Payto & Panda: Force lock explains opposition hug; expansion working; Potgieter’s new nickname

WHEN it doubt, hug it out. That was the idea for Wilhelm Steenkamp who hugged Chiefs centre Tom Marshall following the Force’s shock win last week.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 22: Wilhelm Steenkamp of the Force celebrates after the team's win during the round six Super Rugby match between the Force and the Chiefs at nib Stadium on March 22, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

WHEN it doubt, hug it out.

That was the idea for excited Force lock Wilhelm Steenkamp last weekend after the Perth men pulled off a mighty upset win over reigning champs the Chiefs.

The problem for Steenkamp was he couldn’t find any teammates, so in all the yahooing he found Chiefs centre Tom Marshall and latched on.

A distinctly unhappy Tom Marshall, as this cracking picture that flew around social media this week shows.

“He wasn’t very impressed,” a laughing Steenkamp told us yesterday.

“I must say I was really excited about the moment. I was very excited about the win and wanted to celebrate it a bit more.

“Everything was meant in a good way, there was nothing serious about it.”

Marshall looked dirty enough to swing a punch but Steenkamp is 200cm and 110kg, so he kept his fists low and his lips sealed.

“He didn’t say anything, it was just a funny face expression from him,” Steenkamp said.

The Force, who are on a club record-equalling three game winning streak, have the bye this weekend but then play the Reds.

Any particular target for the next post-win cuddle big Will? What about boxer Quade Cooper?

“He’s definitely not going to be the right guy. I must find someone else to hug, not Quade. He might end reacting a bit differently to Tom Marshall”

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Shute Shield club Eastern Suburbs have denied they are paying Waratahs star Jacques Potgieter any money to help promote them this year.

Sources within the club told us Easts were contributing $500 a week towards Potgieter’s rent and a rival club told us they “couldn’t afford” the South African star, but Easts vice-president Hamish McCathie vehemently denied any financial deal.

“We knew he was not going to play for us, so why would you pay someone that isn’t playing for you,” McCathie said. “We are not paying him.”

He added that Potgieter, who will fly off to play in Japan immediately after Super Rugby as part pf his two-year deal with NSW, decided to join Easts because it’s close to where he lives, and was convinced by fellow Waratah Brendan McKibbin.

Easts, who poached three Randwick players in the off-season, have scored another coup by securing Western Force centre Chris Tuatara-Morrison for the season. If not selected by Force, Tuatara-Morrison will fly from Perth to Sydney each week to play, starting with this Saturday’s grudge match against Randwick.News_Image_File: Jacques Potgieter won’t play any rugby for Easts.

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The Waratahs have a new nickname for Potgieter, as Wycliff Palu explained on their website yesterday when talking about team unity.

“I can’t forget about little Jack Pot! He’s been a really good fit with the team. I’ve played against him and you wouldn’t pick the type of bloke he is off the field because on it, he’s a nut case. He goes crazy but away from it he’s a really nice guy.”

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The chances of seeing Sam Burgess at the 2015 World Cup have got slimmer.

The Souths code-switcher is set to play in the backrow for Bath, not in the midfield, after the RFU declined to pay any of the transfer fee.

Bath are a bit hacked off, and having always seen him as a backrower, are now in no mood to do the right thing by the English Test team and fast-track him into the centres, where coach Stuart Lancaster would like him to play.

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Kiwi half-back Piri Weepu will miss at least a month of footy after undergoing a minor “stroke” incident. It is expected he will make a full recovery.News_Rich_Media: Blues' Piri Weepu suffers a stroke following serious headaches since his side's tour of South Africa

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Plenty of people were happy to see Rebels skipper Scott Higginbotham talking up a storm against the Waratahs last week.

The combative No.8 turned in another belting game, and burned the ear of rookie NSW lock Will Skelton in a long sledge as they walked towards the sheds at half-time.

“We were just chatting about footy,” grinned Higginbotham post-match.

The Tahs had the last laugh but insiders say Higginbotham is playing with renewed confidence in recent seasons at the Rebels, and being vocal is a good sign.

Apparently Robbie Deans had encouraged the Wallaby backrower to keep quiet on the field. It didn’t suit.

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Quade Cooper has got a bighead. So too Will Genia. And James Horwill’s melon has swelled recently too.

No, we’re not bagging our mates up at the Reds. But check out on the sidelines in Saturday night’s clash with the Stormers, where bobbled-headed mascots – modelled on several Reds players – will be patrolling the sidelines.

The over-size foam heads were an idea Jim Carmichael brought back from America.

Can’t wait until they meet Brumby Jack, who is apparently dirty at all the attention Delta Horse Pat “Chuck” McCabe is getting and is keen to take out his anger on someone.

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The Waratahs have got up to some weird and wacky things in their downtime in Durban, where they’re now camped on tour.

In the past they have dove with sharks (sans cage), surfed a wave machine at the Gateway Shopping centre (until it was banned) and Kurtley Beale even got the Aboriginal flag tattoo on his shoulder by a Durban ink merchant (ink in game week?).

This week? Nothing as dramatic, with Michael Cheika watching on warily.

Adam Ashley-Cooper told us from the coastal city the obsession of last season – remote-controlled cars – were out and the plans were to instead hit a nearby go-cart track.

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If you are looking for reasons why Super Rugby’s expansion into Victoria and Western Australia are worthwhile, take a look at the Junior Gold Cup tournament.

The dual competitions – featuring the best kids in the under-15s and under-17s from around Australia – are heading towards finals being dominated by new rugby regions.

Both the Victorian under 15 and under 17 sides are undefeated in their pools after five games each, and WA are also on top of their pool in the under 17s. The Sandgropers are also doing well in the under 15s.

Throw in the fact the Combined States & Regions (picked from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, ACT, NSW Country and Qld Country) beat Queensland last week at the National under 20s, and you can see why there is confidence about emerging talent developing across the country.

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The Waratahs have picked up where the Reds left off by pledging to donate a goat to underprivileged African communities for every point scored on their current tour.

Given the Tahs are averaging 32 points a game, sponsor CMC markets – who’ll hoof the bill - may be up for a small farm’s worth of Oxfam goats.