Australian Super Rugby Performances 2011

[farva]

Its the end of the season so how did each team go? How did we expect them to go? And where too from here?

Force

Overall
I was a little disappointed with the way the Force went this season. There was the team there to really challenge the best and I was expecting a mid table finish at worst. But the teams inability to close out tight games, and the way they looked to hold leads instead of build on then cost us. We should have really beaten the Blues, Rebels, Brumbies, Hurricanes, Reds (x2) given the position they were in against these teams with 10 to go.
The Force's backline was really disjointed and couldnt penetrate even the Taranaki U9 girls B team defence. The problem was that there was nothing overly exciting back there. The centre pairing of Dellit, Inman or Sidey meant that both players looked to go into contact. Cummins on the wing did the same and then Ripia just through the ball early without really getting the opposition thinking.
On the plus side, the forwards provided a fantastic base, and dominated most other forwards in the comp.

Player Positives
The way Pat Dellit, Kieren Longbottom, David Smith and Sam Wykes were real finds this year and the way they performed provided a real base to build off. Coupled with the Wallaby backrow and Nathan Sharpe, the forwards became one of the ebst of the comp. In the backs, Dellit and Smith both provided good options. Smith was one of the few players who really looked dangerous when he got the ball. JOC (James O'Connor) looked really exciting when he was fit, and his kicking kept the Force in games they didnt deserve to be competitive in. Stannard and Swanepoel showed that there is a future beyond JOC (James O'Connor).

Negatives
Tom Hockings doesnt seem to be doing anything. Id be surprised if he was still in the squad in the future unless he does something next year. Ripia just didnt add anything from 10. He just threw the ball wide and killed any creativity that the backline might have had. Mitch Inman didnt build on his last season or Shute Shield performances. I had high hopes that he would be pushing for Wallaby selection this year but he didnt go on with it. Injury was a reason for this. Good luck for him at the Rebels next year, I hope he gets his form back. The lineout when Sharpe wasnt there was depressing. We need one of Battye or Hocking to step up. Shepherd cant seem to last more than a week or two. His injuries are a real issue and this needs to be looked at. There is no doubting when he is fit and can get some games under his belt he is exceptional, but he cant do that.

Next year
We need to find a good tighthead to take over from Fairbrother and Dunning. Longbum is on the loosehead side but we have a few good young tightheads but no-one capable of starting.
We also need someone to inject some excitement into the backline. Id be looking for another playmaking 12 to compliment Stannard at 10. I am not a fan of the backline being dominated by big bruisers. It is too predictable. A fast winger to cover for Smith is the other player I think we need. There are plenty of good young talent in the team / academy, but no-one to really start at super rugby level yet.

My prediction for next year: 13th (5th in Aus).

And as an aside, any chance of getting an Australian super rugby conference icon?

 

[tigerland12]

My prediction for next year: 13th (5th in Aus).

Surely they will finish ahead of the Brumbies and the Rabbles next year? I guess if they recruit well in the backs they'll do well

 

[Victorian Reds Fan]

I very much enjoyed watching the Force this year.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

My prediction for next year: 13th (5th in Aus).

Can't see them below third in the Aussie conference.

 

[Slim 293]

The Brumbies should hopefully improve, but surprisingly Giteau will be missed after being in stellar form...

The Brumbies will be a very inexperienced team though... Hopefully the combination of Jake White and that youthful x factor will have a positive effect...

 

[#1 Tah]

No ways the force can beat a Rebels team with KB (Kurtley Beale), JOC (James O'Connor) and Cippers!

Although the Rebels may have some problems on defence.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

Following a similar structure:

Waratahs

Overall
Impressed with their tenacity. The injury list was so ridiculous at times that its a feat just to be competitive in the last few weeks. It's not just the injuries but also the temporary nature of most of them which meant that the bulk of the team had no time to settle into their positions. A lot of the stopgap players have really impressed, Timani, who has been excellent, alongside Pakalani, and Dennis. Alcock, Ulugia and O'connor have had good moments as well. Rather than be an excuse for some less than great performances, i think the injury woes have shaped our season. I honestly though we would contend for the Minor premiership this year, and until the 30th minute of the Crusaders game it seemed inevitable. In that respect this season has been a dissapointment. Furthermore losing against 3/4 South African teams is disappointing. We've been competitive in every game except the match against the Cheetahs.

