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A visit to the Cheetahs provided the Western Force with an important piece of history during their maiden season in 2006.
Further significant achievement beckons as the class of ’10 touches down in Bloemfontein. Five years ago, the Force scored their maiden win, at the 13th attempt of their freshman season, with winger Scott Staniforth posting the try, while Cameron Shepherd kicked 11 points in a 16-14 victory over the Cheetahs at Kimberly.
On Saturday, Shepherd will again be on duty – after being a late withdrawal last week due to a minor quadriceps strain; as the Force bid to gain just the second batch of three consecutive wins in their history. The Western Australians clocked up three successive wins in 2007, accounting for the Hurricanes, Queensland Reds and Sharks, but these were all achieved in Perth.
The current outfit heads to the Free State on the back of wins over the Crusaders and Lions, and are shooting for the Force’s fifth consecutive win over the Cheetahs, dating back to the franchise’s foundation season. The Force has already had one opportunity this season to stack up three in a row, but muffed that chance when losing away to the Blues.
John Mitchell’s men will be confident of maintaining their winning sequence this time after turning in a professional performance last weekend at Coca-Cola Park, where they advanced from a 12-12 score-line just before halftime, to comfortably dispose of the Lions, 33-12.
Although the Force have won just two more than they’ve lost from all matches against South African teams, with 12 wins, 10 losses and a draw to date; their winning ratio is actually much better from games played on South African soil. Last weekend’s success was the Force’s sixth from 11 matches in the Republic, while also having drawn another.
The Force’s two wins over the Cheetahs away from home have both been close run things, with two points separating the sides in 2006, while there was just one-point between them on the Force’s most recent visit two years ago, with Matt Giteau scoring all of the visitor’s points in a 16-15 win.
While the Force did clean up the Cheetahs by 28 on their first visit to Perth in 2007, with Staniforth and Ryan Cross each claiming two tries in the then record 45-17 win; the issue was much closer in the corresponding game last year, with the Force taking it 16-10.
James O’Connor scored the Force’s only try of last year’s match, and the teenage international is expected to be available this weekend, after sitting out the last two weeks to rest a shoulder injury. O’Connor is 11 points away from raising 100 in a Super Rugby season for the first time.
Prop Tim Fairbrother could also return, after missing last week through injury. Last weekend’s thrilling four-point win over the Blues, which was the Cheetahs’ third victory of the campaign, means that last year’s wooden spooners have successfully handed that mantle on to their arch rivals, the Lions.
Juan Smith’s team are jostling with the Highlanders and Force, who are currently two competition points above the South Africans, for 11th position on the ladder. The outcome this weekend could go along way towards determining who wins that position, especially as the Cheetahs host the bottom-placed Lions in the final game of the tournament.
The win over the Blues was just the Cheetahs’ 15th from 63 Super Rugby matches; 11 of which have been achieved from 31 games at home. Their record against Australian teams is unimpressive, having lost all three previous games this year. The Cheetahs’ 10-31 loss to the visiting Queensland Reds in March was their fifth defeat from nine against visiting Australian teams.
They have previously beaten the Reds twice at home, and the Waratahs and Brumbies once each.
Last Year – Western Force 16, Cheetahs 10 at Perth
The Last Time – The Cheetahs have made a bit of a habit out of stinging visiting Kiwi sides at Bloemfontein, with the Blues the latest victim after an all-action 36-32 win. For the second week running, the Western Force totally dominated a second half, running away from the Lions to win 33-12.
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Originally Posted by GIGS20
