Force still best for O’Connor: Mitchell

[travelling_gerry]

The spell check button is to the top right.

Try using it.

[shasta]

Giteau played ten in juniors and at the brumbies he often swapped with Larkham, yes he wasnt a fully fledged flyhalf but he had some training there. the force have helped him come into his own at 10, but to take full credit for it is a bit rich.

For a teenage Western Force fan who moved from Perth to Sydney you sure have a good knowledge of what went on in the ACT years ago. With Rugby knowledge like that you should maybe think about a career in Sports Journalism. The Roar might be a good place to get some practice writing articles. They have been known to publish stuff from would-be chief rugby correspondents.

[rahrahgirl]

my brother is a journo, he covers motorsport but wants to write rugby. i dont need to go far to ask a question!

[AndyS]

the ARU requested were to play a player? or Connely did? cos he wasnt coach after 07.

I certainly agree that Giteau moving to 10 wasn't solely conceived and driven by the Force - he had had brief exposure there at S12 and even Wallabies level and there were plenty who thought it probable that he would wind up there. But equally there were plenty that thought him better suited for 9, and Connelly certainly expressed a strong preference (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...28/1799581.htm) with the full knowledge of the ARU (note the direct quotes in http://www.keo.co.za/2006/10/13/mitc...giteau-switch/) and Mitchell was accused of all manner of very unflattering things for not complying (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...003000,00.html).

But the fact remains that Giteau is now the Wallaby 10 because the Force and Mitchell stood their ground. Would he now be the Wallaby flyhalf had he spent the last three years playing either 9 or 12?

Also the force were given a grant from the ARU, yes it was minimal, but the ARU didnt do "nothing!".

But you are factually wrong with that:

"The ARU bungled the creation of the Force by not providing a single cent of extra assistance to them to get up and running. They received the same allocation of funding as the ARU gave to the Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies, all long-established clubs."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015703,00.html

"Force officials blamed former ACTRU chief executive Rob Clarke, by then a senior ARU administrator, of being the main architect of the ARU's decision not to direct any special set-up funds to the new expansion franchise."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...-32102,00.html

In fact, I seem to remember reading somewhere (but can't find the article) that on top of only getting the same as everyone else for day-to-day S14 operations, they also had their funding for the amateur game cut...

[mudskipper]

Just to sketch a better picture ... During former Brumbies coach Laurie Fishers time at the Brumbies Larkham was only available to around play 50% of the matches due to injury...

Matt Giteau filed in for many of these matches at 10 as well as when Larkham played less than the full match at 10... Gits would move from 12 to 10…

Gits clocked up plenty of time hours at Flyhalf at the Brumbies... However he has since been able to fine tune these skills at the Force and Wallabies…