• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Round 10: Western Force - Bulls

TRF_Ezequiel

TRF_Ezequiel

Kanko Krazy!!!
TRF Legend
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
7,386
Country Flag
Netherlands
Club or Nation
Sharks
Force.png
Versus%20Super.png
Bulls.png



The Western Force... They seem to be a team who struggle to keep their players bound to the franchise. Drew Mitchell moved to the Waratahs in 2010, Ryan Cross did the same a year later while Matt Giteau left the side in 2009 to move back to the Brumbies. Just some names of players who the Force could use in their battle to improve. James O'Connor is the next one in line to move, so it seems. Both the Reds and the Brumbies seem to be serious contenders to sign the utility back. The Justin Bieber look-a-like has a good friendship with Quade Cooper and my money is on the Reds. But where does that leave the Force? This season they are 13th with only 2 wins and a draw. If things don't improve, the Force will never be a serious contender for the play offs. When playing the Bulls this weekend, anything is possible. Having beaten them in 2007 in Pretoria (27-30) and in 2008 in Perth (15-14) it gives them a 40% win rate in 5 matches. Can they do it again and make it 50/50? Last weekend they beat the Brumbies who have to be careful not to end up last in the conference.

The Bulls have been suffering massive losses against the Crusaders, in which they failed to score a single point, and the Reds in which they conceded 6 tries. What can the Pretoria side still do? They are 8 points behind the Sharks, who are in 6th on the overall log. Can they beat the Force and grab that last spot for the play offs still? Or do they lose and focuss on next season? Gurthro Steenkamp, Victor Matfield, Gary Botha, Bakkies Botha and Fourie du Preez all leave the Transvaal franchise at the end of the year. This year the Bulls don't seem to be able to retain their ***le despite the signing of Currie Cup try-scoring recordholder Bjorn Basson from the Griquas. Basson scored 2 tries against the Reds but it wasn't enough. Is it the age of the experienced players? Or are they simply not hungry anymore? Having won 3 ***les since 2007 and several Currie Cups, it seems that they don't feel the need to do it yet again.

History shows the Bulls won 3 and lost 2. In Perth they won the first encounter in 2006 (21-30) and the last one last year (15-28). What will it be this time?



* The Western Force have only been playing Super Rugby since the expansion to 14 teams in 2006.
 
'Mon the Force, though I think the Bulls will come out with a greater intensity in the last few matches, they know that this match will define their season, they lose and they won't make the play-offs, they win and they still have a very slim outside chance

Isn't Pocock due back soon?
 
I can't see the Bulls make the play-offs even if they manage to win here and I'm not confident.

The other play-off contenders are just better placed; Crusaders/Sharks/Reds/Blues/Stormers/Waratahs are my picks for the final 6 in that order. Bulls and Highlanders might sneak in past the Waratahs or the Stormers if we tour badly but I'd pick the Highlanders ahead of the Bulls.

As for this match... I'll reserve my prediction until I see who the ref is its that close IMO though I am leaningt towards a home victory for teh Force.
 
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), Julian Pritchard (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)
 
I'll have to wait for the line ups to make a prediction, but if there is time the Force can take out the Bulls, it is now. (At the end of the Bulls long tour)

Good to see Mark Lawrence reffing, he is usually pretty good.
 
I think Mark Lawrence is an underrated referee. He's pretty good and very reliable.
 
Yea. It's a shame he didn't make the WC team. His game management skills are second to none.
 
Well, Craig Joubert and Jonathan Kaplan are part of the World Cup as 2 South African referees. I would have preferred Marius Jonker or Mark Lawrence in stead of Kaplan
 
It annoys me that the Force's backline is so talented with the likes of O' Connor, Smith, Ripia, Shepherd and Cummins, their back row is arguably the best in super rugby when Pocock is there and old Nathan Sharpe is still proving so effective at the centre of the pack, and yet we still don't manage to deliver. I mean, we lost by 1 point to both the Reds and the Rebels! Just need to see these games off better i think, and if we can do that against the Bulls then we should get a win.
 