Player Positives
Drew Mitchell was without doubt frontrunner for player of the tournament when he went down.
Dave Dennis has played well throughout the season. I was especially impressed with his ability to vary his style f play to suit the occasion. Compare his early season stats when he took on a defensive role and later season when ran with the ball more he dominated both facets at various times.
Sitaleki Timani has been a revelation in the second-row since the injuries started to mount. His future is uncertain.
KB (Kurtley Beale) is unstoppable. he's playing flawless rugby and more importantly in the clogged NSW and Melbourne markets, Beautiful rugby. This year he's looked more and more like he did at school and is playing effortless rugby. Starting to remind me of some of my favourite players of all time (Shane Williams, BOD, Latham). Shame he's leaving.

Negatives
1. Lack of enterprise in the middle of the season. So much so that the fans needed a special conference to allay their concerns.

2. Poor kicking. I have no problem with tactical kicking. If you kick a touchfinder out on the full from outside your 22 or kick a bomb and haven't told your chasers, then you don't deserve to be there. simple as that. Halangahu, Barnes and Burgess have been guilty of that all season. That aimless kick on the last play of the half was indicative of the way we've to often lacked enterprise this season.

3. Short periods lacking focus. The crusaders were on the ropes in Nelson waiting for the coup de gras, we lost 1 tight head, went on holiday and didn't return until the 60th minute. Same against the blues, the team didn't arrive at the pitch until the second half. we could have one both those games if not lapses of focus.


For Next Year
Despite it being our most pressing concern, I'm against bringing in Marquee Fly-halfs. Barnes is unsure whether he'll ever play again and Halangahu is simply not at this level. I'd like to see Timani back and for Elsom and Waugh to kiss and make up. Waugh, Dennis, Elsom, Palu would be an indimidating back row. Outside of that it depends who can keep fit through the international and off-seasons.


Prediction - 7th.

The Aussie conference will be stronger next year with the Force the real dark horse for the finals if they can start winning the close ones and find the tryline. Also the roster is still in disarray but we are definitely losing our most consistent performer with no certainty on whether Timani or Mowen will be back either. Depends as well on whether Waugh keeps on going.

 

[farva]

Surely they will finish ahead of the Brumbies and the Rabbles next year? I guess if they recruit well in the backs they'll do well

Id love to think so, but without Smith and JOC (James O'Connor), there is very little in the backline to trouble oppositions. That will change of course if the Force recruit well.

The forwards will be more than a match for any in the competition, provided we can get a decent tight head prop in.

The Rebels have the most exciting backline in Australia now, and that should run in a lot of trys. I am pretty sure they will recruit a couple of good forwards - they have the money to do so anyway, and they should improve dramatically next year.

The Brumbies are interesting. I think their biggest issue was the lack of a decent coach. They have that sorted and they have some talent in the team which should step up under White.

 

[BDA]

I think the Force will be a better side next year, barring injuries.

The Rebels should be better also. They will keep the same backrow and add some game breakers to their backline.

 

[TSR]

Mate, I think you're a bit harsh on next years prediction, especially given you're a force supporter. I think the force could be justifiably disappointed to have a third straight year badly interrupted by injury. I know they've lost a lot of close ones, but two years ago so did the reds (plus the reds still had a tendancy to have shockers where they were blown away - while the force seem pretty competitive most weekends). No doubt player depth is still an issue - there will always be injuries. But if Stannard & Swanepoel can build on this years performance and they can keep the likes of Dellit and Shepherd on the field they are only 2 backs away from a good team.

I think depth will still be an issue next year, but if they can have some luck with injuries I think they may be the big improvers next year and may be even more dangerous in 2013.

Here's hoping.

 

[light]

Can we please leave any Reds reviews to after the finals... I would hate for them to be jinxed, and I will take it personally.

 

[Ruggo]

The Force are a bloody intense team that played with some odd tactics which made them predictable. Smarter tactics and they will be killing it next year.

The Brumbies may not rank high next year but that they have recruited a fantastic coach and showed a willingness too break the mould and evolve bodes well for them. They have some fantastic young talent that will get their chance to shine. What happened this year is yesterdays news. Onwards and upwards for them.

Rebels faded in the second half of the year but they were good for their first year. They chalked up home and away wins which is more than most predicted. Fantastic bunch of loyal fans were unearthed. Downside is they proved what we knew in thart Maqueen rugby has become outdated. Their recruiting suggests they are looking to evolve in style next year.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I've been gathering my thoughts on this during the week and have finally got around to putting pen to paper, so to speak.

If I could sum up the Force's year in one sentence, it would: it was a season of missed opportunities. There were many games, by my count at least six (possibly seven), where the Force were in serious contention going into the last 5-10 minutes and they couldn't get the job done. Had they won three or more of those games, the season would have looked a lot better. It was a common theme through the year and for me the most disappointing aspect. It pointed to a lack of composure in tight situations, but more on that later.

