Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 24

Thread: Monster pack in store for Force

  1. #1
    Immortal Contributor
    Moderator
    travelling_gerry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia, Australia
    Posts
    18,483
    vCash
    5062000

    Monster pack in store for Force

    The West Australian
    February 17, 2011, 10:51 am


    Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie has denied he’s picked a massive pack to monster the Western Force but the Reds forwards will certainly dwarf their rivals at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

    By naming Wallabies lock James Horwill in the back-row, McKenzie has selected close to the tallest Reds pack he can muster for the Super Rugby opener where they’ll enjoy a decisive lineout advantage.

    Horwill, Rob Simmons and Van Humphries all stand over 2m tall while No.7 bolter Ed Quirk (191cm) and burly No.8 Leroy Houston (189cm) can also be used as jumping options in what could be a pivotal set-piece battle.

    Conversely, the Force field a much shorter lineout with two less options and doubt hovering over the effectiveness of skipper and prime aerial target Nathan Sharpe who is making his comeback from hernia surgery four weeks ago.

    The 200cm-tall Sharpe is set to be Friday named in the second-row along with either Ben McCalman (192cm) or Sam Wykes (193cm), with No.8 Richard Brown (189cm) the change-up target.
    Most of the Reds’ 2010 success was earned through the brilliance of their backline but their 901kg pack has the clout to outmuscle the Force.

    “We’ve got a tall pack but I don’t know it’s massive,” said McKenzie, who named 10 current Wallabies in the starting 15.

    “It’s athletic and we’ll get around the park.

    “We’ve got lineout jumpers so there’s no problem there.

    “We need that because across the competition there’s some pretty good set pieces.”

    While they will be outgunned in the lineout, the Force may believe they could exploit the Reds sizy pack through their extremely mobile back-row of Brown, Matt Hodgson and Wallabies ball-scavenger Dave Pocock.

    But McKenzie has no concerns about choosing the 117kg Horwill at blind-side flanker where he has starred in the pre-season, and also expects 19-year-old Quirk to fire in his individual battle against Pocock.

    “We’re determined to go out there and play our game and Ed Quirk gives us a number of things in both attack and defence,” he said.

    Although Quirk made his starting debut in last season’s final round win over the Highlanders and starred in sevens rugby in 2010, he was a unexpected choice to fill Daniel Braid’s boots ahead of Beau Robinson and Liam Gill.

    “He’s got a bit of mongrel about him which is what you want from an open-side but also he’s got his versatility,” Horwill said.

    “Playing a lot of sevens football last year he can run with the backs and run with the ball in hand and he gives us that other lineout option that we need.”

    Showing the Reds increased depth this year, Quirk and Will Chambers are the only two starters without Wallabies experience while Scott Higginbotham has been named on the bench to make a second-half impact with ex-Waratah Robinson.

    North Harbour playmaking recruit Mike Harris and Australian Under 20 winger Aidan Toua, who pushed out Luke Morahan, are also set to make their Queensland Super debuts as replacements.

    Queensland: Peter Hynes, Rod Davies, Will Chambers, Anthony Faingaa, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Leroy Houston, Ed Quirk, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Van Humphries, James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley. Res: James Hanson, Greg Holmes, Scott Higginbotham, Beau Robinson, Ben Lucas, Mike Harris, Aidan Toua.


    http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ore-for-force/

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  2. #2
    Veteran zimeric's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Mandurah
    Posts
    3,128
    vCash
    5000000
    I use a saying quite often that would be appropriate right now "tall trees fall harder"
    When Poe and Benny smash into you you'll be regretting not having someone tougher on the field.......

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  3. #3
    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Rockingham
    Posts
    20,508
    vCash
    1296000
    Look for the tall timber to run out of puff at 55 minutes. We'll run them off their feet. Humphries and Houston won't even make it to 60% of the rucks.

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    C'mon the

  4. #4
    Legend Court Reporter
    Contributor
    James's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Bridgetown, WA
    Posts
    6,103
    vCash
    20000
    Yeah I've got to admit it seems like a bad choice of tactics given the potential the Reds have to unleash out wide. Maybe they assume that Cooper will be so slick that each time it goes wide there won't be a breakdown.

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

  5. #5
    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Rockingham
    Posts
    20,508
    vCash
    1296000
    There's a good chance of that, but there's a lot of fool's gold to that method. If they try to go wide without any ruck ball at all, they're just going to end up with the best back row in the competition eating their outside backs all day. If they ay phase ball, they're a better chance of that working, but seriously, with the lumbering giants they've picked in 4,5 &6 they won't be working the ball more than 2m off the ruck until Quade hats the ball. I think there's plenty of opportunity to get lots of turnover ball through Hodgeo and Poey.

    Hope rabbit bought his running boots, I predict a mountain of counterattack from him!

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    C'mon the

  6. #6
    Veteran Contributor The EnForcer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    2,645
    vCash
    5000000
    Simple thing we have to do...retain the freakin ball!!!!!!

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    Just happy to be here

  7. #7
    Legend Contributor brokendown gunfighter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    wembley
    Posts
    8,036
    vCash
    5364000
    & the rebels talk about their monster pack

    yet we still get smashed up front in tests!

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  8. #8
    (formerly known as Coach) Your Humble Servant Darren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Perth, Western Australia, Australia
    Posts
    14,227
    vCash
    262778
    Everyone has a monster pack except the Wallabies

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.

  9. #9
    Veteran TOCC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    QLD
    Posts
    3,597
    vCash
    5000000
    Yeah not the forward pack I was expecting either, will be interesting to see what happens...good to see quirk getting a start, there aren't enough red heads in australian rugby

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  10. #10
    Legend Contributor slomo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    yanchep...
    Posts
    5,367
    vCash
    190000
    Damn!.... For a minute I thought they were talking about members packs!.......

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  11. #11
    Veteran
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Perth
    Posts
    3,018
    vCash
    4084000
    Quote Originally Posted by slomo View Post
    Damn!.... For a minute I thought they were talking about members packs!.......
    me too... however, how mobile is that pack going to be? could be interesting... who's on the bench to replace them when they are knackered?

    might have to put some v$ on the force...

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  12. #12
    Legend Contributor slomo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    yanchep...
    Posts
    5,367
    vCash
    190000
    Quote Originally Posted by palitu View Post
    ... who's on the bench to replace them when they are knackered
    former wallaby, and young player of the year in 06, Greg Holmes!.....

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  13. #13
    Veteran TOCC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    QLD
    Posts
    3,597
    vCash
    5000000
    Higginbotham and former tah Beau Robinson are on the bench

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

  14. #14
    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Rockingham
    Posts
    20,508
    vCash
    1296000
    Higgers will be a handful when he comes on, beau will ne as well......until the inevitable carding. He's the Australian Schalk Burgher

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!
    C'mon the

  15. #15
    Senior Player
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Nedlands
    Posts
    884
    vCash
    5000000
    We've beaten teams with "bigger" packs before, like the Waratahs and the Bulls.

    0 Not allowed! Not allowed!

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 7
    Last Post: 20-03-09, 13:36
  2. Waratahs pack won't step back: Baxter
    By mudskipper in forum NSW Waratahs
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 02-02-09, 17:43
  3. Replies: 10
    Last Post: 10-10-08, 11:20
  4. Force unveil moves to defy heavier Tahs pack
    By travelling_gerry in forum Western Force
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 12-04-08, 12:39

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •