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After last weekend’s heartbreak, this game couldn’t come fast enough. Hmmm déjà-vu. Must be some kind of glitch in the Matrix. Or maybe just one of the occupational hazards of being a Force fan. Either way, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on Saturday night than watching the Aussie derby between the Force and the NSW Waratahs at nib Stadium.
Neither team has particularly impressed in the last few weeks as injuries in both camps have exposed a bit of a soft underbelly. Regardless of the negatives, there is plenty to get excited about in this weekend’s clash. For starters there is the return of Willie Ripia to the Force 10 jumper. A pre-season foot injury has kept him out of our first six games in what is becoming a bit of a continuing trend for the Force. Let’s hope he has a blinder. If not just that, we should also get amped for a showdown with Waratahs, a team we share a great rivalry with. Although I have to say that these days I think the Brumbies have taken the place of the Tahs as archrivals and most hated team from a Force perspective. Anyway, back to the game...
Head to Head
While it can be argued Force vs Waratahs games have been fairly dour games, the scoreline has almost always ensured the game remained a thriller. After a blow-out in favour of the Waratahs in 2006, the last four Waratahs/Force fixtures have been settled by 5 points or less. The most memorable of these was the 2007 edition, when Lote Tuqiri showed his true bogan colours in shoving teammate Sam Norton-Knight in the back for taking a quick tap when a penalty could’ve broken the deadlock and won the game. It wasn’t until 2009 that the Force tasted victory over the Waratahs, and what a sweet victory it was, with the 15-14 away win securing the Australian ‘Grand Slam’ for the Force. Last year’s game was definitely the most uninspiring in the two team’s history. Zero line-breaks were made as the Waratahs managed to come away with 14-10 victory. It came down to the wire, however, as the Force were camped on the Tah’s line for a number of phases before a turnover at the death.
The Key Match-Ups
There are some exciting match-ups across the board in this one. The one with the biggest bearing on the match will have to be the face-off between Nathan Sharpe and Dean Mumm. Both Wallabies. Both captains of their respective teams. Both line-out generals. Does Mumm have the leadership skills to rally his troops to victory? Will the Waratahs line-out hold up under scrutiny? The line-out is probably the Force’s biggest strength coming into this one and Sharpie will need to assert our dominance to make up for the enormous pressure we are likely to face in the scrums.
The other key match-up in the pack has got to be the Ben McCalman vs Wycliff Palu duel. These two will go hammer and tongs all night (unless Palu’s gamey knee buckles again) in an attempt to show Robbie D that their style is a better fit for the Wallabies; Aggression, mobility and work rate vs sheer brute force. We had better hope Palu has a poor game because the go forward he provides, particularly off the back of the scrum, could make the difference between the Tahs flying or floundering.
Amongst the backs you can’t look past Brett Sheehan vs Luke Burgess. Sheehan will ensure that this becomes an absolute scrap out. He no doubt has a bit of an axe to grind as the arrival of Burgess has seen Sheehan pushed out of both the Waratahs starting jersey and the Wallabies squad. Let’s hope that Sheehan legitimately lets him know that he hasn’t forgotten.
Predicted Result
I doubt this one will be a particularly flashy game. Both teams will be more than satisfied with a win and both teams seem unlikely to lift out of the malaise that has gripped both teams in these last few weeks. I am pretty desperate for a Force win, and I’m not sure how well the fans would take another loss, but I can’t see this one going our way. I don’t think Ripia will immediately gel with his backline and that will lead to the Waratahs being let off on more than one occasion. The Tahs meanwhile won’t play well either, however if the game stays in the same vein as previous Force/Tahs affairs, they can milk scrum penalties all night and win it in a close one. Tahs by 5.
Teams
Force
1. Pek Cowan
2. Ben Whittaker
3. Tim Fairbrother
4. Sam Wykes
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
6. Richard Brown
7. Jono Jenkins
8. Ben McCalman
9. Brett Sheehan
10. Willie Ripia
11. Cameron Shepherd
12. Gene Fairbanks
13. Nick Cummins
14. David Smith
15. James O’Connor
Reserves
16. Nathan Charles
17. Kieran Longbottom
18. Tom Hockings
19. Tevita Metuisela
20. James Stannard
21. Rory Sidey
22. Pat Dellit
Waratahs
1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Kane Douglas
5. Dean Mumm (c)
6. Ben Mowen
7. Pat McCutcheon
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Luke Burgess
10. Kurtley Beale
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Tom Carter
13. Ryan Cross
14. Atieli Pakalani
15. Lachlan Turner
Reserves
16. Damien Fitzpatrick
17. Al Baxter
18. Dave Dennis
19. Sitaleki Timani
20. Chris Alcock
21. Brendan McKibbin
22. Daniel Halangahu
Referee
Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)