New Waratahs forwards coach Cameron Blades has challenged his forwards to step up to the mark in the 2016 season.
Although the Waratahs’ scrum had some good moments in 2015 after Mario Ledesma arrived late in the piece, Blades said that the Tahs were only tenth in their scrummaging success rate last season and their lineout was worse.
The challenge to improve the scrums would not be helped by the move of tight-head prop Sekope Kepu to the Top 14 for Bordeaux, where he arrived recently with Waratahs’ team mate Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Angus Ta’avao replaces Kepu in the squad and the contest between Paddy Ryan and him to wear the no. 3 jersey in 2016 well be absorbing.
Nether Ta’avao nor Ryan set Super Rugby on fire last year. Ta’avao was behind Famauina when he was fit for the Blues and although Ryan played in every game for the Waratahs, he didn’t start in any of them because of the durability of Kepu.
According to Blades
Your tight head prop is the cornerstone of the pack and you need someone there who is not only going to hold his own but look to dominate.
He was hopeful that one or both of them will do that job.
As for the lineout: Blades said that the Waratahs had to concentrate on the nuts and bolts of core work first before thinking about elaborate moves.
Ryan was not fazed by the upcoming contest with Ta’avao and thought that all the new players would have something to offer and that some of them would shake things up. He also mentioned that the forwards have been asked to improve their skill levels.
With the Wallabies not returning to training for a while and some players at a RUPA camp, the Waratahs session was not well-attended.
But it was good to see some up and coming players at training today including Harry Jones, Cameron Orr, Andrew Deegan and Rowan Perry; rawboned Senio Toleafoa and 2015 schoolboy Ryan McCauley were there too.
There’s a bit of a difference this year in that the youngsters can see a more definite track by the issue of both EPS and Transition contracts to them.
Talk around the training session today was that Reece Robinson, who has done the rounds in the NRL with a few clubs, may do better that many folks think. And most people connected with the team consider that Andrew Kellaway is ready to go now.
The Tahs will have some challenges this year but just about every other team will also, except the Highlanders, because of the Rugby World Cup effect.
The THP situation has been discussed and the second row lacks lineout specialists.
Adam Ashley-Cooper will be a massive loss and there is little doubt that Bernard Foley will need a rest at the end of the Japanese season. The return date of Israel Folau is not certain either.
The versatility of Kurtley Beale and Rob Horne will help the problems mentioned as will the under-rated presence of Matt Carraro, the recruitment of Zac Guilford, and the promise of Kellaway.
I feel better already.
Photos by Lee Grant
