Force v Rebels - what better time to act?

[Leo86]

Im pushin a few lads to come along. Its kinda funny convincing them to come and then letting em know durin the game i will be in my member seat (with the usual suspects). But hey drinks pre-and-post and Rugby in the middle. Sounds like a good night

[Alison]

What better way to spend a Friday night I say!!

[The InnFORCEr]

Coleman To Lead Charge Against Rebels

By Fraser Smith on Wed 5th July 17


The Road Safety Western Force have announced their 23-man strong squad to take on the Melbourne Rebels at nib Stadium this Friday, 7 July.

Wallaby hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau returns from National duties and will have Pek Cowan and Jermaine Ainsley beside him in the front row.

Adam Coleman is set to start in the second row and will captain the side for the first time and become the 13th Road Safety Western Force captain.

Recent Wallaby debutant Richard Hardwick will start in the number seven jersey and link up with fellow local product Ross Haylett-Petty and Fijian excitement machine Isi Naisarani.

In the backline, speedster Chance Peni returns from a lengthy period on the sideline due to a groin injury and will be looking to pick up where he left off.

In the reserves, Brynard Stander comes into the side and will provide plenty of impact in the forward pack, while classy flyhalf Jono Lance is back after a broken hand and is set to play his 50th match of Super Rugby.

Road Safety Western Force Head Coach Dave Wessels says that his team are ready for a fired-up Rebels squad and looks forward to an exciting game of rugby.

“It’s been great to have a few weeks of dedicated training time to work on our game. We’ve worked hard on elements of our set piece and bringing more variation to our attack.

“It looks like the rain is going to hold off on Friday so we’re looking forward to an exciting game from both sides.”

Road Safety Western Force v Melbourne Rebels
1.Pek Cowan
2.Tatafu Polota-Nau
3.Jermaine Ainsley
4.Matt Philip
5.Adam Coleman (C)
6.Ross Haylett-Petty
7.Richard Hardwick
8.Isi Naisarani
9.Michael Ruru
10.Peter Grant
11.Alex Newsome
12.Bill Meakes
13.Curtis Rona
14.Chance Peni
15.Dane Haylett-Petty

Reserves
16.Heath Tessmann
17.Francois van Wyk
18.Tetera Faulkner
19.Lewis Carmichael
20.Brynard Stander
21.Ian Prior
22.Jono Lance
23.James Verity-Amm

Vodafone Super Rugby Round 16
Road Safety Western Force v Melbourne Rebels
Friday, 7 July. Kick off 5:45PM AWST
nib Stadium, Perth
LIVE on Fox Sports 501

https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti...against-rebels

[valzc]

Great looking team lineup, can't wait for that bonus point win!

[Sheikh]

I thought McCalman was coming back this week. Mind you, I can understand not rushing him back and letting him prepare properly for next season.

It does show our back-row stocks, as we've Cottrell, Hodgson and McCalman down with injury, and yet we still have the luxury of a player of Stander's capability on the bench!

[Scot]

Great line up can't wait to see some gusty action

[SinBin]

Bring it on. Give no quarter guys.

[travelling_gerry]

From Nick Taylor at the West

Mystery surrounds the future of Western Force skipper Ben McCalman after the star back-rower failed to recover in time for Friday night's Super Rugby clash with the Rebels in Perth.
McCalman has fractured his right shoulder at least three times in the past year but was hoping to make his return this week.
However, his name was a glaring omission when the Force announced their team on Wednesday, with whispers suggesting he may have suffered another setback.
Earlier this year, McCalman revealed even surgeons were mystified why his right scapula kept fracturing.
The Force will also be without veteran Matt Hodgson (calf) but winger Chance Peni (groin) is back in the starting side and flyhalf Jono Lance (broken hand) will make his return off the bench.
Wallabies lock Adam Coleman will captain the side for the first time.

[Alison]

Hate to say it but I wonder if that shoulder might be career-ending for Ben :-(( He has to think about his future, especially if he wants to go back to farming after rugby :-(((

[chiraag]

Vodafone Super Rugby Round 16
Road Safety Western Force v Melbourne Rebels
Friday, 7 July. Kick off 5:45PM AWST
nib Stadium, Perth
LIVE on Fox Sports 501

Surely it's not too much to ask to get the time of the game right on their media releases!

Great looking team though. Very disappointing for McCalman. Hopefully this extended time off gives his shoulder a long term fix.
Is Hodgo going to be OK for his farewell game?!

[volvo]

Surely it's not too much to ask to get the time of the game right on their media releases!

Great looking team though. Very disappointing for McCalman. Hopefully this extended time off gives his shoulder a long term fix.
Is Hodgo going to be OK for his farewell game?!

Remember quite distinctly that Hodgo said he would play with one bad leg if he had to . I dont think anything is stopping Hodgo from playing his last game next week.

[volvo]

Force Wallabies back in battle for survival
Nick Taylor
Thursday, 6 July 2017 8:22AM

Western Force coach Dave Wessels has recalled four players from injury and four of the club’s Wallabies return for tomorrow night’s Super Rugby fight for survival with Melbourne Rebels at nib Stadium.
Speedster Chance Peni will start for the first time in seven matches after recovering from a groin injury while fly-half Jono Lance (broken hand), bruising flanker Brynard Stander (neck) and scrum-half Ian Prior (arm) are among the reserves.
Returning from international duty are full-back Dane Haylett-Petty, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, flanker Richard Hardwick and second-rower Adam Coleman.
Coleman becomes the club’s 13th captain in the absence of Ben McCalman, who has had shoulder and thumb problems and has managed just one game from the bench this season.
Spiritual leader Matt Hodgson has failed to recover from a calf injury sustained in the Force’s last game against the Hurricanes but has vowed to play in his 140th and final game against the Waratahs next weekend “even if I have to play on one leg”.
Wessels was hoping back-rower Gus Cottrell, who has not played all season after a knee reconstruction, would be available. But he was due to appear before a judiciary panel last night and faces suspension after being shown a red card playing for Associates in the local premier grade competition last Saturday.
With the Rebels or Force facing the axe, Hodgson, a board member with the Rugby Union Players Association, said the game would not become a personal “us against them” vendetta.
“We’re really looking forward to ripping in, we really want to take the points, but we know that whoever wins takes bragging rights only and that this game won’t decide if either team still has a future in the competition,” Hodgson said.
“All players remain united in our belief that the best interests of rugby in Australia are best served by the retention of five teams and maintaining our national footprint with both Western Australia and Victoria.”
Rebels centre Tom English, who is also a RUPA board member, echoed Hodgson’s sentiments.
“All of us at the Rebels have a great deal of empathy for what the Force players have been put through this season, having experienced it ourselves and I’m sure we’ll all catch up post-game to support each other,” he said.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...-ng-b88528724z

[PJ43]

I want us to smash the Rebels on Friday night. But that would be the case no matter what team we were playing against.

It would be great to do something to show our feelings that the Force and Rebels have been through this together.
Chanting "FU ARU"...or even singing "Advance Australia Fair" .

[PJ43]

With some key players out (Hodgo & McCalman) it still looks a great team.

How good is it to say we have 4 returning from Wallabies duties?

[Sheikh]

With some key players out (Hodgo & McCalman) it still looks a great team.

How good is it to say we have 4 returning from Wallabies duties?

Trouble is, the Rebels have 5 Wallabies (Smith, Timani, Hodge, Korabeite, Naivalu)