Two key inclusions for Force as they look to snap winless start to season
Looking to snap their losing run with a win at home on Saturday evening, the Western Force have been boosted by the return of Sam Spink and Nic White from injury spells.
Nic White is back in the mix after missing the Force’s clash with Moana Pasifika with a swollen knee. The Wallaby will link up with Ben Donaldson in the halves.
Reigning Nathan Sharpe medallist Spink has also recovered from a calf injury to start at outside centre alongside playmaker Hamish Stewart in the midfield.
Sprink’s return has led to a big of a backline reshuffle with Bayley Kuenzle shifting to the right wing and Harry Potter moving to fullback.
Max Burrey and Issak Fines-Leleiwasa have both been moved back to the bench while Super Rugby-winning Crusader Ben Funnell has been called into the matchday squad.
The Western Force have had a tough season to date. After opening their season with a 30-point defeat at home to the Hurricanes, the men from the west couldn’t bounce back against Australian opposition.
Losses to the Force and Brumbies, and then that defeat to Moana Pasifika, have seen the Force anchored to the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific standings.
“They’re a group of hard-working young athletes over there with a search for some identity,” former Wallaby Justin Harrison explained on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven this week.
“Simon Cron came in and talked immediately about the environment and high-performance environment, and having been over there a few times, you look at that training setup and what they’re doing in Western Australia for rugby, it’s absolutely valid what they’re trying to do.
“This last piece now is them coming through that glass ceiling that they have about winning Super Rugby consistently with an identity.
“They’re tough, they’re working hard, but we want them to get a result – we’re desperate for them to get a result.”
But they’ll be up against it in round five, with the Force taking on the high-flying Queensland Reds.
Western Force team to take on Queensland Reds
- Ryan Coxon
- Tom Horton
- Santiago Medrano
- Thomas Franklin
- Jeremy Williams (c)
- Tim Anstee
- Carlo Tizzano
- Will Harris
- Nic White
- Ben Donaldson
- Chase Tiatia
- Hamish Stewart
- Sam Spink
- Bayley Kuenzle
- Harry Potter
Reserves
- Ben Funnell
- Josh Bartlett
- Tiaan Tauakipulu
- Lopeti Faifua
- Reed Prinsep
- Issak Fines-Leleiwasa
- Max Burey
- George Poolman
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All of these media pundits always miss the obvious whenever they analyse what is ailing or assisting the game. Rugby always has contentious points for debate when picking apart individual games and finding fault with itself. All this focus and scrutiny on “speeding up the game”, “high ball in play” etc is all contextual to the fan. As a tv viewer, if you’re absorbed into a game, regardless if your team is playing or not, more ball in play time and action are all byproducts of the contest. A good contest subliminally affects your memory in selectively remembering all the good aspects. A poor contest and your brain has switched off because its a blowout and the result is never in doubt or it’s a real chore to watch and remain engaged throughout. The URC, Top 14 and English premiership are all competitions that feel like there’s real jeopardy each week. The dominance of Super rugby by NZ teams was unhealthy from a sustainable interest perspective. You can’t fault those teams or the players, but the lack of competitions won by SA and Australian teams long term was always going to test the faith and patience of die-hard and casual fans from those regions. SANZAR took their eye off the fans and fans voted with their feet and subscriptions. They were so concerned about expanding their product they forgot the golden rule about broadcasting live sport. Viewers tune in more when there’s an atmosphere and a true contest. You need to fill stadiums to create one, host unions need to do more to service ticket buyers, and this year proves the other, there’s more interest in Super rugby this year only because more games are competitive with less foregone conclusions. All these micro statistics bandied about, only interest the bean counters and trainspotters.
Go to commentsIt’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
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