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Western Force name star-studded side for their Super Rugby AU opener

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Five players with Test experience will bolster a Western Force starting line up that has the “heeby-jeebies” ahead of Friday’s Super Rugby AU opener against the Brumbies.

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The Force suffered a winless return to the Australian domestic tournament last year but have gone shopping since as they prepare for their first Super Rugby game in Perth for almost four years.

Wallabies pair Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies) and Tom Robertson (Waratahs), Argentinians Santiago Medrano and Tomás Lezana, and Irish great Rob Kearney have all been named in the starting line-up.

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Coach Brad Thorn reflects on the Reds’ trial against the Waratahs.

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    Coach Brad Thorn reflects on the Reds’ trial against the Waratahs.

    A bench including former Wallaby prop Greg Holmes, World Cup-winning All Black Richard Kahui, Argentinian playmaker Tomás Cubelli and former Australian Sevens talent Tim Anstee is equally impressive.

    The Brumbies this week queried whether the new-look side could find enough continuity to match the defending champions in the tournament opener.

    But Lock Fergus Lee-Warner is confident they’ll be able to make a statement.

    “We’ve been going down to training with serious heeby-jeebies, because we knew it’d be a hard slog,” he said.

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    “It’s been a preseason like no other and it’s only going to set us up well and hopefully the Brumbies can keep up with us when we go to work.”

    Perth product and backrower Kane Koteka said Friday would be a proud moment for rugby in the city and that had not been lost on them.

    “The Force has always been my team and when they got cut it was quite devastating,” he said.

    “I went away to Japan for two years, but I’m back now and so grateful that the Force are back in Super Rugby where they belong.”

    FORCE: Robert Kearney, Byron Ralston, Tevita Kuridrani, Kyle Godwin, Marcel Brache, Jono Lance, Ian Prior, Brynard Stander, Kane Koteka, Tomas Lezana, Fergus Lee Warner, Jeremy Thrush, Santiago Medrano, Feleti Kaitu’u, Tom Robertson. Reserves: Andrew Ready, Angus Wagner, Greg Holmes, Ryan McCauley, Tim Anstee, Tomas Cubelli, Jake McIntyre, Richard Kahui.

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    J
    JW 41 minutes ago
    Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

    MP are a NZ side through and through, NZ is even having to pay for it.

    Yes they caved to public demand, I bet it accomplished a lot of internal goals. They could have left it to the other groups, but I’m of the belief that they weren’t showing the capability to make it work as being a good reason for NZR to jump in and do it. I think it’s actually funded 50/50 between NZR and WR though.

    (when nothing was stopping a pi player playing for any side in Super Rugby)

    Neither is that fact true. Only 3 non NZ players are allowed in each squad.


    I see you also need to learn what the term poach means - take or acquire in an unfair or clandestine way. - Moana have more slots for non eligible players (and you have seen many return to an NZ franchise) so players are largely making their own choice without any outside coercion ala Julian Savea.

    Not one of these Kiwis and Aussies would go live in the Islands to satisfy any criteria, and I’d say most of them have hardly ever set foot in the islands, outside of a holiday.

    Another inaccurate statement. Take Mo’unga’s nephew Armstrong-Ravula, if he is not eligible via ancestry in a couple of generations time, he will be eligible because he plays his rugby there (even if he’s only their for rugby and not living there), that is a recent change made by World Rugby to better reflect examples like Fabian Holland and Fakatava.

    It’s becoming the jump-ship/zero loyalty joke that international League is.

    Look I understand you’re reason to cry and make an example at any opportunity, but you don’t really need to anymore, other recent changes made by WR are basically going to stop the Ireland situation, and time (perhaps no more than a decade) will fix the rest.

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