Seven games. Seven defeats.
Not the return to Super Rugby that many hoped for the Western Force.
I’ll admit, I expected better from the men from Perth, but in retrospect have they performed as expected?
Not even the most ardent Sea of Blue member expected the Force to take Super Rugby AU by storm, top the table and dominate their Australian colleagues. They came out the traps of their first couple of games, catching both the Waratahs and Reds by surprise before succumbing to defeats without clinching losing bonus points.
Of all their fixtures they were unlucky against the Rebels (20-25), but the inability to get in to double figures in three of their seven games is an unfortunate statistic.
There has been some light among the darkness of weekly defeats. The game management of Jono Lance, honed from a stint in Europe, has been welcome, as has the variety and kicking quality of Ian Prior. There has been a noticeable drop in overall quality when either of these two have been injured or out of the team.
(Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Kyle Godwin looks to have learnt a good deal from playing at Connacht, mixing up his game to good effect. Jack McGregor should clearly be the team’s starting fullback, providing a secondary play-making option along with a decent running game.
I had been championing him as a potential Wallabies ten if given a consistent run there in Super Rugby, but his performances have made me re-think this and a future in the 15 jersey is his. That may reduce his chances of Wallaby gold, but that ability to play ten could help clinch one of the 21-23 jerseys.
Not much needs to be said about Byron Ralston. The boy has wheels and knows where the try line is. Although his defence is strong it can be easily worked on with some quality coaching. Maybe he should ask for some advice from hard-hitting Samoan international Henry Taefu, who has been a solid if not spectacular performer in the midfield.
That’s the backs, but what of the forwards?
There have been some stand-out performers among the small numbers. Fergus Lee-Warner has shown strong carrying and tough tackling in every game. Kieran Longbottom, much like Lance, has demonstrated what he’s learnt from his career up north. And back-row players Brynard Stander, Henry Stowers and Kane Koteka have all shown flashes of quality that could become more frequent by consistently competing and this level. Stander and Stowers in particular seem to have that happy knack of being in the right place at the right time. I would love to seem them more frequently.
So it’s not all been smooth for the men from WA. Being on the road throughout the tournament has undoubtedly worked against them, and the years of playing Global Rapid Rugby has meant that standards have dropped slightly. But aside from the hiding provided by the Queensland Reds at Cbus Super Stadium, there are positives that can be taken from performances.
Whatever the future for Super Rugby is, Rugby AU need to bring the Force back in to the fold permanently to make rugby union and truly national sport. Compromise will have to be made on both sides: private equity from Twiggy may have to continue, and people will say that Australian rugby doesn’t have the depth for five teams, but unless opportunities are there how can you grow depth?
Five professional teams able to offer contracts to the best young players is better than four. The key will be for the Force, like their brothers in the east, to configure clear pathways for these players to fulfill their potential, rather than sitting in rugby league, looking to return to union at 24 or 25.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Interesting to read in the Australian that the Force are eyeing a spot in the NZ competition next year ahead of a full TT competition year after!
TJ
Guest
As a force fan living abroad (UK) and needing to wake up well before my Friday night hangover has subsided, I’ve been encouraged by what I’ve seen. Apart from the reds beating we’ve been in each game for 60/80 mins. And some fixtures a bit longer than that (read the disappointment of the loss to the Rebels). I’ve noticed a couple things hurting us: not taking points when on offer off the boot and stupid f-ing penalties. We seem to get in good position then not just create an unforced turnover but then give away a dumb penalty to completely take the pressure off the oppo. I’ve said it a couple times, but that comes largely down to conditioning. You do dumb things when you’re tired and that’s been an Achilles of the Force in this comp. Lee-Warner, Ralston, Koteka, Pek Cowan, Atkins and Godwin have shown plenty. I much prefer McGregor at FB than 10. He doesn’t have that crisp pass you want in a 10.
piru
Roar Rookie
My oft repeated mantra is that Aussie Rugby people always want quick, if not instant, results. 100%, you've only got to see the chopping and changing of the ARC and NRC for proof.
piru
Roar Rookie
* junior, not school
piru
Roar Rookie
More registered rugby players in WA my foot. Victoria has three odd divisions of teams plus schools. WA has five senior divisions plus five school divisions.
gatesy
Roar Guru
Force were already doing a lot of the development stuff when they were booted last time, and in my view should never have been. My oft repeated mantra is that Aussie Rugby people always want quick, if not instant, results. You have to give things time to develop. Let's accept the fact that NSW and Qld believe that they have a god given right to be the arbiters of whatever happens in Rugby. We get that and after 25 years, the Brumbies, probably the most consistent and successful of the SR franchises have not won universal acceptance - we get it - the "outsiders" will never be shown that generosity of spirit that they should be. The Qld and NSW Unions have a 100 or so years headstart, but if we don't share the experience, as well as the largesse, around, we will still be having this conversation in another 100 years. Other states can develop nursery schools and academies and players, in the professional era should not be concerned about tribalism. When a kid is breaking into the big time in the US in the major league sports, he goes where he can get the best deal. That should be our thinking. I would love to see the universities here, offering scholarships and actively recruiting to their local SR franchise, and running the academies and, over time, even out the playing fields.
