Foley names same 15
Western Force coach Michael Foley has named the same starting side for consecutive games for the first time this season as he prepares for tomorrow night’s Super Rugby clash with the Sharks in Durban.
He has made just one change to his reserves bench where full-back Dane Haylett-Petty returns from a broken foot sustained in round one against the Waratahs to replace centre Junior Rasolea.
Captain Matt Hodgson, who is expected to return from a hamstring injury after next week’s bye, said it was pleasing to see combinations coming together despite the last-minute one-point loss to the Bulls.
“It is good to see some consistency and reward for the boys’ efforts against the Bulls,” Hodgson said.
“It showed that combinations are working, especially the centres (Kyle Godwin and Luke Burton). It’s good to see faith in the 15 boys that showed up against the Bulls.
“If we come out firing in that first 20 minutes and shock the Sharks the way we did the Bulls and with a bit more discipline we’ll go a long way to winning.”
The Force have lost seven of the eight games played against the Sharks, including a six-match losing streak that stretches back to 2007.
However, they have been boosted by the Sharks resting three Springboks — flanker Marcell Coetzee, scrum-half Cobus Reinach and fly-half Pat Lambie — under an agreement with the South African Rugby Union to keep key players fresh ahead of the World Cup.
Lambie has scored 90 points — just 10 less than the Force’s season total — and Coetzee is Super Rugby’s joint-top try scorer and top-scoring forward with four in six games.
Sharks captain and hooker Bismarck du Plessis is also out, banned for four weeks for kicking Chiefs No. 8 Michael Leitch in the face last weekend.
The Sharks have made six changes to the team that beat the Chiefs with Jean Deysel making a return as stand-in captain.
They have named Frans Steyn at fly-half but he must face a bizarre appeal by SANZAR this afternoon against a ruling by their own judiciary after he was cleared of dangerous play.
SANZAR judicial hearing chairman Jannie Lubbe found Steyn not guilty after he was sent off by referee Angus Gard-ner for an alleged tip tackle on Aaron Cruden.
The Sharks are expected to appeal against the move and it is understood they want the hearing moved to next week, claiming Steyn will need to prepare for the Force game.
Sharks full-back SP Marais said the side would cope with the enforced changes.
TODAY: Hurricanes v Rebels,
Reds v Lions
TOMORROW: Chiefs v Cheetahs, Highlanders v Stormers, Waratahs v Blues, Sharks v Force, Bulls v Crusaders
