Western Force Team named for game v Reds

[Jules]

Could have been the rebels if they managed a late try. They are getting better and better each week!!
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[chibi]

Think Jacobs is a bit of a strange choice, given that Dellit could have played there and Stubbs on wing.

Yeah, it's an odd one. If they're not going to play Rasolea there, I'd like to see Dellit back in that spot too. Stubbs is an automatic choice for me now, but hey we're not the coach.

Very happy that Alcock is starting - he's going to have a blinder

So am I! Why don't they give this guy more game time?

I'll put it to the pundits on this forum, would this forward line-up work?

4.Rory Walton
5.Ben McCalman
6.Matt Hodgson
7.Chris Alcock
8.Richard Brown

Is there a balance problem there? Speed? Line-out deficiency?
I'm curious to hear some thoughts.

As for the backs, I can understand the need for giving them a rocket; but is really necessary to have a knee-jerk reaction and make frivolous changes because of one bad performance? I thought we found something effective with Rasolea and Godwin together. Hayward was looking promising. Norton-Knight surprised me (in a good way) with his displays recently. I don't know whether chopping and changing is the right option. It reminds me of those panicky decisions John Hart used to make with the All Blacks, all of a sudden Cullen was in the centres, Wilson was at fullback, Umaga on the wing, everybody was out of position for no good reason and they lacked fluency and sucked. If Norton-Knight is playing, leave him at fly-half and let the partnership between him and Godwin develop. Last week was a blip, there is potential there.

Pick 'em all again, give 'em all a kick in the pants and tell 'em to make it work this week! Otherwise, what? Everytime we lose we have to change the side's structure again? Are we gonna have different midfield combinations every week? A new half-pairing again? A new centre pairing again? Really?

[GIGS20]

1. Pek Cowan v Greg Holmes
2. Heath Tessmann v Saia Faingaa
3. Kieran Longbottom v Albert Anae
4. Toby Lynn v Rob Simmons
5. Sam Wykes v James Horwill
6. Matt Hodgson (c) v Ed Quirk
7. Chris Alcock v Liam Gill
8. Ben McCalman v Jake Shatz
9. Alby Mathewson v Will Genia
10. Sias Ebersohn v Quade Cooper
11. Nick Cummins v Digby Ioane
12. Kyle Godwin v Ben Tapuai
13. Ben Jacobs v Anthony Faingaa
14. Patrick Dellit v Dom Shipperly
15. Sam Norton-Knight v Jono Lance

Reserves
16. James Hilterbrand v James Hanson
17. Tetera Faulkner v James Slipper
18. Rory Walton v Ed O'Donoghue
19. Richard Brown v Jarrad Butler
20. Brett Sheehan v Beau Robinson
21. Junior Rasolea v Ben Lucas
22. Jayden Hayward v Chris Feauai-Sautia

1 Even
2 Win for us
3 Reds might have it
4 My mum plays better than Simmons
5 We lose this one significantly
6 I reckon this is Hodgeo's best possy, hopefully he hasn;t lost too much weight
7 Shading towards Alcock
8 Don't think Benny's quick enough here
9 Interesting battle, If Wills on his game we'll lose here, but Alby could be enough of a nuisance to tip the balance
10 Quade is better than Sias, no question, but this one depends on the 9s If Alby disrupts enough of Quades pill Sias will have the kicking game to handle it
11 Hopefully Digby is already in Japan, Nick playing for a Wallabies spot with Digby looking overseas
12 Kyle's good, but not Tapuaii good
13 Don't know, but Faingaa is dependable, Reds win here
14 Shipperley's all class Dellit will be embarrassing
15 Even though it's only Jono Lance, with Quade dropping back to counter I think Sam is in trouble

Overall, If we can beat their pack in the breakdown their massive advantage in the backs won't come into play......but every team in the world knows that about the Reds and they still keep on winning.

We're toast!

