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The Western Force host their first game this season against the table-topping Hurricanes who have come away from their South African tour with two wins out of two. Join us for live scores and commentary from 9:45pm AEDT.
The Hurricanes have won the last six meetings between these two, which actually doesn’t say that much, because the last time these two met was in 2013.
Still, the Hurricanes, currently second, will be hoping to extend their stay at the top of the table.
The Western Force were a tad disappointing against the Reds last week. Beating the Hurricanes will go some way to proving that last year’s good form wasn’t a blip, and that their win against the Waratahs wasn’t because the Tahs had an off day.
The Force left Lang Park last week with an undesirably long list of walking wounded. Francois van Wyk, Chris Alcock, Matt Hodgson, Dane Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman are all worse for wear and will be sitting out this game. But, and that’s a big but, talisman Pek Cowan will return to bolster the Sandgropers, who currently have the worst set-piece success rates (69 per cent for scrums and 59 per cent for lineouts).
The other big news for the Force is that winger Nick Cummins has been ruled out of this game, Michael Foley preferring the Honey Badger rest and recuperate for the Brumbies game next weekend. Presumably though, morale at the Force camp has shot upwards like a NASA space launch since Cummins returned from Japan last Saturday.
The Hurricanes on the other hand have been racking up both competition and frequent flyer points. The ‘Canes were sprightly in beating the Lions away 22-8, before getting across the line in Pretoria against the Bulls, 17-13.
Coming off their South African tour, Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has rather predictably rotated personnel for this game, making five changes. Captain Conrad Smith has been rested, and in his place Dane Coles will skipper the side, his first time doing so. TJ Perenara has been benched, while All Black Victor Vito will start his first game of his season at number 8.
Prediction
Pek might fix things, but the Force’s mess of a scrum combined with the Hurricanes’ monstrously good backline puts the Force in deficit on two crucial areas.
But the Force have hope: the Hurricanes will undoubtedly be weary from travelling for three rounds, have changed their team and winning formula, and the ‘Fremantle Doctor’ can do crazy things to the unaware.
Hurricanes by 10.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.