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Force toll opens door for rookie
DAVE HUGHES
6 May 2008
A formidable All Black welcome to Super 14 rugby awaits Perth teenager Dane Haylett-Petty on Friday.
The Western Force appear to have no option but to give the Hale school graduate significant game time against the Hurricanes in Wellington, as World Cup Wallaby Scott Staniforth still battles a knee injury.
Staniforth was a late withdrawal from the last-gasp win over the Chiefs and faces a fitness test today to determine if he travels or joins fellow first-team regulars Scott Fava, Tamaiti Horua, Haig Sare, Junior Pelesasa, Pek Cowan, Nic Cummins and Tom Hockings on the list of those sidelined for the team’s second trip of the year to New Zealand.
Haylett-Petty, 18, came off the bench to get his first six minutes of Super 14 action against the Chiefs at Subiaco Oval last Saturday.
However, the Force’s injury crisis could compel coach John Mitchell to use him on the right wing in place of Staniforth and Cummins, out for 12 weeks with a broken fibula.
If so, Haylett-Petty will oppose a classy Hurricanes back line likely to include Test trio Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Tane Tu’ipolotu, plus NZ Maori representative Shannon Paku — a rapid rise for a player who made his first-grade debut for Cottesloe a few months ago.
Although Haylett-Petty was born in South Africa, he started playing rugby at school in Perth and within five years represented the State under-16 team.
Last year, he captained WA Schoolboys at the second-division national championships at Geelong and was then selected to lead the Combined States team in the subsequent first-division titles at Canberra.
He represented the Australia A Schools team against England under-18 last August and did well enough to earn an apprentice contract with the Force.
The absence of Cowan suggests another local club product, prop Kieran Longbottom, is likely to make a second Super 14 appearance on Friday after playing all but 10 minutes of the Chiefs game.
The Force team to play the third-placed Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium will be announced this morning.
•Former Wallabies star Glen Ella has been hired by the Fiji Rugby Union as a technical advisor.
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Originally Posted by laura
