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Just read this on Rugby Heaven...
Tim Clarke
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
One game into his second season as Western Force skipper, Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe has hinted he may move overseas to finish his rugby career after his stint in Perth.
Sharpe, 28, is in his second year of a three-year contract to play in Western Australia, leading the side in their inaugural, wooden spoon, season last year.
Yet to have captained the side to victory in front of the enthusiastic WA support, Sharpe has hinted for the first time he is considering leaving Australia after the World Cup and one further season in the Force blue.
"I'm going to have to look at it after the World Cup. How my body is going and how I'm feeling mentally," Sharpe told the rugbyexclusive.com website.
"I'm off contract in 2008 and that will be the first time that I will seriously consider moving off-shore. It will become a line-ball decision as to what I do.
"That's something that I'll re-assess after the World Cup and go from there. I'm starting to put the feelers out and see how things shape up."
Sharpe's signing and subsequent award of the captaincy for the Force's historic first year was a recruiting and marketing coup for Australia's fourth franchise, and despite just one win in 14 attempts, the former Queenslander continues to be positive.
"I'm loving playing at the moment and that's a pretty good sign," said Sharpe.
"I think I've got to take it year by year. I guess I'll have to see how I'm playing and if I'm enjoying the game, but 2008 presents a huge amount of options for me to look at.
"It's pretty exciting. To be in that situation is always a bit daunting, but definitely for me, obviously, the World Cup is the point where I know I'm going."
Meanwhile, Sharpe has reignited age-old trans-Tasman rivalries by claiming Australian teams in Super 14 should take a leaf out of the New Zealand side's tactics - and cheat more.
The Force's opening night 8-7 loss to the Highlanders at Subiaco was peppered with handling errors brought on by extreme pressure at the breakdown.
Bemoaning a lack of tactical nous, Sharpe said coping with Kiwi expertise at slowing down the ball was a lesson the Force's talented but unfamiliar backline would have to cope with.
"There is general disappointment at how we played against the Highlanders. You can expect a big turnaround," Sharpe said.
"We showed glimpses of what we are capable of in attack, but we need to be better at the breakdown.
"The New Zealand teams are good at cheating (at the breakdown) and maybe we have to apply the same approach.
"We sent too many players in and then we were short on numbers. When they slow your ball down it's hard to attack."
The Force take on the Stormers at Newlands this weekend.
Shame that he thinks that way about moving - but good that the Force are thinking of ways of dealing with the Breakdowns - I'd go with bending the rules slightly to - the refs never ever penalise the Kiwis
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
Bloody Kiwis...
Every forwards dream is to become a back...
and we all know that it is a backs dream to become a forward
No, sure as hell aint...
Every forwards dream is to become a back...
You haven't really played Rugby until you have played in the forwards and butted heads like rampaging bulls.
nick you are trully a mans man
shaun has on idea on the pain endured by the forwards, the blood sweat and tears constantly shed up front in the engine room. there is no chance i would expect him to learn this any time soon.
as for sharpie talking bout going off shore? purly a marketing stunt deployed by many players across all codes to boost their profile.
Well it's a shame still that he's talking it up this early in the season when there so many games yet to be played.
I have to admit I have played most of my rugby in the back row hanging off the side of the scrum and it wsn't until I donned the number 2 jersy did I fully appreciate really how tough it was - and how satisfying a tight head could be.
I think it would be a travesty to get rid of the scrum or rucking at the breakdown for that matter. But it seams we are heading that way slowly but surely.
It's a bit inappropriate for him to discuss this at this time but as per usual it's the scum sucking leaches, i.e. reporters, who are sensationalising the issue. The West Australian, which seems to have no qualms in reporting crap and has only one loyalty and that is to its bank balance, has grasped onto this fairly innocuous comment and managed to make a whole demoralising story about it. So much for supporting our new rugby team!
Just happy to be here
Haven't seen the West Australian story on it yet to be honest - they blew up did they?
let him go off shore I will chip in for his ticket he has got nothing he is a gutless forward that has no heart I hope that he gets dropped from the world cup side aswell..
Cya sharpie
dont hold back funksoulbruffa
didnt you like him dropping the ball on friday?
didnt you value his on ground leadership??
didnt like the eninge room firing on less than all cylinders??
cant say i blame you
Yeah I dont know if Sharpie is necessarily the problem but there did seem to be a little fire missing in the bellie didn't there?
The Auckland Blues have been that way for a while a lot of talent but missing the mongrel, there has been a big change in the level of the controled aggression now that Flavell is captain. He was a bit unlucky to binned in the dying minutes against the Cantab but they seemed to be killing off rucking too.
The boys seem to lack the real enforcers up front - they did well last year and the was ball generally taken up well but there was no Phill Waugh's or Jerry Collins amoungst the boys. Cannons got a bit of that mongrel in him but there didn't seem much in the way of a couple of nasty forwards putting the wind up the opposition.
In fact we could do with a bit of that attitude in the backline a bit of Mortlock or Tiquri eagerness to show your opposite number that you have and rub his face in it.
He gave us nothing last friday I was tearing my hair out watching the scrum screw around he is one of the biggest units out there but just wont have a real go. You watch the games from last year and conentrate on him for the whole game he does nothing he is lazy he bludges on his mates wont push wont tackle wont hit it up I cant understand why he keeps getting picked deadset he either has to fire up or get out of the way.
Sorry Sharpie if you get to read this but your not giving everything you have !
And everything is what we expect especially from our leader !!!!!!!!!!!
Get `Ard
EDIT-- Im NOT SORRY IF SHARPIE READS THIS I HOPE HE DOES
Last edited by funksoulbruffa; 07-02-07 at 11:59.
better put funk soul
i agree and there is nothing i hate more than a lock on a walk from breakdown to breakdown
you are dead right for his size he should be push'n em back
mabey start doherty in his place and see him come back with a bit of hunger