WHAT THE???

[Happy]

It doesn't matter if you're 5th or 14th.

not so .. there is one noticeable difference !!!

[Bacon]

I've watched other teams compete in the semis every year, and in teh next few years I hope to see the Force there.

Face it Bacon - you've got nothing...

That's only because you have some faint hope of making the semis. You'll come to understand in time, like in a few weeks.

[Terri]

Oh shoosh - play nice boys or I'll have to impliment that wooden spoon

[Darren]

That's only because you have some faint hope of making the semis. You'll come to understand in time, like in a few weeks.

You just don't get it.

[Burgs]

Flash spoon Happy!

Actually been offline for a bit shasta
Still a bit cranky at them, I can't believe that the way they played was to any game plan that Mitch sent them out there to play.
As for O'Young, that was more about hardening up #12 with MacKay and then what to do with the million dollar man. I don't particularly rate Gits at #10 and Hilgs has done little wrong there so, at the risk of causing the Earth to topple from its axis, I thought it better to have him at #9 than #21.
Going on the past season and a half I would never expect Mitch to make such a radical move, even getting a small change normally takes an injury!
Even in the cold light of day though, I would still prefer to see a bigger, stronger player at #12, I don't see Pelesasa as a starting #12 (#13 maybe but then you have the Cross issue) and I don't rate Giteau at #10.

Interesting article by Spiro, in part regarding exploiting Giteau's defence, on the weekend:

http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/ar...971023265.html

Just as he did with developing a system of play to beat the huge South African sides (keep the ball in play and run them around with a fast, athletic pack), the master coach Robbie Deans has devised a way of beating the Force.

It was noticeable that whenever he could, Aaron Mauger ran straight at Matt Giteau's outside shoulder.
When he made the tackle Giteau took himself out of play and, therefore, was not available to use any turnover ball.

As Giteau is their playmaker, the Force were reduced to barging ahead with the ball with him out of the play.
This tactic of making Giteau do a lot of tackling had the effect also of taking the fizz out of his attacking play.

The irony with all of this is that the Force used exactly the same tactic last year to unsettle the Crusaders at Perth.
Scott Staniforth played the Mauger role for the Force with an outstanding display of inside-centre play.

Unfortunately, the Force have resisted the obvious in converting Staniforth into an Australian version of Tana Umaga, a winger turned rampant centre, and playing Giteau as a running halfback.

It will be interesting to see if the Waikato Chiefs, a team with finals pretensions, copy the Crusaders' system for defeating the Force.
And come Bledisloe Cup time, if Giteau is selected in the centres for the Wallabies, whether the All Blacks and Springboks borrow from the Deans style book, as well.