O'Connor hoping force is with Rebels

[KenyaQuin]

Melissa Woods, AAP March 21, 2012, 9:16 am

Melbourne Rebels star signing James O'Connor is champing at the bit to take on his former club the Western Force in their Super Rugby clash on Friday night.

Rebels coach Damien Hill says he's noticed some extra zip from his Wallaby as his team bids for their first win of the season.

"There's a bit of a bigger spring in his step," Hill said of O'Connor.

"But he's a competitive kid, it wouldn't matter who we were playing against he always gets himself up so hopefully he'll have a really good game."

Spending four years in Perth before moving to the Rebels, O'Connor said there was plenty of banter from his former teammates in the lead-up to the AAMI Park clash.

While Melbourne are winless from their three games, the Force pipped NSW by a point last round.

"I'm very excited, they've come off a good win against the Waratahs so they're playing some good rugby," O'Connor said.

"It's going to be a tough game; no doubt physicality is going to be right up there."

The 21-year-old said stopping the Force backrow and veteran lock Nathan Sharpe was a key to the match.

"You can't go past guys like David Pocock and Matt Hodgson, if you let them get into the game early they can really slow the contest there," O'Connor said.

"Also guys like Nathan Sharpe, you look at what he's done in the game, he's a prominent figure and he's going to give them go-forward so if we can shut him down pretty early it's going to be positive."

The Melbourne line-up will be named on Thursday and O'Connor is likely to shift back to inside centre to allow for the return of Danny Cipriani, who battled the flu last week.

Cipriani, who this week confirmed he would return to England and play with the Sale Sharks at the end of the Super season, trained at five-eighth on Wednesday.

Kurtley Beale (calf), Mitch Inman (hamstring) and Stirling Mortlock (calf) are still unavailable.

Last round the Rebels were beaten by the Cheetahs after the full-time siren and O'Connor felt a win was close.

"It's coming, it's just when it's going to come," O'Connor said.

"As you saw against the Reds and the Cheetahs, there wasn't much in those games.

"Hopefully this is going to be our first win of the season."


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[hertryk]

Hmmm! I look forward to them "shutting Sharpe down".......who does the 'kid' think he is? Much better men than he have tried in the past and have failed? There is NOTHING that can compete with experience, and knowing all the tricks! Bring it on! Wish I could be there!

[robyn <3]

Win or lose, as long as the 'hit of the week' is on James O'Connor, I'll be a happy camper.

I also think there should be a lineout call or a set play in the backs called 'BRAND'

Smash the little biatch.

[Happy]

Rebels coach Damien Hill says he's noticed some extra zip

aka .. he's on the juice

[beige]

I also think there should be a lineout call or a set play in the backs called 'BRAND'

"Tired? Stressed? You will be."

And what do you mean "win or lose"?

[GIGS20]

Hmmm! I look forward to them "shutting Sharpe down".......who does the 'kid' think he is? Much better men than he have tried in the past and have failed? There is NOTHING that can compete with experience, and knowing all the tricks! Bring it on! Wish I could be there!

Yeah, I thought that was pretty arrogant considering Adam Byrnes is out for the match, I would have expected somebody who isn't completely up himself to say "you can't shut a guy like Sharpie out of the match, what we want to do is limit his impact".

I really want to watch our entire pack DESTROY the rebels at the set-piece, we held up well against the finest set-piece outfit in Australia last week and there is a long way back before we get to a weakened Rebels pack. as for the breakdown.....no contest, Even Jarrod Saffy (is he playing again) isn't a match for our dynamism and power there. I think we are several light years better than them in the small numbers and pretty close in the backs as well. Take out Stirlo and Kurtley and they've lost a lot of their danger....add to that the fact that everybody in the force knows Judas is allergic to passing the ball and he'll be in for a tough evening.

Force by 21.

[hertryk]

aka .. he's on the juice

Yep Krill oil !

[hertryk]

Yeah, I thought that was pretty arrogant considering Adam Byrnes is out for the match, I would have expected somebody who isn't completely up himself to say "you can't shut a guy like Sharpie out of the match, what we want to do is limit his impact".


Force by 21.

He is not intelligent enough to put such a well scrutured sentence together ! He's a "KID"....one sylabal at a tme....

[KenyaQuin]

Been awhile since I saw us thrashing anyone score-wise so I'd be looking for a 6-ish point margin.

Despite our opinions of JO'C, must admit he is a bit of a freakshow on the field and one or two lapses (ala Brumbies, Reds) could give us plenty of grief. Also must accept that while they have their more potent players out of the lineup, the unknowns are probably just as capable (ala Harvey).

Confident but weary...that's me.

[Burgs]

Force by 15.

[jono]

Been awhile since I saw us thrashing anyone score-wise so I'd be looking for a 6-ish point margin.

Despite our opinions of JO'C, must admit he is a bit of a freakshow on the field and one or two lapses (ala Brumbies, Reds) could give us plenty of grief. Also must accept that while they have their more potent players out of the lineup, the unknowns are probably just as capable (ala Harvey).

Confident but weary...that's me.

6 is reasonable. i'm hoping it will be just outside the bonus point area. the victards deserve nothing!!

also i'm not getting the massive hate towards JO'C, we fired him.but it is still a genius on the game. he looks so dangerous whenever he comes into the phase

[Burgs]

I think it is probably two fold Jono, firstly the way he behaved during negotiations and his over the top demands, then secondly his arrogance generally and specifically to the Force since moving to Melbourne. I distinctly recall posting one such incident where he was pretty derogatory towards the Force and their/our role in his development. Then there is also the Swisse ads...

[GIGS20]

I think it is probably two fold Jono, firstly the way he behaved during negotiations and his over the top demands, then secondly his arrogance generally and specifically to the Force since moving to Melbourne. I distinctly recall posting one such incident where he was pretty derogatory towards the Force and their/our role in his development. Then there is also the Swisse ads...

For me it's that, amplified by the increasing similarity between his game and Giteau's they both look as if they're God's gift. I absolutely HATE that in team sports.

[Nipper]

I really want to watch our entire pack DESTROY the rebels at the set-piece, we held up well against the finest set-piece outfit in Australia last week and there is a long way back before we get to a weakened Rebels pack. as for the breakdown.....no contest, Even Jarrod Saffy (is he playing again) isn't a match for our dynamism and power there. I think we are several light years better than them in the small numbers and pretty close in the backs as well. Take out Stirlo and Kurtley and they've lost a lot of their danger....add to that the fact that everybody in the force knows Judas is allergic to passing the ball and he'll be in for a tough evening.

Even with Saffy, the force pack should get over them. The front row is performing pretty well, we've got Sharpie and they don't, and nothing more needs to be said about the back-row contest.

Without Beale, Stirlo and Inman, the backline isn't as much of a threat - obviously JOC and AAC, and I rate Mitchell. I wouldn't consider "Cippers" a threat, other than the fact that his presence allows JOC to move to 12 and be more of an attacking threat.

On paper, it's a lock! Let's hope they capture and carry the momentum from the Tahs game and parley it into a nice little 3-4 game run.

[jono]

I think it is probably two fold Jono, firstly the way he behaved during negotiations and his over the top demands, then secondly his arrogance generally and specifically to the Force since moving to Melbourne. I distinctly recall posting one such incident where he was pretty derogatory towards the Force and their/our role in his development. Then there is also the Swisse ads...

fair enough. i remember the article. and i was pissed off. but am over it now. he's not ruining our culture anymore, we're better off without him so...