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The Force are my number two team after my beloved Brumbies, but if they can beat the Brums, then the Reds in the next two weeks, all hail Australian rugby, all hail Tim Sampson, all hail Twiggy Forrest and his dedicated team.
I would rejoice in any result other than the Reds winning it, and no disrespect to them, as they have fully deserved their position this year. Brad Thorn and his coaching and leadership group deserve the highest of accolades. Just don’t want you to beat my team(s).
A year that also, sadly, put the Waratahs right back in their box. It is where they deserve to be because the only meaningful way to see up is to be looking up from the bottom.
Hard decisions to be made there, but are we confident that they will?
The Rebels have a way to go but there is not that much that they need to do to improve. Maybe get a bigger pack?
But for the Force to be the only team to beat the Reds this year and the Brums to have lost twice to them, there is a magnificent dynamic going on.
A full-strength Force team is a bookie’s enigma.
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I have been able to rebuild my stricken, ailing Sportsbet account this year to a reasonable level mainly because the competition has been reasonably predictable up to this point and I am proud to say that, at the start of the season, I took a shot and backed the Force to make the finals.
Now, the cat is firmly among the pigeons! The bookies may have won back the edge.
Great to see Rob Kearney back. One can only imagine that he has really put in this year.
Jordan Olowofela (and I’m sure he is, indeed a good fella) couldn’t have arrived on the scene at a better time, and the Argentine Brigade has also found its feet.
Richard Kahui and the other former Test players – you cannot underestimate their influence – even Tevita Kuridrani, who had a quiet start to the season, is now stepping up and in and making some influential decisions in the midfield.
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I’m excited about Tim Anstee and I hope Dave Rennie gives him a shot at glory. Brynard Stander is great and right across the park, all of the others seem to have nailed their jobs.
I can’t wait for the Brums to win it, but there are a lot of permutations to come in the meantime. If the Force is with us, then I am a contented watcher.
