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Former All Black’s warning as a Western Force is preparing for Super Rugby’s return

Jeremy Thrush, former All Blacks Lock, believes the Western Force youth will thrive in Australia’s new rugby competition.

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

Thrush is well positioned to assess the Force’s youth 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, refused to honor anyone for praise because he feared it would put too much pressure on them.

But he is confident that the team’s young people will thrive on the big stage.

“There are a few players who have come here in recent years who may not have had a chance or have been overlooked in their state,” said Thrush.

“They learned to be more of a professional rugby player in our Force environment, and they’ve just grown.

“They have developed into pretty decent footballers. That’s probably one of the biggest things I’m looking forward to – letting them expose to the next level to know that they can and I know they can.

“You just need this chance to go out and have a crack.”

Lock Ben Grant, Jacob Abel, Victor Harris, Jackson Pugh, Angus Wagner and Nick Jooste are among the aspiring players who want to make a name for themselves.

The arrival of Kyle Godwin, Jono Lance and Greg Holmes has given the youthful Force team class and experience.

But the odds are still against the power, not that Thrush pays a lot of attention to the terrible predictions.

“We’re not just here to be invited to invent numbers for an extra game on TV,” Thrush said.

“We are here to push and fight for victory.”

The armed forces say goodbye to round one before launching their campaign against the Waratahs in Sydney on July 11.

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