#Feletifor80Originally Posted by chiraag
C'mon the
[QUOTE=The InnFORCEr;484771]Playmaker Pasitoa key to Force Super start
Melissa Woods
AAP
February 27, 2022 12:16PM
While Test great Tim Horan is already calling for Reesjan Pasitoa to be fast-tracked into the Wallabies, Western Force coach Tim Sampson says the young Super Rugby Pacific playmaker shouldn't be rushed.
The 20-year-old was key to the Force's thumping 28-3 win over Melbourne, taking the line on to set up an early second-half try that deflated the Rebels in their return to AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Horan, now a rugby commentator, says Pasitoa must be earmarked for Wallabies selection.
"Reesjan Pasitoa has to be in the Wallabies squad in 2022. Early days I know, but he is a future star. At 20 years old....the time is right," Horan tweeted.
Pasitoa was raised in Perth before moving to Queensland on a rugby scholarship and then signing with the Brumbies as a 17-year-old, going on to play 10 matches.
Realising his path to the No.10 jersey in Canberra was blocked by another young gun in Noah Lolesio, he took up the offer to move home.
Ahead of a mouth-watering clash with Queensland in Perth on Friday night, Sampson said Pasitoa had passed every test thrown at him since his arrival.
"He had a really good pre-season with us. We threw a lot of responsibility his way over the last few months and it was by design," Sampson said.
"We wanted to challenge him and enable him to show some leadership qualities in meetings and out on the field.
"He's going really well."
While Sampson acknowledged Pasitoa had a bright future, he cautioned about piling too much pressure on the youngster who was still finding his way as a regular starter.
"We've just got to relax and let the young fella concentrate on week to week what he needs to for himself and also for our team," Sampson said.
"He's got a bright future, no doubt, but let's not put too much pressure on him."
Sampson credited the Force's set piece dominance over the hapless Rebels for giving Pasitoa space and time but said they would need to improve against the unbeaten Reds.
Queensland sit third on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with the Brumbies top after two rounds.
"Your game thrives on the backend of a good set piece and that's going really well and we've changed some stuff up within our attack system and that's worked well the last couple of weeks," Sampson said.
"It's nice but we know we've got to get better and coming out of this game and playing the Reds we're going to have to be better again."
Level headed piece here
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Sun, 27 February 2022 10:17AM
Nick Taylor
Western Force coach Tim Sampson has warned against piling pressure on Reesjan Pasitoa amid a call to fast-track the young gun into the Wallabies.
Sampson is confident Pasitoa will not get caught up in the hype after the home-grown playmaker announced his arrival on Australian rugby with two stand-out Super Rugby Pacific performances.
Having helped carve up the Melbourne Rebels in Saturday’s 28-3 win on the back of a standout Force debut against the Brumbies, Pasitoa showed composure above his 20 years and now carries the weight of expectation of being the “next big thing” in Australian rugby.
Former Wallaby and now commentator Tim Horan called for Pasitoa to be included in the next Australian squad.
“Reesjan Pasitoa has to be in the Wallabies squad in 2022. Early days I know, but he is a future star. At 20 years old... the time is right,” he tweeted.
But Sampson warned: “We’ve just got to leave the guy alone.
“Let him play Super Rugby consistently before we talk anything else. He’s got a long way to go in his game.
“He’s well aware of that. He’ll work his way through the season and improve each game.
“He is cool, he is level-headed. He knows where he’s at. He’s a good kid.”
Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika agreed.
“Forget about young Pasitoa, let’s think about Noah Lolesio or Quade Cooper or James O’Connor or these guys who are in situ now,” Cheika said.
“This lad is good, he’s getting time on the ball, he’s getting the ball on the run, drawing defenders in. You can see he’s got ability.
“Let him really stamp his authority, become a top player in Super Rugby with the Western Force, then inject him into the Wallabies as a player who will make a difference from the off.”
