2012 S15R12 Stormers vs Waratahs @ Newlands
- Thread starter PaarlBok
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Bardon
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Personally my biggest problem isn't simply where the Tahs find themselves either on the overall ladder or in the Aus conference. Being a fan is about sticking with your team in good times and bad.
However that doesn't mean that fans who hold opinions that are contrary to the official position of the team are somehow disloyal. For me it would be enough for the coaches, players, someone at the Tahs to acknowledge there are problems and that they are working on it and to begin to make the necessary changes.
The effort put in by the players should rightly be applauded, but that effort needs to be focused into areas that will turn narrow defeats into victories. That focus isn't coming from onfield leadership and it's not coming from the coaches between games. Unlike other Tahs fans I don't believe that Rocky should simply be cut loose. He should be given a chance next season to prove his fitness and to compete for a starting position. But if I'm honest if there's to be an end of season clear out then he would definitely be close to the top of the list.
However he should not be the captain of the Tahs. A big thing about being captain is providing that onfield leadership, direction, motivation and generally leading from the front. It's pretty hard to provide that while sitting in the stands or while at 70% on the field. He should be allowed to focus on his own performances and getting his body right to be able to play week in week out.
The new captain should have a good injury profile so that they will make pretty much every game and also be an automatic choice in their preferred position. It makes no sense having a captain who's being picked simply because he is the captain and therefore keeping someone in better form out of the team.
I don't think a knee jerk reaction of sacking Foley will solve all the problems. There's no point in sacking someone unless the guy you have lined up is something special. Apart from Cheika there aren't any coaches on the market that would fit that bill. As for Gaffney there are plenty of backs/attack coaches out there who would do a better job. Also I think it would be good to bring someone in, in a director of rugby role above Foley, to begin building the kind of culture that will turn the undoubted talent at the Tahs into a winning squad.
Also a frank, cards on the table, discussion involving all the coaches and players at the end of the season would be very beneficial and get everyone at the Tahs focused on what can be done better in 2013 so that people aren't asking exactly the same questions in 12 months time.
However that doesn't mean that fans who hold opinions that are contrary to the official position of the team are somehow disloyal. For me it would be enough for the coaches, players, someone at the Tahs to acknowledge there are problems and that they are working on it and to begin to make the necessary changes.
The effort put in by the players should rightly be applauded, but that effort needs to be focused into areas that will turn narrow defeats into victories. That focus isn't coming from onfield leadership and it's not coming from the coaches between games. Unlike other Tahs fans I don't believe that Rocky should simply be cut loose. He should be given a chance next season to prove his fitness and to compete for a starting position. But if I'm honest if there's to be an end of season clear out then he would definitely be close to the top of the list.
However he should not be the captain of the Tahs. A big thing about being captain is providing that onfield leadership, direction, motivation and generally leading from the front. It's pretty hard to provide that while sitting in the stands or while at 70% on the field. He should be allowed to focus on his own performances and getting his body right to be able to play week in week out.
The new captain should have a good injury profile so that they will make pretty much every game and also be an automatic choice in their preferred position. It makes no sense having a captain who's being picked simply because he is the captain and therefore keeping someone in better form out of the team.
I don't think a knee jerk reaction of sacking Foley will solve all the problems. There's no point in sacking someone unless the guy you have lined up is something special. Apart from Cheika there aren't any coaches on the market that would fit that bill. As for Gaffney there are plenty of backs/attack coaches out there who would do a better job. Also I think it would be good to bring someone in, in a director of rugby role above Foley, to begin building the kind of culture that will turn the undoubted talent at the Tahs into a winning squad.
Also a frank, cards on the table, discussion involving all the coaches and players at the end of the season would be very beneficial and get everyone at the Tahs focused on what can be done better in 2013 so that people aren't asking exactly the same questions in 12 months time.
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
I think it's often overlooked with Rocky that when he was captain of the wallabies and again here at the tahs that it was the playing group that voted him such. He obviously commands alot of respect within teams regardless of fan opinion of him.
Brisbok
Cyril Towers (30)
Well maybe that depends on how "out of the box" they are prepared to think and look. You probably could have said the same thing this time last year when the Brumbies were looking for a new coach. I'm sure not many Brumbies fans were considering Jake White as a potential coach at the time. Luckily for the Brumbies, their board decided to search far and wide in order to find the best candidate and look how that has worked out for them.
Instead of broadening the search for a coach last year, the Waratahs promoted one from within. And what do you know, they've got similar problems this year to what they had last year.
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
I don't think Foley is the problem, I still regard him as the best forward coach in supeRugby, I have no real problems with his game plans, the problem comes back to skill and back line play, same with Ewen, back lines arnt his strong point and I think gettigpng the right support crew around him would actually solve alot of the problems, Gaffney and Bowen need fresh ideas or to move aside for mine.
