Paul fields Force interest
Crikey :eek:
Wonder if the boys would make him do the nudie run he threatened in '06 if we won more than three matches (I think it was?) that season as payment for joining us :D
Tai is great but you would be hard pressed to go past his cousin if he was available.
Paul fields Force interest
By Bret Harris, The Australian
February 14, 2007
AUSTRALIA hooker Jeremy Paul may continue his career in this country after the World Cup, but with Western Force rather than the Brumbies.
Paul, 30, will be out of contract at the end of the year and has said he is looking at overseas options.
It is understood an English club has a strong interest in Paul, Australia's most capped hooker, with 72 appearances.
But Force has joined the Brumbies in making a formal expression of interest to the ARU, which is looking to put an offer to the hooker in the next few weeks.
"Jeremy has to weigh up his options," ARU high-performance manager Pat Wilson said. "We'll put an offer to him which reflects his standing and see what he wants to do."
Force's level of interest in Paul may be determined by what the team's hookers, Brendan Cannon and Tai McIsaac, decide to do next year.
Cannon will turn 34 in April but has indicated he wants to keep playing with Force. McIsaac's future is less clear.
Australia coach John Connolly named five hookers - Cannon, Adam Freier, Stephen Moore, Paul and Tatafu Polota-Nau - in a 47-man World Cup training squad in December, but McIsaac was omitted.
If McIsaac, 31, does not receive an ARU top-up to his contract he may consider playing overseas, which would create a vacancy for Paul at Force. And if Paul leaves the Brumbies, the ACT-based side is expected to go after Moore, who is one of the only players to receive an expression of interest from all four Australian Super 14 teams.
Moore is expected to be named on the Queensland Reds' reserves bench for the third week in succession for the match against the Brumbies in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Jeremy Paul keen on the force
Force must make further strides: Mitch
Tim Clarke
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
After taking a massive step forward against the Stormers last week, Western Force coach John Mitchell says his developing side needs to take another if it is to complete a perfect tour of South Africa against the Bulls on Saturday.
Naming an unchanged side apart from the axing of Scott Fava, who fell foul of the club's tough in-house alcohol policy for the second time, Mitchell said the club record 22-3 win in Cape Town was a big gain - but needed to be replicated in Pretoria.
"There's no doubt these young men have the footballing ability. What they need to improve is their execution of a game plan and keep their concentration for the full 80 minutes," Mitchell said.
"Last week, I believe we got off the mark with attitude and delivery. It's important that we maintain that momentum and keep progressing."
Mitchell stood firm on his promise to drop Fava, after he returned an alcohol reading of 0.043 - over the club's 0.04 limit - the morning after the win over the Stormers.
He was replaced in the squad by Matt Hodgson, who will start at openside flanker, with Richard Brown moving to No. 8.
Hodgson said although he sympathised with his teammate, he now had a job to do.
"I am definitely happy to be in the 22 ...obviously I am disappointed for Scott missing out, but I am just going to make the most of my opportunity and put my best foot forward," Hodgson said.
Mitchell said the Bulls were a formidable force, particularly at home, with one of the biggest packs in the game and one of the best line-out jumpers in Victor Matfield.
"But there lies our opportunity, and we intend to give it a good crack," Mitchell said.
Meanwhile, Brendan Cannon will become only the 14th player in Super 14 history to bring up a century of games when he faces the Bulls.
Cannon will reach 100 appearances after a career spanning time at the Reds, Waratahs and Force, and following an admission earlier in the week a serious neck injury had him considering his future last year.
After being injured during a scrum engagement against the Highlanders, Cannon was later found to have severe compression of two vertebrae, with bone chipping off, lodging in a nerve canal and affecting his left side.
"I wondered with the type of injury it was and playing where I do, whether it was worth the risk of going back," Cannon said.
The 33 year-old has now said he is keen to extend his career beyond his contract with the Force, which ends this season.
That news would interest Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul, who is reportedly keen to continue his career in Australia after the World Cup, but with the Force rather than the Brumbies.
A newspaper report said Paul - who will be out of contract at the end of the year - is considering overseas options, but that the Force has joined the Brumbies in making a formal expression of interest to the ARU.
AAP
This story was found at: http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/ar...14/11714052748