WESTERN Force coach Tim Sampson has a warning for the Newcastle invitational side - get ready for the fastest game of your life.
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The Force takes on Newcastle in a game of Global Rapid Rugby (GRR) at No.2 Sportsground at 4.30pm on Saturday.
In its third year, GRR is a modified game that features power tries, less kicking, less stoppages and more running rugby.
The fundamentals of the game are the same - 15 players a side, scrums, mauls, lineouts - but the game is designed around scoring tries and entertaining.
A try that starts inside a team's own 22m is worth nine points and the ball is not permitted to be kicked out on the full in general play. Lineouts must be completed within 40 seconds and scrums in less than a minute.
"Rugby can fall into a trap of having a lot of stoppages in the game," Sampson said. "The idea of rapid rugby is that the ball is in play a lot longer. There is less kicking than a traditional rugby game entails, less scrums and less lineouts.
"When we have played teams in the past, the commentary has been that it's the fastest footy they have every played."
Formed in 2018, Global Rapid Rugby will hold it's inaugural home-and-away series this year, comprising of six teams - Western Force, Fijian Latui, Manuma Samoa, Hong Kong's South China Tigers, Malaysia Valke and China Lions.
The competition kicks off on March 14 and has $1 million in prizemoney.
The Force will feature the bulk of the squad which won the National Rugby Championship in November.
They beat powerhouse Sydney club Eastwood 29-15 in a trial last weekend and the game against Newcastle is a dress rehearsal for their season opener against Malaysia in Perth.
"The message to the guys is to improve on what we did last weekend," Sampson said. "It's our second trial and it's important to get some match fitness into them and miles in the legs.
"They are also playing for positions. We have some pretty tight calls to make in a couple of weeks for round one. The players know that it is the final trial game before round one and it is important for them to play well."
While rapid rugby is geared towards scoring tries, the Force's strength is their pack.
"We put a lot of time and effort into our set piece," Sampson said. "We have some experienced guys up front in Kieran Longbottom, Feleti Kaitu'u, and Andrew Ready. Breakaway Ollie Callan and lock Jackson Pugh are in the Aussie 20s squad. Fergus Lee-Warner is another strong forward. We have a good blend."
Lee-Warner, 26, was born in Scone, played junior rugby at Muswellbrook, before going to school in Sydney and joining Easts.
"He is more that thick-set second-rower," Sampson said. "He has a massive engine and has that nice hard edge about him being a country lad. He has a big future ahead."
