Force -v- Chiefs Lineup: Staniforth And Pusey Return, Holmes In And Giteau At 10

Staniforth And Pusey Return, Holmes In And Giteau At 10

Thursday, 12 April 2007 9:47am
RugbyWA

Emirates Western Force vice captain Scott Staniforth and versatile forward David Pusey are back in the 22 for the match against the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon.

In other changes, hooker Luke Holmes comes into the squad for the first time in the 2007 Investec Super 14 season, replacing the injured Brendan Cannon.

Holmes has one Super 14 cap, coming off the bench against the Sharks in Durban last year.

Versatile back Matt Giteau returns to the flyhalf position, making way for Junior Pelesasa at inside centre. James Hilgendorf moves to the bench.

Prop AJ Whalley comes into the starting XV, swapping with Troy Takiari under rotation policy, while Matt Hodgson replaces David Pocock who has been sidelined with a hamstring strain.

Staniforth and Pusey will start on the bench having missed four and three games, respectively, through injury.

Emirates Western Force head coach John Mitchell said the players recognized their performance had to lift significantly for Saturday’s encounter.

“We are well aware of the shortcomings of last week’s effort. We have looked very closely at that game and discussed it as a group,” he said.

“We were unable to execute without possession. But, more to the point, what we did or didn’t do off the ball let us down.”

Mitchell described the Chiefs game as a significant test for the Force, with both teams fighting to retain control their own destinies.

“The likes of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Roy Kinikinilau and Sione Lauaki can change a game in the wink of an eye,” he said.

“The Chiefs are a team which can score from anywhere.”

The squad:

1. Gareth Hardy
2. Tai McIsaac
3. AJ Whalley
4. Rudi Vedelago
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Richard Brown
7. Matt Hodgson
8. Scott Fava

9. Chris O’Young
10. Matt Giteau
11. Cameron Shepherd
12. Junior Pelesasa
13. Ryan Cross
14. Digby Ioane
15. Drew Mitchell

16. Luke Holmes
17. Troy Takiari
18. David Pusey
19. Luke Doherty
20. Jon McGrath
21. James Hilgendorf
22. Scott Staniforth

Chiefs:

1. Aled de Malmanche,
2. Tom Willis,
3. Nathan White,
4. Jono Gibbes (c),
5. Keith Robinson,
6. Liam Messam,
7. Tanerau Latimer,
8. Sione Lauaki,

9. Byron Kelleher,
10. Stephen Donald,
11. Roy Kinikinilau,
12. Tasesa Lavea,
13. Dwayne Sweeney,
14. Lelia Masaga,
15. Sitiveni Sivivatu.

16. Simms Davison,
17. Ben Castle,
18. Kristian Ormsby,
19. Steven Bates,
20. Brendon Leonard,
21. Tane Tu'ipulotu.
22. Jared Payne.

All looks good apart from missing Pocock.....that's not great news.

Would love to be able to have a beer with Mitch and ask him about why Mitchell over Shepherd at #15 when the rest of Australia sees it the other way around.
Also, this selection implies that Junior is a better player than Jimmy and I just cannot accept that.
On balance a pretty good, yet "safe" selection.
Wonder if a couple of selections are revolving around signatures at the moment?
Unless Pocock is injured he has been robbed otherwise.

"while Matt Hodgson replaces David Pocock who has been sidelined with a hamstring strain"

don't you read your own posts, Burgs?

Pocock is too tough to get injured....
Thanks JK, found me out ;)

good line up but i think they need gits in the centres against the chiefs. its good though i think they only lost one with gits at 10 so hopefully if the backs do their job and forwards do there job the force will win.

looks like a strong team. shame pocock aint playing otherwise it would of been a perfect side.
Force are going to win for sure.

I think this backline is all about muscle in defence. That's the only reason I think you'd put junior in and take Jimmy out. This team will tackle the shit out of their backline, and the ball will rarely see the chiefs' back three. I'd also expect to see lots more kicking the ballinto play again, and hopefully a balltearing contest at the breakdown. low scores to start off with, and then the team with the fitter forwards and stronger backs will start to dominate, Force by 10 with Chiefs unable to cross the line.