RAWWeyman said:
It annoys me that the Force's backline is so talented with the likes of O' Connor, Smith, Ripia, Shepherd and Cummins, their back row is arguably the best in super rugby when Pocock is there and old Nathan Sharpe is still proving so effective at the centre of the pack, and yet we still don't manage to deliver. I mean, we lost by 1 point to both the Reds and the Rebels! Just need to see these games off better i think, and if we can do that against the Bulls then we should get a win.
Click to expand...

I feel a lot of the Force's problems are due to a lack of depth, and relatively high injury toll. Though do have some very good players in the backline - the Shepherds, Cummins, O'Connors - there is a big drop down from their top players to the next players in line. For example this week Patrick Dellit and Rory Sidey in the backline - not saying they are not talented young players, just that they aren't proven Super Rugby players. I personally don't think Ripia was a good buy for the Force; he's a serviceable Super Rugby player (at best), but he's not likely going to lead a team to a championship (or even that many wins). Indeed the Force look far more effective with O'Connor at 10.

The Force do struggle a bit up front. Cowan, Fairbrother, and Dunning are ok props, but the best they can every hope for is parity with the oppostion. I do like the both young hookers though. As you said, the loose-forwards are probably a strength, though the loss of Pocock has been huge... they need to get him (and Hodgson) back as soon as possible.

Onto the game: I wouldn't be surprised if the Force manage to take this game. The Bulls don't seem to be the same team they were last year, and will be undoubtedly tired after their tour. I really think it could go either way.
 
good game so far but the bulls don't look like the champions by the way they are playing
 
darwin_23 said:
I feel a lot of the Force's problems are due to a lack of depth, and relatively high injury toll. Though do have some very good players in the backline - the Shepherds, Cummins, O'Connors - there is a big drop down from their top players to the next players in line. For example this week Patrick Dellit and Rory Sidey in the backline - not saying they are not talented young players, just that they aren't proven Super Rugby players. I personally don't think Ripia was a good buy for the Force; he's a serviceable Super Rugby player (at best), but he's not likely going to lead a team to a championship (or even that many wins). Indeed the Force look far more effective with O'Connor at 10.

The Force do struggle a bit up front. Cowan, Fairbrother, and Dunning are ok props, but the best they can every hope for is parity with the oppostion. I do like the both young hookers though. As you said, the loose-forwards are probably a strength, though the loss of Pocock has been huge... they need to get him (and Hodgson) back as soon as possible.

Onto the game: I wouldn't be surprised if the Force manage to take this game. The Bulls don't seem to be the same team they were last year, and will be undoubtedly tired after their tour. I really think it could go either way.
Click to expand...


I think you are absolutely right, It's been a shame for us to have so many injuries - and I agree there are a few weak links in the backline that really can let the whole team down. Having said that it was a fantastic win for us, even though in my opinion players like Ripia not having the best of games but in the end we managed to see off this match in the last quarter which was what we needed to do all season.
 
RAWWeyman said:
I think you are absolutely right, It's been a shame for us to have so many injuries - and I agree there are a few weak links in the backline that really can let the whole team down. Having said that it was a fantastic win for us, even though in my opinion players like Ripia not having the best of games but in the end we managed to see off this match in the last quarter which was what we needed to do all season.
Click to expand...

Great to see the Force win a close match! Unfortunately for them they have to play a Crusaders team that will undoubtedly be fired up by their loss to the Highlanders...
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

TRF_Cymro
Jane to join Western Force?
Replies
4
Views
2K
Seaton
Seaton
TRF_Cymro
Lynn agrees Western Force switch
Replies
12
Views
2K
Larksea
L
Sker
Stormers vs Western Force
Replies
7
Views
2K
TRF_stormer2010
TRF_stormer2010
Hulk Hogan
Western Force part ways with James O'Connor
2
Replies
34
Views
4K
lucky number 7
lucky number 7
cyRil
Western Force v Sharks; Sharks maul frustrated Force
Replies
6
Views
2K
Ostrayian
Ostrayian

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Latest posts

Top