[SNOB]

Shit Gigs I wish you hadn't done that! Now I know I was just dreaming!
But who really knows maybe we will do a 'Saders on them. I hope!😃

[GIGS20]

That's all the hope I've got Snob, However I think we're a chance if we can gain enough dominance in the Pack. For all their bleating about the quality of their forwards, that is where the Reds are fragile. The front row are plainly amateur (yes I know Tic and TOCC will come in and talk about how many Wallabies caps they have, but for the life of me I can't figure out how Saia keeps his...as for the others, one or two here and there doesn't count for anything much, and we match that anyway)

Our back row, frankly, towels theirs, and the locks, well Horwill is a legend, you can't doubt that but Simmons is an overrated grub, shame Wykes isn't playing well at the moment, because it'll make Rob look better than he is.

Ad some dominance there to an agressive and nuggety pair of Scrumhalves, intent on making Will Genia have a very poor game and we might just sneak away with another upset.

Who said I was a pessimist?

[TOCC]

Lol, did you really just call some of the Reds players amateurs?

I like your sense of irony Gigs..

[GIGS20]

So you're still going to peddle the argument that their forwards are up to the standard?

Jeez I hope they believe you!

[CunnamullaFulla]

The Reds pack has beaten 4 very 'ard kiwi teams

The Force have won 4/5ths of fark all

Wykes is a soft c--t. He isn't super rugby standard and he looks like a very ugly girl. I've seen women rugby players who are tougher.

The Force backline is another joke compared with a Reds team that can take any defence in the world apart.

Delit is too slow for wing

Stubbs has been going well and gets dropped.

Some bloke who is a waratah has-been heneverwas who got off the plane on Tuesday is in the starting team fresh out of under 15's in japan

That'll dead set do me

Reds by 50

[Nipper]

Wondering what the hell CTM did, to not even get a sniff of a spot in the 22 (ever).

If he's injured, so be it. If not, why isn't he getting a run to see what he can do? If he's not injured, that's somewhat of a strong message (read, slap in the face) to have Jacobs brought in, isn't it?

[SNOB]

A bit of Cunny is ok!
But at the moment and up until 5.40 tomorrow I believe we can do it. The same as all those other members of the "SEA OF BLUE" but I hope they all get deli belly, get kept awake all night, the coach breaks down, the rescue coach gets a flat and we get a win because of a no show! WE WIN

[SNOB]

CTM hasn't been mentioned by Foley that I have heard , maybe he isn't up to S15 at this time?
.

[chibi]

No news on CTM from the club scene?

[Nipper]

1 Even
10 Quade is better than Sias, no question, but this one depends on the 9s If Alby disrupts enough of Quades pill Sias will have the kicking game to handle it
11 Hopefully Digby is already in Japan, Nick playing for a Wallabies spot with Digby looking overseas
12 Kyle's good, but not Tapuaii good
13 Don't know, but Faingaa is dependable, Reds win here
14 Shipperley's all class Dellit will be embarrassing
15 Even though it's only Jono Lance, with Quade dropping back to counter I think Sam is in trouble

Overall, If we can beat their pack in the breakdown their massive advantage in the backs won't come into play......but every team in the world knows that about the Reds and they still keep on winning.

Looking at the backrow and backline selections, I'm starting to speculate that they plan to kick it to the shithouse and try to cause holy hell at the breakdowns. Don't expect to see much attack out of them. If it works, great - but it won't be pretty!

[SNOB]

And maybe they aren't going to kick at all!
Was it only last week and the Blues? I think!
I have often thought over the years that if we DIDN'T have people kicking out of hand we could/would have won.
Sorry getting maudlin!

[GIGS20]

Looking at the backrow and backline selections, I'm starting to speculate that they plan to kick it to the shithouse and try to cause holy hell at the breakdowns. Don't expect to see much attack out of them. If it works, great - but it won't be pretty!

My first instinct is to scream don't kick the ball to them, with Cooper and Shipperley running at them in counterattack it could be disastrous. If it hadn't been for the fact that they kicked it to Israel Dagg all night and shut him down nicely I would still be kent to do that, but it appears that is a strategy which might just work.

Can't for the life of me figure out how though!