Author: Roscoe Tims

Interesting game plan the Melbourne Rebels are employing at the moment. Let your opponents in for a few tries plus the odd goal kick and lull them into a false sense of security. Then, unexpectedly and against the run of play, fight back. Brilliant tactics, Moriarty – it’s a winner! I tell you what, in this match the battle of the loosies was as good as it gets. As great as Hodgson and McCalman were, Saffy and Lipman were better, ably supported by Mickey Delve. Saffy is a revelation (there’s that over-used word again). I’m just wondering how they’ve transplanted Rodzilla’s…

Stormers 51 Western Force 16 It was like the Siege of Mafeking all over again, except this time it was the Boer who were the defenders. Notwithstanding James O’Connor’s brilliant individual try in the 24th minute (earning a VC and Bar), every time the Western Front attacked the Stormers’ red zone they were repulsed by a hard-edged defensive screen. There was just no way through. Not that this was a surprise to anyone, as the Stormers have the best defensive record in Super Rugby. But by no means are they a one-trick pony. In this match they showed an attacking capacity that…

The Force have the best forward pack in the Australian Conference. There, I said it! It’s definitely the form forward unit going around: hard-arsed and effective. However, they’ll be earning their money this Saturday when they take on the Stormers in Cape Town. The other boys in blue are the only unbeaten team in the competition, with a game plan that relies on impregnable defence and the reliable boot of Peter Grant to achieve grinding results. Confronting their defence is like banging your head against a brick wall. It’s rock solid and bound to cause you some pain. Maybe it’s…

Western Force 27 Lions 15 The Force delivered a well-earned first-up win for 2011 against the Lions today at a cavernous and near-empty Ellis Park in Jo’burg. This ground, now known as Coca-Cola Park (oh, how original), is located in a crime-ridden and run-down inner city suburb called Doornfontein. This was once a showpiece stadium where Invictus (the real one, not the Hollywood version) climaxed in 1995. I’d imagine the few Lions fans present wouldn’t have been too keen to hang around after the match, although they do have an armed security force in the carpark about the size of…

Nobody has mentioned altitude, have they? Geez, it’s a huge topic of conversation when the Wallabies play over there. It was used for 50 years as a convenient excuse for comprehensive defeats but it doesn’t seem to get much of a run in Super Rugby. Maybe the visiting teams just get used to it, or just get on with it. The Western Force have a good record against the Lions (or Cats as they used to be called). There’s been three wins (2008 18–16, 2009 55–14 and 2010 33–12), one draw in 2006 and one loss in 2007. The Force…

Western Force 22 Auckland Blues 22 The Force did everything but win this encounter at nib Stadium last night, even throwing the kitchen sink at the Blues. But it was not to be, as Auckland fought back from a 12–22 deficit at the business end of the match, scoring a converted try to Keven Mealamu in the 78th minute and a penalty after the siren for a draw. It was a cryin’ shame for the Force because this was a game they should have won — but a lack of composure right at the end proved costly. The Force were magnificent…

The Force will miss Bam Pocock on Saturday, especially with the style of game their opponents play. The Blues are a very dangerous attacking unit and can score tries from anywhere. That’s evidenced by their five-try bonus-point win last weekend against the Lions — a feat achieved with only 38 per cent of the pill. Bam’s defensive workrate and accuracy will be sorely missed, and a potential match-up at the breakdown with Daniel Braid had also promised to be slightly mouthwatering. All is not lost, despite some commentators writing off the Force completely until Bam returns. That should be some…

Sharks 39 – Western Force 12. Injury Update* It’s like déjà vu all over again. First, injuries early in the match to David Pocock and Mitch Inman brought back memories of last year’s horror run. Both players were undergoing scans today to establish the seriousness of the injuries. The Force can ill-afford to do without Bam Pocock (knee) for any length of time. Second, like a house of cards — in this case both red and yellow — the Western Force imploded, with Rory Sidey sent from the field in the 18th minute for a dangerous tackle on Odwa Ndungane. The Sharks…

This is going to be one lekker stoush in Perthfontein. The media have been focussing on the JO’C v Lambie match-up as you’d expect but that’s just superficial. Sure, both these guys were Man of The Match and pointscoring machines in their most recent games and there’ll be interest in how Rabbit deals with the next big bagel from Jappiesdorp. However, the real action will be in the clash of the forward packs. The Force international back five were immense against the Reds in their last outing with Ben McCalman looking very much at home as a mobile second rower.…

Most Super Rugby teams have one. In the case of the Melbourne Rebels well, they’ve got heaps. Yeah, it’s the veteran class. We’re talking middle age here like 33+. Tana Umaga is the oldest stager in Super Rugby at 37. Crikey, how does his body cope? But this is not that unusual in European rugby. There could be a reason for that – it’s a slower game due to the conditions and perhaps a more conservative playing style. There’s loads of veterans in the UK competitions, usually forwards e.g. Simon Shaw (37) with Wasps, Chris Budgen (38) with Exeter, John…