Foley was always going to get the Tahs job, if it hadn't been promised to him he would be at the reds right now.
Brisbok
Cyril Towers (30)
Lucky for the Reds the Tahs snapped him up then hey??
(although perhaps we will be saying otherwise once Graham takes the reins?)Ps. is that Foley in your avatar?
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
Lucky for the Reds the Tahs snapped him up then hey??
Ps. is that Foley in your avatar?
Yep. That's foley. QLD chased him and NSW wouldn't let him out of his contract, there was alot of talk that NSW had promised him the top job at the time to keep him happy. It might nit have worked out bad for QLd though, Ewen was driven out of here with pitchforks and then out of Paris with old breadsticks by beatniks and he has done an alright job.
PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Hard luck to the Tahs. There is absolute nothing wrong with them, the Stormers just nicked them on the day. The Tahs scrum and physicality was right up there with the best in the competition, the only thing they did wrong was their gameplan in the first half. To much shite kicking and handing the possesion to the Stormers. This year the Stormers just score ennough points in the first half and then hold on to that lead with great defense. Think the Tahs show probably the best dog fight in the second half and just came short. For the Stormers I thought Etsebeth and JP Pietersen was huge.
A
AlexH
Guest
Badger
Bill McLean (32)
Someone like Wayne Bennett...widely respected and has a track record of building a successful team/organisation.
Country Kid
Chris McKivat (8)
This was an intense game. The Tahs defence just before half time was sensational - they held off the a rampant Stormers outfit hellbent on a 3rd try. I reckon the Tahs went into the sheds knowing they could handle whatever the Stormers could throw at them. It was a turning point in the match and it showed just in the 2nd half when the Tahs promptly scored 10 points.
The 2nd Tahs try looked inevetable too - but the dropped ball by Kepu three metres from the try line was a reprise of their 2012 nightmare. If only that passed had stuck....
The 1st half was weird. Although the Tahs were well up for the contest, the one dimensional box kick tactic stifled any natural decision making by the players. The box kick was even used on turn over ball whilst in the Stormers half.
I was wondering if the players with the numbers 11 through to 15 should only get half pay beacuse it looked like they wouldn't touch the ball in the 1st half. I have a sneaking suspician that the 1st time Horne touched the ball was in the 42 minute when he scored a try.
A few minutes before the Stormers 2nd try, the Tahs backs looked set to run the ball - with plenty of players with space on the left side of the field. But the ball went to a stationary Elsom whom took the tackle, became isolated and conceded a penalty that provided the Stormers with perfect field position to build up the their 2nd try.
Had Elsom not received that ball - but instead a cut out pass was delivered to players out wide, then things could have been much healthier for the Tahs. Little moments like these have cost the Tahs big time. If they fix them - they can run up a a few wins.
Richo
John Thornett (49)
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
the body of your report made the conclusion that it was only little moments that told the difference a surprising one.This was an intense game. The Tahs defence just before half time was sensational - they held off the a rampant Stormers outfit hellbent on a 3rd try. I reckon the Tahs went into the sheds knowing they could handle whatever the Stormers could throw at them. It was a turning point in the match and it showed just in the 2nd half when the Tahs promptly scored 10 points.
The 2nd Tahs try looked inevetable too - but the dropped ball by Kepu three metres from the try line was a reprise of their 2012 nightmare. If only that passed had stuck....
The 1st half was weird. Although the Tahs were well up for the contest, the one dimensional box kick tactic stifled any natural decision making by the players. The box kick was even used on turn over ball whilst in the Stormers half.
I was wondering if the players with the numbers 11 through to 15 should only get half pay beacuse it looked like they wouldn't touch the ball in the 1st half. I have a sneaking suspician that the 1st time Horne touched the ball was in the 42 minute when he scored a try.
A few minutes before the Stormers 2nd try, the Tahs backs looked set to run the ball - with plenty of players with space on the left side of the field. But the ball went to a stationary Elsom whom took the tackle, became isolated and conceded a penalty that provided the Stormers with perfect field position to build up the their 2nd try.
Had Elsom not received that ball - but instead a cut out pass was delivered to players out wide, then things could have been much healthier for the Tahs. Little moments like these have cost the Tahs big time. If they fix them - they can run up a a few wins.
I haven't seen the first half but from what you write it sounds like it was the "headless chook game plan A" in operation.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
rugbysmartarse
Alan Cameron (40)
I would not rule out looking at successful sporting administrators from other codes just because they were from other codes. That's part of the Old Boy mentality that got us into this mess. Bennet is world class and I'd take him in a heartbeat...in the wrong sport.
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