Pasitoa played his junior rugby with Perth-Bayswater before taking up a scholarship with Queensland’s Nudgee College.
He was in the Queensland Reds academy system but signed for the Brumbies where he had limited game time before returning home this season.
“I’m getting more comfortable out there on the field,” Pasitoa said after the Force’s win.
“I’m quite lucky with who I’ve got around me to make my job a bit easier.
“At the moment I just want to keep doing my job for the Force, and focus on taking every week by itself. I guess if further honours come from that, I’ll be pretty keen to go.”
The Force flew home on Sunday and will live and train in a bubble ahead of Friday’s first home game of the season against the Reds.
Sampson said they had been quietly confident ahead of the Rebels game.
“We just had to stay composed and patient,” he said.
“We set the game up in the first-half. In the end we wore them down. Defensively we were outstanding.”
Agree, they seem to be taking him off pretty early which seems a bit unnecessary but I guess they need to build the depth in case he gets injured.
Liking the lineouts though, Paul Tito having a big impact just needs to fix readys throwing
One-game Super Rugby ban for Rebels' Hodge
Murray Wenzel
AAP
March 1, 2022 7:12AM
Reece Hodge has been suspended for Friday's Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Fijian Drua in another mighty blow to the Melbourne Rebels.
The fullback received two yellow cards in Saturday's loss to the Western Force.
The first was a cynical foul for slowing play after a Force break and the second an innocuous bat down of a pass with just four minutes remaining and the result a formality.
Those dual incidents equated to a red card, with a SANZAAR review committee ruling a week's suspension was warranted given both were deliberate breaches.
"The Foul Play Review Committee conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles, and submissions from the player, including the player accepting both yellow cards were warranted," committee chairman Michael Heron said.
"Owing to the fact both yellow cards were deemed deliberate actions of foul play, it was felt that along with the player's existing disciplinary record, that the player's actions merited a further sanction of one week."
The absence of Hodge -- who received a three-week ban during the 2019 World Cup for a high tackle -- compounds problems for the winless Rebels, who have missed fellow Wallabies Rob Leota and Andrew Kellaway through injury and lost star winger Marika Koroibete to Japanese rugby.
Melbourne have scored just eight points in losses to the Reds and the Force.
They now face a crunch clash with winless competition newcomers Fijian Drua in a game that's been moved from a flooded Suncorp Stadium to the Sunshine Coast.
https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/ru...odge-c-5881423
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
I think it's time to change my tip
I have been working on the understanding that the Drua won't be organised enough to win a game this season, but the Rebels seem in worse shape at this point.
C'mon the
I reckon the Rebels will bounce back hard.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
I saw this post on GAGR. Anyone else had their seats changed? We haven't, so I'm supposing we aren't being moved?
The membership team did well. They sent out tickets around 9am and then after the announcement rejigged the seating and had new tickets out around 6.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Nope, I have the same seats, Ali's please to be removed from the annoyingly loud one-eyed asshole must have fallen on deaf ears
C'mon the
..............and I just realised that was posted in the wrong thread.
Probably just as well seeing as a bunch of the usual suspects have hijacked the right one.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
I don't remember hijacking a thread here...............and I just realised that was posted in the wrong thread.
Probably just as well seeing as a bunch of the usual suspects have hijacked the right one.
I'm trying to limit that behaviour to the Roar
C'mon the
Thread: Western Force v Reds Friday 4 March 2022
At least I've got a couple of excuses for poor memory; 68 years ageing and about 50 of 'em spent consuming alcohol to varying degrees.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
My seat details are the same. I expect, however, that my row will actually be higher up (ie the stadium are keeping rows separate, like they did before)
"12 Years a
Hahaha! I have moved across to the Western Stand this season!! To avoid the winter rain, I hasten to add! Lol
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Yeah, you say that......
C'mon the
FairThread: Western Force v Reds Friday 4 March 2022At least I've got a couple of excuses for poor memory
C'mon the
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