SUPER RUGBY – WEEK 8: QUEENSLAND REDS V WESTERN FORCE
The Western Force has arrived in Brisbane ahead of their Asteron Life Super Rugby Week Eight clash with the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
The Force returns from the bye and will be chasing four consecutive victories for the first time in club’s history when they take on the 2011 Super Rugby champions.
The Western Australian side will be boosted by the return of in-form No.8 Ben McCalman to an otherwise unchanged line-up.
The match will mark the 50th Asteron Life Super Rugby appearances for hooker Nathan Charles and flyhalf Sias Ebersohn, while winger Luke Morahan will face his former Queensland teammates for the first time since joining the Force for the 2014 season.
The Queensland Reds returned from their two-match tour of South Africa last week to account for the Stormers, 22-17, in Brisbane.
In the Queensland line-up, livewire winger Jamie-Jerry Taulagi is set to make his Asteron Life Super Rugby debut on the end of the Reds backline, while on the other wing, Rod Davies is set to play his 50th match for the Reds.
The Western Force recorded its first win in Brisbane (19-12) when they last met the Reds at Suncorp Stadium last year, while nothing could separate them in Perth their second encounter in 2013, with the two sides playing out an 11-all draw.
Queensland Reds v Western Force
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday, 5 April, 2014
Time: 6.40pm (local)/4.40pm (AWST)
Coverage: Live on Fox Sports 2 and 2HD.
Weather Forecast: Min: 20C Max: 29C. Partly cloudy. Isolated showers until evening.
Where to watch in Perth: The Oxford Hotel (368 Oxford St, Leederville)
Official Twitter hashtag: #REDvFOR
Last Meeting: Western Force 11 drew Reds 11 in Perth (2013)
Head to head: Played 11 – Western Force 4; Reds 4; Draw 1
In Brisbane: Played 6 – Western Force 1; Reds 5
Biggest win: Western Force 28 def Reds 3 in Perth (2007)
Biggest loss: Reds 50 def Western Force 10 in Brisbane (2010)
2014 record:
Western Force: Played 5; Won 3, Lost 2; 14pts (8th)
Queensland Reds: Played 6; Won 3, Lost: 3; 14pts (9th)
Western Force:1. Pek Cowan, 2. Nathan Charles, 3. Kieran Longbottom, 4. Sam Wykes, 5. Wilhelm Steenkamp, 6. Angus Cottrell, 7. Matt Hodgson (c), 8. Ben McCalman, 9. Alby Mathewson, 10. Sias Ebersohn, 11. Nick Cummins, 12. Kyle Godwin, 13. Solomoni Rasolea, 14. Luke Morahan, 15. Jayden Hayward. Res: 16. Heath Tessmann, 17. Tetera Faulkner, 18. Ollie Hoskins, 19. Adam Coleman, 20. Brynard Stander, 21. Ian Prior, 22. Zack Holmes, 23. Marcel Brache.
Queensland Reds: 1. James Slipper, 2. James Hanson, 3. Greg Holmes, 4. Rob Simmons, 5. James Horwill (c), 6. Eddie Quirk, 7. Beau Robinson, 8. Jake Schatz, 9. Will Genia, 10. Quade Cooper, 11. Jamie-Jerry Taulagi, 12. Mike Harris, 13. Ben Tapuai, 14. Rod Davies, 15. Ben Lucas. Res: 16. Albert Anae, 17. Pettowa Paraka, 18. Jono Owen, 19. Ed O’Donoghue, 20. Curtis Browning, 21. Nick Frisby, 22. Anthony Fainga’a, 23. Jonah Placid
Referee: Garratt Williamson Assistant Referees: James Lecke, Ian Smith TMO: Steve Leszcynski
Tickets to the Western Force’s home match against the NSW Waratahs on Saturday, 12 April are now available. Tickets can be secured through Ticketmaster
Related Posts
« Vodacom goes behind the scenes and in the change room #vodacomtourphone PINDAN PREMIER GRADE PREVIEW: ROUND 2 »
