The Western Force take Super Rugby Pacific to Perth’s northern suburbs on Saturday, with new scrumhalf Nathan Hastie set for a hometown appearance against the Blues at Arena Joondalup.
Round Two presents an important early test for the Force, who showed promising patches in their season opener but couldn’t sustain it across the full 80 minutes. For Hastie, it also marks a return to familiar ground.
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The 24-year-old grew up north of the river in Greenwood and played his junior rugby at Wanneroo - minutes from Joondalup.
After three seasons with the Highlanders in New Zealand, he returned to Perth in the off-season and debuted for the Force in Round One.
“I played my junior footy at Wanneroo, so it’s awesome,” Hastie said. “Stoked that we can take a game out to the northern suburbs.”
Hastie admits there were nerves leading into his first competitive outing in blue.
“Yeah, a lot of nerves. Probably a day or two beforehand as well,” he said. “But it was so cool. Very exciting to put on the jersey for the first time.”
Now the focus shifts to the Blues - one of the competition’s most physical sides, and a team Hastie knows well from his time across the Tasman.
“The Blues are always a big, physical team, so we’re expecting a big battle up front," he believes.
The Force’s ability to maintain intensity has been a key focus this week.
“We showed some really good patches and played some really good footy at times,” Hastie said. “If we sustain that for the full 80, I think we’ll be in a really good spot.”
Tempo will again shape the game plan, particularly in the typical Perth conditions.
“We’ll look to play fast, use the heat to our advantage and try to run the big Blues pack around.," the scrumhalf says.
Hastie’s combination with flyhalf Ben Donaldson continues to build, with the scrumhalf praising his playmaker’s clarity and direction, stating, "he’s awesome to play in the halves with. He just makes it real easy.”
Saturday also provides a chance to engage Perth’s strong northern suburbs rugby base.
“There’s lots of passionate rugby supporters around the area, so hopefully we can get a few of them to the game," Hastie added.
With the Blues presenting a stern early challenge, the Force will need their new number nine to set the pace and deliver the complete performance they’re chasing.