Positives
The pack, an area where the Force have copped much criticism over the years, was magnificent this year. They week in, week out really fronted up and more often than not did more than gain parity. In many games they absolutely dominated at the breakdown and in the latter part of the year, dismantled a few opposition scrums. The good thing is that, Sharpie aside, they are all reasonably young guys, who will grow together as a group.

Another positive was the "discovery" that we had two halves in the latter part of the season who could really play. The combination of Stannard and Swanepoel will hopefully be together next year, as they looked a level above anything that had been put out there at any other stage of the season (including when JOC (James O'Connor) was playing at 10).

Negatives
The complete inability to close out the tight games would have to be right at the top of the list. Composure was sorely lacking this year and had we kept our heads at crucial times, our season record would have looked a lot better. For me, it starts in the halves. For most of the season, we played dumb footy in these moments. Kicking too much, taking wrong options and trying to win footy games in the last minute from our own 22. One thing that marks the Reds this year has been the growing maturity of their halves combo. In tough games, like the Stormers and Cru, they consistently took good options and played the game in the opposition half. We consistently did not do that. I would also add that were opportunities lost by poor lineout calling/throwing (like against the Reds in Round 18).

The other big thing was our lack of creativity and penetration on attack. If we weren't the lowest try scoring team of the year, we were second lowest. The game plan, as I have stated before, was 100% reliant on JOC (James O'Connor). We basically threw the ball to him and said: "do something spectacular". He frequently did, but you don't win games of footy playing that way. With his departure next year, the opportunity exists to do something different and actually try to build some structured attack. We will need a combination of passing and line busting ability in the centres to have any hope next year.

Players who stepped up
James Stannard: should be Force 5/8 next year. End of story.
Mark Swanepoel: see above for halfback
Pat Dellitt: came from Sydney first grade and didn't look out of place at all. He's not flashy, but he does everthing asked of him. I'd probably prefer him at fullback though.
Nathan Charles: made the starting job at hooker his own and could push for Wallaby selection in the not too distant future.
Sam Wykes: Force player of the season for mine. He's stepped up his game, especially in the loose, and got us plenty of go forward.
Keiran Longbottom: local boy made good. He was a key part of a good Force pack this year.

Player Disappointments
Willie Ripia: not really his fault, but we didn't see much from him this season to suggest he's the answer at 5/8.
Brett Sheehan: he's whole hearted and strong, but we don't need a fourth back rower, we need someone who can pass the ball. He give away far too many penalties for silly hand bag stuff too.
Mitch Inman: an injury interrupted season where we didn't see anything like the development we'd hoped for after last year. To add to the disappointment, we lost him to the Rebels too.
Cameron Shepherd: another year where Shep wasn't sighted as much as he could have been. One of the nearly men of Australian rugby for mine.

Next Year
Next year will be all about getting some penetrating midfielders into the line up and bringing our pacy outside backs into the game more. It will also be about having the brains and confidence to continue attacking when we have our heads in front. We spent far too much time trying to protect leads this year. What is wrong with continuing to play the same style that got you into a winning position in the first place? Getting someone like Nonu would be a huge pick up, even though I don't think it is likely. He offers exactly the kind of line busting capability that we need.

 

[ChargerWA]

Agree on everything bar maybe Sheehan. I thought his defence was immense in a few games and for a super rugby journeyman he did as much as we could have hoped for. But their is definite scope to look at using him as an impact player behind Swanepoel (if he hasn't been lured to the Brumbies as per a few rumours going around)

I couldn't even make a prediction for 2012 finishing place. To many holes in the lineup before we see the possible shape of next years lineup.

 

[Groucho]

The Force would have been finals contenders if they had closed out their games.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Groucho, indeed. That's the most frustrating part.

 

[Ash]

I think the Force need to be more than a team that dominates the breakdown with a set of very strong loosies. Their problems are more in their backline, and their ability to score tries. They need a 5/8 who can control the game to go with their pack, and a a few backs with either x-factor (like Smith and O'Connor, both of which they are losing), or the ability to put players into holes. If the Force don't score more tries, then winning games will always be difficult for them.

 

[spectator]

Can we please leave any Reds reviews to after the finals... I would hate for them to be jinxed, and I will take it personally.

So who's going to start the review?

 

[farva]

So who's going to start the review?

I think it was a rather disappointing year. I mean they just didnt quite get as far as I expected.

Its not like they won any real trophy at all is it...

Overall:
Gunned it

Player Positives:
All of them

Player Negatives:
None of them

Next year:
Just keep the same bloody team!