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Thread: Super Rugby preview: Western Force must improve attack to climb up the ladder

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    Super Rugby preview: Western Force must improve attack to climb up the ladder

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    Western Force finished bottom of the Australian conference in 2013 — and 13th overall — so the only way is up, right?

    Coach Michael Foley will certainly hope so as he embarks upon his second season at the helm of the Perth-based club.

    Foley has overhauled the Force playing list, including signing a stack of South African talent to give his squad some much-needed depth.

    Will it be enough to see them move up the ladder? We analyse their chances.

    COMINGS AND GOINGS

    IN: Chris Heiberg (Stormers), Wilhelm Steenkamp (Bulls), Brynard Stander (Natal Sharks), Ian Prior (Brumbies), Zack Holmes (Brumbies), Marcel Brache (Western Province), Dane Haylett-Petty (Biarritz), Luke Morahan (Reds), Chris Heiberg (Western Province), Dillyn Leyds (Western Province), Dylan Sage (Western Province).

    OUT: Salesi Ma’afu (Northampton), James Hilterbrand (to Scotland Edinburgh), Ben Whittaker (to France Biarritz), Toby Lynn (released), Rory Walton (to extended playing squad), Richard Brown (Honda Heat), Lachlan McCaffrey (Brumbies), Chris Eaton (released), Brett Sheehan (released), Michael Snowden (released), Sam Christie (released), Ben Jacobs (London Wasps), Winston Stanley (Highlanders), Will Tupou (released), Alfie Mafi (Brive), Sam Norton-Knight (Kubota Spears).



    THE X-FACTOR: KYLE GODWIN

    The shining light in another tough season for the Force, Godwin stamped himself as one to watch — and a Wallaby in waiting — with a superb 2013 campaign.

    Any hopes of bolting into the Test set-up for The Rugby Championship or Spring Tour were dashed by a shoulder injury that required a reconstruction, but the 21-year-old inside back is raring to go after shaking off the cobwebs with a run in the Force’s trial win over Samoa A. Last year Godwin tallied two tries, 43 tackle busts and six linebreaks and he’ll again be the go-to man for the Force in attack in 2014.

    THE ROOKIE: BRYNARD STANDER

    The eighth South African signed by coach Michael Foley, the 190cm and 90kg Stander should add some significant grunt to the Force pack. A loose forward at home at No. 8 or on the side of the scrum, Stander will bring plenty of physicality to the Force back-row when he gets his chance. The 23-year-old was named forward of the year in the Sharks’ Vodacom Cup squad and was also a member of the Sharks outfit that won the Currie Cup.

    THE COACH: MICHAEL FOLEY


    Michael Foley is in his second season in charge of the Force. An interesting appointment following his failed tenure at the Waratahs, Foley managed four wins and a draw from his first season at the Force.

    A hooker in his playing days, Foley had the Force’s pack working well in 2013 despite the loss of David Pocock. But the backs were a different story, with Kyle Godwin their only major attacking threat.

    Foley has recruited shrewdly to fix that very problem with Luke Morahan and Zack Holmes set to give the side greater variety and in the case of the Queenslander, loads of speed.

    But Foley will still need them to gel and while backs coach Kevin Foote should shoulder much of that responsibility, Foley could well be the one to pay the price if the Force can’t find the stripe.

    THE CHALLENGE

    Twenty-six tries from sixteen games — it’s simply not good enough for Super Rugby. The Force have long been a capable defensive outfit, but if they’re to make any major movement up the ladder in 2014 they must create more try-scoring opportunities.

    Last year the Force controlled the ball and built phases as well as any team in the competition yet their inability to break down defences saw them average just 16.7 points per game.

    n Kyle Godwin, Nick Cummins and Luke Morahan the Force have the talent to rectify their attacking woes. But it’s going to take a change in game plan and a shift in mindset for them to climb the ladder — the Force must take the attack to opposition sides. No longer can they rely on teams to make mistakes and hope defence will see them home.

    BEST XV

    Luke Morahan, Nick Cummins, Marcel Brache, Kyle Godwin, Jayden Hayward, Zack Holmes, Alby Mathewson; Ben McCalman, Chris Alcock, Matt Hodgson, Hugh McMeniman, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Kieran Longbottom, Heath Tessman, Pek Cowan.

    STATS SAY

    The Force had another disappointing year winning just four matches; the most frustrating thing for Force fans was that three of these wins were against teams that made the finals.

    The Force’s attack again let them down averaging just 16.7 points and 1.6 tries per game (the least in the tournament for both stats) and they were the only side in the competition to not register a four-try bonus point.

    The Force were always competitive with five of their losses by seven points or less but need to learn to close out games winning just four of the nine games they led at half-time.

    KAFE’S CALL

    Fox Sports Rugby expert Rod Kafer says: I think the Force can be the big improvers. They’ve always had the ability to upset the big teams and with the recruitment that they’ve done, the players that they’ve targeted, they’ll get some really good reward. They’ve picked up hard-working, hard-nosed players who get on with things and they can develop a bit of a culture. Last year they lost so many games by less than seven points which is a real pointer to the future. With a little bit more quality in their team they might win more of those games that they narrowly lost and you might find them becoming the giant-killers of the competition.

    http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/su...-1226824473625

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    (a.k.a. Mr Pinkbits) Stone Cold's Avatar
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    "Super Rugby preview: Western Force must improve attack to climb up the ladder"

    If we score more points than the opposition we have a pretty good chance of winning.

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    coz Stone Cold says so

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    it was actually a fairly balanced report. honest and with what i agree with as a 1st XV.

    I'm not sure what they are doing in the backs though, they seem to have the back three fine, but not so sure about the centre pairing...

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    Champion SinBin's Avatar
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    Yeah, I thought Kafe was on the money, but we've been talking about finishing off the close ones for years. We already are "giant killers" we just struggle against the mediocre.

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    Tessman over Charles, Palitu? Will be an interesting selection dilemma for Foles for sure!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    Tessman over Charles, Palitu? Will be an interesting selection dilemma for Foles for sure!
    ahh! but i have taken love out of the equation

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    (Previously WFDS) WFDom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    Tessman over Charles, Palitu? Will be an interesting selection dilemma for Foles for sure!
    Cheese tinted glasses Alison?????

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    Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!

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    Veteran Sheikh's Avatar
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    Godwin wasn't the only attacking threat - IIRC Mafi was in the top three try scorers when he was let go.

    Lacking a kicker was a big issue - losing games by less than 7 wasn't just about a lack of tries, there were a number of games we lost through missed kicks regardless of the number of tries scored. This points me towards Holmes over Ebsesohn at 10, with Jayden as a back-up kicker.

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    Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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    Veteran Contributor hertryk's Avatar
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    I absolutely whole heartedly agree with Sheikh... we really really really need a reliable kicker.. which would have helped us unreservedly last season..

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WFDS View Post
    Cheese tinted glasses Alison?????
    Always and forever! ;-D

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    “Everyone knows whether it’s rugby, politics or whatever, front-rowers should rule the world, so to have a hooker at the helm makes sense,” Nathan Charles Western Force & Wallabies Hooker.

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