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'We're here to win': Former All Black's warning as Western Force prepare for Super Rugby return

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks lock Jeremy Thrush believes the Western Force’s raft of youngsters will blossom in Australia’s new domestic rugby competition.

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The Force will enter Super Rugby AU with the most inexperienced squad and they are the hot early favourites to take out the wooden spoon.

Thrush is well placed to judge the Force’s youngsters after joining the franchise two years ago to play in Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby.

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The 35-year-old, who played 12 tests for the All Blacks and 110 Super Rugby games for the Hurricanes, didn’t want to single out any individuals for praise, fearing it would heap too much pressure on them.

But he’s confident the team’s batch of youngsters will thrive on the big stage.

“There’s a few players that have come over here in the last couple of years that might not have got a chance in their state, or were looked over and slipped by,” Thrush said.

“They’ve learnt how to be more of a professional rugby player within our environment at the Force and they’ve just grown.

“They’ve blossomed into some pretty tidy footballers. That’s probably one of the biggest things I’m excited about – letting them get the exposure at that next level to know that they can do it and I know they can do it.

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“They just need that chance to go out there and have a crack.”

Lock Ben Grant, scrumhalf Jacob Abel, prop Victor Harris, lock Jackson Pugh, prop Angus Wagner and flyhalf Nick Jooste are among the emerging players who will be keen to make their mark.

The arrival of Kyle Godwin, Jono Lance and Greg Holmes has added class and experience to the youthful Force squad.

But the odds are still well and truly stacked against the Force, not that Thrush is paying much attention to the dire predictions.

“We’re not here just to be invited to make up numbers so that there’s an extra game on TV,” Thrush said.

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“We’re here to push ourselves and compete to win.”

The Force have a bye in round one, before opening their campaign against the Waratahs in Sydney on July 11.

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Nickers 38 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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