Ex force fan
Guest
Improving the Canes, Chiefs and Highlanders by distributing talent across franchises at the cost of the Blues helped NZ dominate World Rugby and win two World Cups. Instead of warming the bench of play club rugby their best players played Superugby. I think Australia will be better with 5 strong and competitive franchises like NZ. With the current mentality you will have to wait 5-10 years for WA and Victoria to improve their local competition so that they can also deliver the number and quality of players that the heartlands deliver - if ever.
hannesbarnard@gmail.com
Guest
AndyS. I read this article today about South Africa giving up on Superugby to join Pro16. Superugby may look very different when COVID restrictions are lifted. https://www.rugbypass.com/news/how-would-the-top-south-african-teams-cope-in-the-pro-14/
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
IIRC, the Force are the only Australian SR team to ever sell out a stadium for a regular season game (not the finals - GIO has sold out for finals) when they played the Crusaders in 2011
Ex force fan
Guest
It is a neutral venue. You are not home unless you sleep in your bed, next to your partner, spend time with your family and know all the intricacies of the field you play at. At least both teams play away, so the games between the Rebels and Force will be played at a neutral venue and no-one will benefit from the location.
Ex force fan
Guest
Thanks Jeznez. That is a lot of votes. The focus is on growing the number of teams, with no extra votes for having a Superugby franchise. In Souh Africa you also don’t get extra votes for having a Superugby franchise. It is a strange concept that a Superugby team has the same vote as a state like WA.
Ex force fan
Guest
Sorry mate merit didn’t play a role in the decision. RA tricked WA Rugby into handing over their operating license and that allowed then to axe the Force. As RA didn’t own the licenses of any of the other franchises they could not axe them as the courts would have overturned that decision.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Their 26 provinces are classified as Affiliated Bodies, they get votes based on the number of teams they run from secondary schools and older. From the NZRU constitution: 6.1 Voting Entitlements: The only persons entitled to vote at a General Meeting or in a postal vote are the Affiliated Bodies. The voting rights of each Affiliated Body at a General Meeting or in a postal vote are as follows: (a) each Affiliated Union having less than 60 affiliated teams has two votes; (b) each Affiliated Union having between 60 and 89 affiliated teams (inclusive) has three votes; (c) each Affiliated Union having between 90 teams and 119 affiliated teams (inclusive) has four votes; (d) each Affiliated Union having between 120 teams and 169 affiliated teams (inclusive) has five votes; (e) each Affiliated Union having between 170 teams and 224 affiliated teams (inclusive) has six votes; (f) each Affiliated Union having 225 or more affiliated teams has seven votes; and (g) New Zealand Maori Rugby Board Incorporated has two votes.
Ex force fan
Guest
Thank you for the post, however I think RA didn’t understand the importance of a professional rugby team for the game in Melbourne and/or Perth. If they did in 2017 they would not have been so eager to axe a team from Superugby but would have worked harder to find a better solution. I also expect that the other partners in SANZAAR now understand that axing a team in Australia will set off a chain of events that didn’t benefit their partnership or the SANZAAR competitions. Some rugby supporters still don’t get it, however I am encouraged by some of the recents posts on roar. I would not like to see the Rebels, Force or Brumbies cut but rather that we except that these teams are needed and rather how we can help them to get competitive quicker. A draft system and salary cap limit that allow for the increase difficulty to attract new players to these franchises will be a positive step. However their focus should be on prioritising home grown talent and we should give them time (5-10 years).
Ex force fan
Guest
I wonder how NZ votes work? They seems to do a better job at spreading their talent and also have more stability in their administration.
hannesbarnard@gmail.com
Guest
If SANZAR is reinstated I think Superugby will look very different. It has to at least pay for itself and it is very expensive. South Africa is already planning to join Pro(x) and many of their provinces are bankrupt or on the brink of bankruptcy. Hopefully we can make room for the Force as I think they have a future with a Twiggy Forrest’s financial backing. If he put his money in GRR, the players for that competition will come from the players that now play Superugby. Australia rugby is too small to compete with itself.
Mothy23
Roar Rookie
No we all didn’t turn up! Wasn’t a force only problem! Rebels even when flying didn’t have big crowds! The force was just the team that was knifed! I was mortified over the years turning up to Melbourne, BRisbane and Sydney expecting to see bigger crowds- not always away games for the force! The crowds were embarrassing! The worst night I remember at home was a 7800 crowd at NIB! In torrential rain! Most games were over 11000 but I remember the hey days of Subi and the 25000 to 30000 crowds. The move to NiB kept us to 22000 I think and can be corrected here -2016! The crowds were no worse and in fact usually better crowds than Melbourne or ACT even Tahs games. That’s if rebs even published them! We can blame each other but the thing is no one has the fortitude to be into things for the long haul so growing the game will always be in jeopardy!
You know why!
Guest
You did not turn up enough and buy enough Foxtel subscriptions in WA THAT IS WHY! More registered rugby players in WA my foot. Victoria has three odd divisions of teams plus schools. Turn it up. You were cut because you were the weakest link. End of story.
AndyS
Guest
Sorry, intended as a reply to Hannes...
AndyS
Guest
I'd say that is almost certain if SANZAR can be reinstated and SR resumed, likely if a trans-Tasman comp is set up long term, and a very interesting situation if RA decides to go for SRau on an ongoing basis