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It’s the flyhalf curse the Western Force just can’t seem to shake. The No.10 jersey has been somewhat of a revolving door since the club’s inception in 2006, with only Matt Giteau able to put a genuine stamp on the position during his three years in Perth.
Twelve other players have come and gone over the past six years, with the most recent being Willie Ripia, who quit the club in disgrace early this year.
Ripia – battling a gambling addiction – was allegedly caught on CCTV stealing from team-mates, making his position at the club untenable.
Although the Force are close to naming Ripia’s replacement, the New Zealander’s swift exit so close to the start of the season means scrumhalf James Stannard will start as the incumbent No.10, with uncapped 21-year-old Ben Seymour his back-up.
Stannard performed well in the key playmaker’s role at the tail-end of last season, and coach Richard Graham is adamant Ripia’s departure hasn’t left the club vulnerable.
“It’s not unsettling,” Graham said.
“The way I approach a pre-season is November’s all about strength and conditioning, so we actually hadn’t done a lot of rugby prior to Willie’s departure.
“So it wasn’t like we’d settled on combinations and were relying on one bloke to run the team.
“James Stannard played the back-end of last season and I think he took a lot of confidence from those last five games and established a real level of trust and confidence in the team.”
The Force finished a disappointing 12th last year, managing just five wins, two draws and nine losses.
But Graham is quick to point out his injury-ravaged squad still managed to lead after 65 minutes in 11 of their 16 games.
The Force, despite boasting some of the finest talents in the country, have failed to reach the finals in their six completed seasons.
And after losing star Wallaby James O’Connor to the Melbourne Rebels, the ‘F’ word isn’t readily being thrown about by Graham, despite the addition of exciting Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga.
New captain David Pocock, who takes over the reins from Nathan Sharpe, is a bit more bullish, saying the time is right for the club to embark on a period of sustained success.
“There’s no secrets we’ve underachieved over the past few years and we know that ourselves,” Pocock said.
“We are putting pressure on ourselves to achieve.”
The Force boast one of the most formidable forward packs in the competition, with Wallabies Salesi Ma’afu and Pek Cowan propping up the front row, veteran Sharpe controlling the line-out, and Wallaby trio Matt Hodgson, Pocock and Ben McCalman doing the bash and crash in the back row.
Although the Force lack genuine starpower in their backline, Graham believes the increased depth will hold the team in good stead.
And if a bit of belated luck on the injury front should finally fall the Force’s way, Graham is optimistic his team can cause some major damage in 2012.
Western Force
Finishes over the past three seasons: 2011 – 12th, 2010 – 13th, 2009 – 8th
Coach: Richard Graham
Captain: David Pocock
Gains: Angus Cottrell (West Brisbane), Toby Lynn (Chiefs), Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies), Salesi Manu (Warringah), Lachlan McCaffrey (Waratahs), Napolioni Nalaga (Clermont), Jordan Rapana (Gold Coast), Ben Seymour (Manly), Winston Stanley (Blues), Elvis Taione (Manly), Will Tupou (North Queensland), Sam Wara (Northern Suburbs), Tetera Faulkner (Southern Districts).Losses: James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), Mark Bartholomeusz (retired), Matt Dunning (retired), Tim Fairbrother (Harlequins), Tom Hockings (axed), Mitch Inman (Melbourne Rebels), Willie Ripa (quit), David Smith (Toulon), Tevita Metuisela (Waratahs), Paul Alo-Emile (Melbourne Rebels), Jono Jenkins (axed), Mark Swanepoel (axed), Ryan Tyrrell (Cardiff Blues)
One to watch: James Stannard – How will the former Australian Sevens star handle a full-time switch from scrumhalf to five-eighth?
Best team: Cameron Shepherd, Napolioni Nalaga, Patrick Dellit, Gene Fairbanks, Nick Cummins, James Stannard, Brett Sheehan, Ben McCalman, David Pocock, Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe, Sam Wykes, Salesi Ma’afu, Nathan Charles, Pek Cowan.Bench: Ben Whittaker, Kieran Longbottom, Toby Lynn, Richard Brown, Justin Turner, Rory Sidey, Winston Stanley.
Predicted Australian conference finish: 5th
Betting: $51
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