Look out Byron, I think someone will be trying to tear you a new asshole.

I'm thinking the selection has more to do with communication - no
YAK at 9 to feed destructions from the forwards to the backs and visa versa - perhaps Gitts will have to take on that role - got to look forward to Stanners coming on though

Pocock out is a huge blow... hopefully he will be right for the Brumbies game. We need to keep control of the Cheifs back three and their number 8. Carn the Force!

I can't fathom the faith John Mitchell has in Drew. If I thought this type of re-shuffle was needed for the Chiefs game I'd probably have benched D Mitchell and put Jimmy back to 15, much as I'd like to see Sheps play there. But it now seems he was right last year with the halfbacks so....................:silent:

I sincerely hope that when Spanner gets a run, that it is the centre,
12 or 13, it does not matter. In the early part of the season he was wasted on the wing.

Mitch wants flair, with starch

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Choosing to utilise his silk and accentuate his steel, Western Force coach John Mitchell is looking to Matt Giteau to unlock the Chiefs' defence and Junior Pelesasa to beef up his own battered rearguard in Saturday's Super 14 match in Hamilton.

Still reeling from their 53-0, eight-try mutilation by the Crusaders last week, the Force have spent the week going back to basics, concentrating on the defence which elevated them to finals contenders before departing for New Zealand.

And coming off one the worst defeats of his professional career while returning to the place where it all started, Mitchell admitted the Force were facing another test of their mettle in Hamilton.

"The likes of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Roy Kinikinilau and Sione Lauaki can change a game in the wink of an eye,'' Mitchell said.

"The Chiefs are a team which can score from anywhere.

"We are well aware of the shortcomings of last week's effort ... what we did or didn't do off the ball let us down.

"We have looked very closely at that game and discussed it as a group.''

James Hilgendorf became the main casualty of the Crusaders' debacle, dropped to the bench while Giteau will attack from five-eighth as Pelesasa's hard tackling is added to the centres.

That was Mitchell's only change to the backline which failed to register a point for the first time in Force history - with the squad markedly improved with the return of Scott Staniforth and Dave Pusey after injury.

Staniforth, who is still weighing up an offer to stay in Perth or move to Japan next season, has missed the last four games with a knee injury, while Pusey is back after three weeks out with an sprained ankle.

And Force lock Rudi Vedelago said the inclusion of the pair was a welcome boost after the harrowing loss of Brendan Cannon with another neck injury.

"They are both leaders and both very physical players which is what we will need to be,'' Vedelago said.

Hooker Luke Holmes comes into the Force squad for the first time this season to replace Cannon, while prop AJ Whalley swaps with Troy Takiari and Matt Hodgson supplants teenage flanker David Pocock, sidelined with a strained hamstring.

Although starting favourites, Chiefs coach Ian Foster was not reading too much into the Force's nightmare in Christchurch.

"That happens and they are not the first team to be on the end of a Crusaders' hiding,'' Foster said.

"In reality, it is business as normal, and this would have been a game they would have targeted as being pretty vital for them to get into that top four.''
And Force skipper Nathan Sharpe said those finals ambitions were still intact.

"How we respond and play against the Chiefs on Saturday will show how far we've come as a young team,'' Sharpe said.

"We have spoken about how we are still in charge of our own destiny and we believe we still have the chance of making the finals.

"We've got four games to go and we must concentrate on those games - they are all winnable.''

Seems obvious they are beefing up the defence. A shame for Hilgers but he could be good off the bench (replacing Mitchell).

Hopefully they had a big wake-up call after last week.

......although, maybe Mitch has it sussed: As we will be playing the Crusaders in the final, we don't want to show our hand too early. Let the hammer us in the "home & away" stuff and be over-confident for The Big Game and we blow them away in that!

Carn Force, Carn Mitch, prove me right........

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ecky

As we will be playing the Crusaders in the final, we don't want to show our hand too early. Let the hammer us in the "home & away" stuff and be over-confident for The Big Game and we blow them away in that!

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OK. I'll buy that :D