sometimes erratic winger Fetu Vainikolo, who picked up his second try of the season and was dangerous every time he saw the ball. Vainikolo scored a try when the Force was last in Queenstown and he will need to be closely watched again. So too will All Black winger Ben Smith, who scored two tries against the Force last year in Perth, and Highlanders skipper Jimmy Cowan, who was also a try-scorer during the corresponding game last year.
The Force’s eight-point win at the Queenstown Event’s Centre two years ago was just their second success on New Zealand soil; following on seven-days after their breakthrough win over the Blues at North Harbour Stadium. The margin was also the biggest that has been established between these two sides from their four meetings to date.
The Highlanders over-turned an 8-15 halftime deficit to beat the Force 25-22 during their inaugural meeting at Carisbrook in 2006. They then won 8-7 in Perth a year later, before falling at Queenstown, and then by two points at Subiaco in the most recent game between the two sides last year.
Qantas Wallabies centre Ryan Cross, who has just one try to his name this term, has scored in each of the Force’s last two wins over the Highlanders. He was joined on the score sheet by Richard Brown and lock Tom Hockings among the Force try-scorers two years ago, and by Scott Staniforth and Haig Sare last year.
The game 12 months ago was supposed to be Staniforth’s farewell performance, but this year’s injury crisis saw the veteran lured back, and he has now extended his initially short-term contract through until the end of the season. His retention took on added importance after last year’s Qantas Wallabies Spring Tour Training Squad member Nick Cummins was rubbed out by a two-week suspension, which will only see him available for the team’s second match across the Tasman.
The Force head to New Zealand lifted by their breakthrough 16-15 win over the Stormers last Friday, which has raised them above the still winless Lions on the championship table. The successful returns from injury of Qantas Wallabies loose forwards David Pocock and Brown, and prop Matt Dunning, has provided further encouragement as the Force set their sights on a strong finish to the campaign. Halfback Brett Sheehan and lock Sam Wykes could further reinforce the side by returning from injury this weekend.
The Western Australians have not won in New Zealand since their success in Queenstown two years ago, having lost to the Chiefs and drawn with the Crusaders on their Kiwi adventure last year. The Force has two wins and a draw to show from 11 matches in New Zealand through their history, which includes a loss to the Hurricanes at the Cake Tin earlier this year.
Queenstown is the third ‘home’ venue away from Dunedin that the Highlanders have utilized to ‘entertain’ visitors. The Southerners have also hosted teams in Invercargill on a regular basis, and last year took the Bulls to Palmerston North in the lower North Island, where they administered a 36-12 beating.
Overall, the Highlanders have played 15 ‘home’ matches at venues other than Dunedin, for seven wins, seven losses, and a draw.
Last Year – Western Force 33, Highlanders 31 at Perth
The Last Time – Despite leading at halftime, and then finishing strongly, the Highlanders hit a flat patch just after the break, and it proved ruinous as the Chiefs stole the winning advantage in a 27-21 win. The Force might have missed a few goal chances, but imported flyhalf David Hill was on target with a dropped kick when it mattered, as Western Australia celebrated a ‘Good’ Friday, with the season’s first win, 16-15 over the previously second-placed Stormers.
The Away Game
Such is the congestion on the point’s table, every log point is vital, which will place additional pressure on the three sides (these being the Western Force, Crusaders and Blues) who are still to embark on their overseas tours, as well as the Bulls and Stormers, who are currently touring.
Those sides can, however, take encouragement from the results in the tournament during the last two years, which have evened out to such an extent that home advantage no longer seems to be quite the dominant factor it was as recently as three years ago.
In the 2007 Investec Super 14, the five New Zealand sides managed just one win between them from 14 matches in South Africa.
This year, from the 36 matches between teams representing different countries, the away side has won 11 of them. While down slightly on this point last year – where the away teams had won 13 from 35 - the ‘bias’ in results against visiting teams is still nowhere near as pronounced as it once was.
The improved showing by away teams is even more marked when all of the matches between teams from the same country are factored in. Of the 51 matches played so far in the tournament, the home side has prevailed on 30 occasions, the visiting team 20 times, with one draw. Wins by away teams overall are up on the same stage of the 2009 Investec Bank Super 14 where, from 51 games, visiting teams had prevailed 18 times.
http://www.rugby.com.au/matches/tour...ce,135229.html
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