0
Bret Harris | May 09, 2009
Article from: The Australian
WESTERN Force will continue its all-out attacking strategy against the Stormers in Cape Town tomorrow, knowing they need to win with a bonus point to remain in contention for the Super 14 finals.
The Force enters the second-last round of the competition in ninth spot, five points behind the fourth-placed Sharks.
It is one of five teams sitting outside the top four with a mathematical chance of reaching the play-offs. While bonus points will be crucial for all teams, they are mandatory for the Force.
A bonus-point win could potentially draw the Force level with the Sharks if the Natal team loses to NSW in Durban tonight.
"We are chasing four tries and a win," Force coach John Mitchell said. "That's the only way we can make it from here.
"We've got to continue to play proactively and continue the attacking focus and can't be concerned by what the other teams around us are doing."
Mitchell has made three changes to the line-up which started in the Force's 32-29 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria last Saturday.
Left wing Cameron Shepherd has been named in the starting 15 in place of Nick Cummins, pending a fitness test on his knee. Wallabies number eight Richard Brown who, according to sources in Perth, is expected to re-sign with the Force, has been ruled out with an ankle injury and has been replaced by Tamaiti Horua.
Australian under-20 second-rower Sam Wykes returns from a shoulder injury with Tom Hockings dropping to the bench.
Wallabies utility back James O'Connor has recovered from a shoulder injury and will start at inside centre.
The Stormers are languishing in 11th, having won just three of their 11 games. Despite their poor record, they have been competitive, picking up a bonus point from six of their eight losses and have the fourth-best defensive record in the tournament.
But the Stormers have had a spate of injuries to key players.
Springbok stars Conrad Jantjes and Schalk Burger this week joined a long casualty list, which includes Test stars Jean de Villiers and Percy Montgomery.
And there has also been off-field drama with media speculation about the future of the coach, Rassie Erasmus, following the team's disappointing performance. While Erasmus is under pressure, it is unlikely he will be sacked, but if he decides to leave, Springboks World Cup-winning coach Jake White has made it clear he is interested in taking over. White was also linked to the Force head coaching job when Mitchell was under scrutiny following a player revolt.
Mitchell was wary of the Stormers adopting a siege mentality.
"They have had media bans and are getting a bit of a flogging in the media, so that tends to inform me they will be pretty fired up come Saturday," Mitchell said.
"I think their ability is in disguise. If I was a betting man, at the start of the competition I would have picked them to be certainly in the top four.
"They haven't really been put away and a lot of the losses have been close."
Additional reporting: AAP
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
Reply With Quote
