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Stronger Force to face struggling Cheetahs
Wayne Smith | February 16, 2009
Article from: The Australian
HAVING put its now customary poor start to the season behind it, the Western Force will be virtually at full strength for its clash with the lowly Cheetahs in Perth on Friday night.
In its four seasons in Super rugby, the Force has never won its opening fixture but only had itself to blame for not breaking its duck at the expense of the Blues on Friday at Subiaco Oval where lack of ball control allowed Auckland to run away with the match in the second half.
Certainly coach John Mitchell was in no mood yesterday to indulge suggestions that the off-season dramas surrounding his coaching style somehow had fed into the defeat. "That's childish and negative behaviour that doesn't allow anyone to move forward," Mitchell said. "The football match was there to be won but in the end we didn't deserve to win it."
The Cheetahs, who opened their campaign with a narrow 34-28 loss to last year's wooden spooners, the Lions, loom as the weakest side the Force will face this season but Mitchell denied this was a match he had targeted as a "must-win".
Although scans have cleared Test centre Ryan Cross of a serious shoulder injury, he is a doubtful starter against the Cheetahs, as is prop AJ Whalley. But reinforcements are arriving with Junior Pelesasa and Scott Staniforth both available, and former Waikato player Ben Castle coming into front-row contention.
As well, halfback Josh Valentine appears to have recovered from his hamstring injury.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html