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Nick Taylor,
The West Australian
November 13, 2013, 6:46 am
New Western Force scrum-half Ian Prior is under no illusions about the challenge of getting to the top of the Super Rugby tree.
He started his career at the Queensland Reds where he had Wallaby Will Genia ahead of him.
He moved to the ACT Brumbies in 2012 and found himself battling new Wallaby Nic White.
Prior's two-year deal with the Force will see him snapping at the heels of former All Black Alby Mathewson, one of the Force's top performers last season. In turn, he will have Ryan Louwrens and Justin Turner nipping at his heels for the No.9 jumper.
Prior, who has 29 Super appearances, has tasted some success and is relishing the challenge.
The 2010 Australian under-20 representative was in the Reds' 2011 Super Rugby championship- winning team and started for the Brumbies in their 14-12 win over the British and Irish Lions.
He was in the ACT side that lost last season's final to the Chiefs.
"Alby is a great half-back," Prior said. "We're always pretty competitive blokes, us nines. It's going to be a good challenge.
"But there's Justin Turner and Ryan Louwrens, who are also very good so it's good for the squad.
"There's a lot of competition and competition drives success."
Prior and former Force academy pupil Zack Holmes, who both came from the Brumbies, spoke about the move before making their decision.
"We discussed it. We were in South Africa at the time and we had similar ideas about what we could bring over," Prior said.
"We were excited about coming over and the challenge … new team, new coach, new systems.
"We've done a lot together at the Brumbies, training together and playing together.
"We had a good combination there and we know each other's thinking and what we are looking for in certain situations.
"When I went to the Brumbies there had been a large clean out of staff and players the year before.
"This year (at the Force) the coaching staff are set in their ways and the systems are in place. It has been good getting used to them. It's exciting.
"The established guys know what is expected and the new guys have to fit in and help drive those standards."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...esh-challenge/
So are we assuming JT is the 30th member of the squad then??
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Main Squad
Props:
1. Pek Cowan 2014
2. Chris Heiberg 2016
3. Kieran Longbottom 2014
4. Tetera Faulkner 2015
5. Salesi Manu 2014
Hookers:
6. Nathan Charles 2014
7. Heath Tessman 2015
Locks:
8. Wilhelm Steenkamp 2016
9. Hugh McMeniman 2015
10. Phoenix Battye 2014
11. Sam Wykes 2015
Backrowers:
12. Chris Alcock 2014
13. Angus Cottrell 2014
14. Matt Hodgson 2015
15. Ben McCalman 2015
Scrumhalves:
16. Alby Mathewson 2014
17. Ian Prior 2015
Flyhalves:
18. Sias Ebersohn 2014
19. Zack Holmes 2015
Centres:
20. Kyle Godwin 2016
21. Chris Tuatara-Morrison 2014
22. Junior Rasolea 2014
23. Marcel Brache 2015
Outside Backs:
24. Ed Stubbs 2014
25. Luke Morahan 2015
26. Dane Haylett-Petty 2014
27. Jayden Hayward 2014
28. Pat Dellit 2014
29. Nick Cummins 2015
EPS
1. Robbie Abel
2. Rory Walton
3. Adam Coleman
4. Ryan Louwrens
5. Luke Burton
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
looking at that list i think we are 1 forward short maybe a backrower/lock or even a prop given that 4 will be used on gaem day leaving us 1 left in the whole squad. Give Hoskins will be with the wider training group.
“Everyone knows whether it’s rugby, politics or whatever, front-rowers should rule the world, so to have a hooker at the helm makes sense,” Nathan Charles Western Force & Wallabies Hooker.