Updated – Force team named: I wonder what would happen if the Force wins at Suncorp Stadium this Sunday? It would certainly throw a cat amongst the aficionados, wouldn’t it? Send a few footy tipping competitions awry. I’m not necessarily of the view that they’ll win but you’d be foolish to think that this game is a foregone conclusion. That’s if you were basing your opinion on last year’s effort. This time is different, markedly different. Unlike 2010 the Force are at near full strength. Their run-on side contains about seven survivors from that embarrassment (50-10 from memory). And they’ll still be…

I think the Waratahs have both the experience and depth to again be Super Rugby finalists in 2011 and will top the Australian Conference. It’ll be a shootout between the Tahs and the Reds, and I doubt whether any of the other three sides will come within spitting distance. That’s the feeling in my bones as the evidence suggests the Waratahs will again be a well-balanced side, right at the peak of their powers. They’ve got experienced blokes where you need them, especially in the forwards i.e. Robinson, TPN, Fuse, Kepu, Waugh, Cliffy etc. There’s also a group of young,…

The onus of expectation will be on the Reds in coming weeks as their opponents strategise on how they’re to be overcome. Those expectations have soared for the punters in BrisVegas and the QRU are looking at their biggest crowd in years. Crikey, even I’ve coughed up for season tickets this year! How do you deal with this level of anticipation? I guess the best method is to meet it head on? Easier said than done but you’d think Link would be keeping their feet on the ground. Last year they played instinctive, populist rugby with a playing group who had the…

Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away. Is it the same for rugby teams? In early 2004, the Queensland Reds started to fade away badly in the Super 12 competition and although they didn’t completely expire, suffered the tortures of the damned. The statistics speak for themselves: 2004 10th (Super 12), 2005 10th (Super 12), 2006 13th, 2007 14th, 2008 12th and 2009 13th. I’ve just looked at the QRU Annual Report for 2004/2005….oh f*ckin yawn, does he have to? Indulge me for a moment, puhleeze? And these are some of the names I found mentioned: Drew Mitchell, Richard…

Oh what a difference a year makes? This time last year we were musing about the arrival of some new blood in Perth to bolster a middling team looking to take that next step up. The ‘Little General’ André Pretorius had replaced Gits and despite an injury-prone history was considered the sort of player to provide direction and spark. Up front, a major clean-out had come to pass with new signings Nick Henderson, Tim Fairbrother and Tucky Dunning adding some missing starch. And let’s not forget a new kid from Sydney called Ben McCalman. A bit of firepower and guidance…

Test matches have been played in all sorts of atrocious conditions. You’ve seen some of that mainly in New Zealand or over in the United Kingdom, not so much in Australia. In the distant past, test match venues didn’t quite have the drainage capacity that we have today. Some have even got heated underground elements, not forgetting those with roofs. When we have to play in inclement weather, for instance like we did against Munster recently (in really appalling conditions), we’ve got a ready-made excuse for losing. But there’s probably something to that – if we aren’t used to the…

Kevin Rudd once said “Australians can spot a fake at 20 paces”. Unfortunately for him he was right as his Et tu, Brute moment attests. He’s certainly not alone there amongst the political class – there are fakes of all hues and persuasions. Can I just say….that one thing Rudd was especially good at was harnessing ‘new media’, initially to sell his Kevin07 message and subsequently to feed the voracious 24-hour news cycle. New media – the Internet, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, podcasting, live streaming, eplatforms etc to name a few – is a fantastic and popular communication and entertainment tool…

Oh no, you’re not starting off the friggin’ New Year with another scrummaging blurb are you? Why don’t you just move on? Accept that we didn’t quite make the grade in 2010 in that department and look forward to some potential improvements. Wouldn’t you rather be writing about Jennifer Hawkins, the North Korean crisis or maybe even the Queensland floods? Well, I’m not convinced we have the forward/scrum coaching team in place to effect that improvement? Tweedledum and Tweedledee haven’t quite cut it. It’s all a bit like that Harold Wilson saying: ‘a week is a long time in politics’,…

The case AGAINST Greg Inglis coming over to rugby? That’s easy, and I can prosecute it in just one word: ‘mungo’. Enough? Convinced? Guilty as charged your worship in the court of public opinion, or was that the Sunshine Magistrate’s Court? Here we friggin’ go again. Izzy Mark II? Despite it being Christmas I’m not feeling the slightest bit charitable about GI and this pathetic saga. The big difference between Izzy and GI is the obvious. Izzy is a clean-living young Christian bloke who was keen to play AFL. GI isn’t. He’s the mungo’s ‘mungo’ whose word is his bond. Just ask the Broncos? Frantic attempts to…

Quade Cooper made a comment this week about the Wallabies ability to be patient, which led to the wins against Italy and France on the recent Spring Tour. He said that the Wallabies learned some lessons against the Azzurri: “Like holding on to passes rather than going for the extra offload. We held on to the pill because we believed we could score in the next phase. And that was what happened against the French, those type of things really clicked in”. His quote is interesting because when you examine the Wallaby stats for off-loads, there is no dramatic difference…