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Force star wants Super Rugby Pacific title after signing contract extension

(Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Western Force flanker Tim Anstee is eyeing off title success after becoming the latest player to re-sign for the Perth-based franchise.

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Anstee has signed for another two Super Rugby Pacific seasons, while home-grown flanker Kane Koteka has penned a new three-year deal.

The pair are set to be joined by Wallabies hooker Folau Fainga’a, who left the Brumbies earlier this week and will soon be officially unveiled as a Force player.

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Force duo Angus Wagner and Bo Abra signed two-year contract extensions earlier this week, but Jeremy Thrush, Richard Kahui and Greg Holmes have all retired.

Anstee is a former Australian sevens star, but has established himself as a key member of the Force squad during his two years of Super Rugby.

“They (the Force) were the first club to give me an opportunity to play Super Rugby, so it’s great to repay their faith in me and be locked in for another two years,” Anstee said.

“We want to be playing finals and ultimately competing for Super Rugby titles.

“Next year we want more wins on the board and find a way to win those tight games. With a new coach and new faces joining the club it will bring a new dynamic and an edge to the group.”

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Koteka was the first graduate of the Future Force Foundation academy to make a Super Rugby appearance.

Since debuting for the Force against the Hurricanes in 2015, Koteka has made 41 appearances and won the club’s best and fairest award in 2021.

“As a WA local it means a lot to me to continue to play for the Force in front of my family and friends,” Koteka said.

“It was always my goal to represent this club in Super Rugby since I joined the academy when I was 15. To have got to this stage and spent a majority of my career in this environment is massive for me personally.”

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The Force narrowly missed out on a finals berth this year when the Highlanders secured the losing bonus point in their 31-30 loss to the Melbourne Rebels last week.

Simon Cron will coach the Force next year after Tim Sampson’s contract wasn’t renewed.

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AM 38 minutes ago
'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

That's Cron's job though. Australia has had one of the most penalised scrums in international rugby for a long time. Just look at the scrum win loss percentage and scrum penalties. That is your evidence. AA has been the starter during that period. Pretty simple analysis. That Australia has had a poor scrum for a long time is hardly news. If bell and thor are not on the field they are woeful. So you are just plain wrong. They have very little time for the lions so doing the same old things that dont work is not going to get them there.


Ainsley is better than our next best tighthead options and has been playing well at scrum time for Lyon in the most competitive comp in the world. Superstar player? No. But better than the next best options. So that is a good enough guide. The scrummaging in the Prem is pretty good too so there is Sio's proof. Same analysis for him. Certainly better in both cases than Super, where the brumbies had the worst win loss and scrum pen in Super. Who plays there? Ohh yes... And the level of scrummaging in Super is well below the URC, prem and France with the SA teams out.


Nongorr is truly woeful. He's 130kg and gets shoved about. That just should not be happening at that weight for a specialist prop who has always played rugby cf pone with leauge. He has had enough time to develop at 23. You'd be better off with Pone who is at least good around the field for the moment and sending Nongorr on exchange to France or England to see if they can improve him with better coaching as happened with Skelton and Meafou. He isn't going to develop in time in super if he has it at all.


Latu is a better scrummaging hooker than BPA and Nasser. and he's the best aussie player over the ball at ruck time. McReight's super jackling percentage hasnt converted to international level but latu consistently does it at heniken level, which is similar to test level in the big games. With good coaching at La Rochelle he's much improved though still has the odd shocker. He should start the November games.

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