Sean Maloney: Why Wallabies will wear white at Rugby World Cup, Force flex muscle out west
With COVID dramas and a change in rights holders, it's been a long, long time since I've had a chance to call a game at HBF Park in Perth.
Jeez it was good to be back with the locals last weekend as the Force delivered one of the upsets of the year against the Highlanders.
Footy was good, saw some quokkas, now to this week's column.
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The Force celebrate winning the round nine Super Rugby Pacific match against the Highlanders. Getty
FORCE FIELD UP AND RUNNING
The Rugby Heaven crew spent the week in Perth ahead of Saturday's match and what a week it was.
Sea of Blue members poured into the Claremont Hotel to meet Force coach Simon Cron, stars Izack Rodda, Tim Anstee, Zach Kibirige and Michaela Leonard and club legend Matt Hodgson.
English import Kibirige is loving the golden west and is keen to stay on beyond this year while Rodda's rehab is progressing well.
One of the biggest cheers of the night went up for Hodgson who relived his famous try AND subsequent conversion in his last game with the Force.
The story goes 'Hodgo' asked for a bucket of sand to take the shot from, only to be laughed at, then tossed a tee.
He's now the club's general manager and coach of their Super W side.
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Simon Cron addresses the Force at HBF Park. Getty
COACH CRON
We were lucky enough to spend some time with Cron while in Perth and there's no question he's the man to drive the club and game forward in WA.
The approachable and high energy coach has his team unbeaten at home this year and is engaging all levels of the code in Perth.
He spent Friday night presenting to local referees and has popped up often across club-land.
After years in the game he obviously has a great eye on the ID front, with each of his signings buying in and delivering some key moments this season.
On that note, Cron has huge raps on an uncapped forward at the Force believing he's a future Wallaby.
"The kid has a head like a bison and can really move," he told me.
We'll circle back to who 'Bison Boy' is when he makes his debut.
BIG BAD BRUCE
Cottesloe Rugby Club hosted the inaugural Police vs Army game last Friday with Morgan Turinui running water for the lawmen and Justin Harrison supporting the Army boys.
Both sides delivered some sparkling moments in the setting sun, but the biggest play came from a man who didn't make a tackle, touch the ball or get a hand laid on him.
Organiser Bruce Hughes has been running around in the annual game forever and took the field at Cottesloe as a spritely 80-year-old. EIGHTY!!!
For the record, the Police won, upsetting Harrison's week-long birthday festival in the process.
CONTENDERS ON COLLISION COURSE
The Super W semi finals have been set with the Waratahs up against the Drua and the Reds taking on the Brumbies.
Both games will be played this weekend in Sydney before the final moves north to Townsville.
Should the Waratahs and Reds progress to the big dance it promises to be a firy match up.
The Tahs were left fuming following their most recent clash after a late, late collision laid out a defence-less Katrina Barker.
Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning will select his squad on the other side of the final with their first game of 2023 set against Fiji in Sydney on May 20.
Australia's Israel Folau and Will Genia share a joke ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup final. Getty
ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT
As reported by Iain Payten in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Wallabies will wear a white strip against Portugal at this year's Rugby World Cup in France.
The decision - part of a contentious new World Rugby policy to accommodate fans with colour blindness - has been met with a mixed response but it's worth noting the white jerseys were packed for the RWC way back in 2015 should any clashes have occurred.
Steering clear of the debate around whether the Wallabies should ever be in white, colleague Drew Mitchell has a great vision for what the jersey should look like going forward.
"Gold, with gold indigenous print, all the time."
Makes a lotta sense to me.
REBELS GET THEIR GUY
Breakout Rebels No.8 Vaiolani Ekuasi celebrated his re-signing with the club in style on Friday.
The giant Kiwi backrower took an intercept on his own 22 and then powered away, outpacing three chasing Crusaders to score at the other end.
Ekuasi's extension falls in line with coach Kevin Foote who's inked a new deal as well.
Second half efforts will be the focus over the back end of the season, with the Rebels leading the Crusaders, Blues and Force at halftime before going down.
See you on Stan Sport on Monday night for Between Two Posts with Morgs and Hoilesy.
