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Nick Taylor,
The West Australian
May 13, 2013, 8:15 am
Western Force passports will be tucked away in the bottom drawer for the rest of the Super Rugby season as the club finally gets to play a series of matches at home.
They have four Super games at nib Stadium and the opening clash of the British and Irish Lions tour left to play as well as a bye week.
They desperately want to use the time at home to get off the bottom of the Australian conference but coaching staff and management will also turn their attention to recruitment.
On the player front they seem resigned to losing Wallabies winger Nick Cummins, who looks to have priced himself out from under the Force salary cap.
If Cummins leaves, and with fellow winger Alfie Mafi already cut for disciplinary problems, it adds to the urgency to recruit a big- name outside back.
They are also looking to secure the signature of an experienced second-rower.
Hooker Heath Tessmann, who has been a revelation after joining as cover for the injured Nathan Charles, looks to have played his way into a new contract.
The club is playing a waiting game with about half a dozen offers to be resolved.
One who is in the mix, but may also be hard to squeeze under the salary cap, is Wallabies and Waratahs centre Rob Horne.
They have also begun the search for a new forwards coach to replace Nick Stiles, who leaves for the Queensland Reds next season.
One possibility is former Force hooker Tai McIsaac, who retired in 2009 and is now coaching in Japan.
McIsaac played in every match for the Force after the club's inception in 2006 until his retirement. Like Stiles, McIsaac would be strong in scrum coaching, but would need a line-out expert around him.
The Force's immediate concern is beating the Sharks on Friday night, something they have done only once in seven attempts.
The Durban-based side have injury problems that have brought a big slump in form. They have lost their past five games.
Coach John Plumtree claims his side is "dead in the competition", but he is a master of mind games and knows his side has a mathe- matical chance of making the finals.
Force coach Michael Foley said last year's beaten finalists still had threats across the ground.
"They had a difficult start last year and came home strong," Foley said.
"They are traditionally a tough side and they have had a rough few weeks but some of their lesser- known players have stood up.
"We are aware of their threat at the set piece but they are able to play open rugby and have individuals who can turn games."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ons-for-force/