Blues v Rebels R13 Saturday 5:30pm EST
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badabing59
Cyril Towers (30)
Kirwan will be apoplectic I imagine on that defensive effort. Well done to the Rebels though, came disturbingly close to grabbing the win.
Williams needs to go, providing bugger all leadership, and too many mistakes.
Williams needs to go, providing bugger all leadership, and too many mistakes.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
FFS. For the 4th week in the row, we've proved we can carve through defences, even with a weak 12, and without Beale/O'Connor. But our defence is Piss poor. Its the same thing again, and again and again.
Vuna weak, Mitchell too, Roberts didn't get a chance to be weak, and Phipps. OMFG Phipps.
Vuna weak, Mitchell too, Roberts didn't get a chance to be weak, and Phipps. OMFG Phipps.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
phipps is terrible. his double pump is so slow.
mitchell's defense was pretty poor. vuna was verrrrry slow at the start, his defense improved (or maybe he just didn't get tested in the second half)
can't see why some think inman was poor...thought his personal defense was excellent and his power with ball in hand was great to see. great at straightening up and powering through. needs to work on offload ability though.
he was not the issue in the first half. those inside and outside him were.
JOC (James O'Connor) was poor the whole time, even before his chest got injured.
higginbotham is great, pyle and neville strong as well.
was really surprised by vuna, he was getting caught out every which way in the first half. English showed some good form at times, but just not good enough.
we need to fix our starts. asap - we our games don't get any easier.
mitchell's defense was pretty poor. vuna was verrrrry slow at the start, his defense improved (or maybe he just didn't get tested in the second half)
can't see why some think inman was poor...thought his personal defense was excellent and his power with ball in hand was great to see. great at straightening up and powering through. needs to work on offload ability though.
he was not the issue in the first half. those inside and outside him were.
JOC (James O'Connor) was poor the whole time, even before his chest got injured.
higginbotham is great, pyle and neville strong as well.
was really surprised by vuna, he was getting caught out every which way in the first half. English showed some good form at times, but just not good enough.
we need to fix our starts. asap - we our games don't get any easier.
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
JOC (James O'Connor) was clearly carrying an injury into the game. Didn't look right at all.
Piggies stood up tonight. Great around the park and at the set piece. Backs got carved up. Defensive patterns just weren't right. Not sure rushing up in midfield that compressed was the way to go against a Blues team with that backline. Having a guy like Frank Halai one out against Vuna was always going to end in tears. I don't even want to talk about Phipps anymore. We all know it.
Piggies stood up tonight. Great around the park and at the set piece. Backs got carved up. Defensive patterns just weren't right. Not sure rushing up in midfield that compressed was the way to go against a Blues team with that backline. Having a guy like Frank Halai one out against Vuna was always going to end in tears. I don't even want to talk about Phipps anymore. We all know it.
swingpass
Peter Sullivan (51)
i agree with the above the backs are the weakness. the forward completely outplayed the blues pack.
inman played well again, english and woodward (except for the fucking up and unders), contributed well. heggarty looked the best 10 we have had all year. vuna getting caught out of position time and again. think people being harsh on mitchell didn't see him miss too much but happy to be proven wrong. phipps well again with the poorly executed box kicks the absolute worst part of his game (even poorer than the passing)
same problems turning over possession in attack and cruelling momentum. very very very frustrating.
inman played well again, english and woodward (except for the fucking up and unders), contributed well. heggarty looked the best 10 we have had all year. vuna getting caught out of position time and again. think people being harsh on mitchell didn't see him miss too much but happy to be proven wrong. phipps well again with the poorly executed box kicks the absolute worst part of his game (even poorer than the passing)
same problems turning over possession in attack and cruelling momentum. very very very frustrating.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
dumbledore & swingpass. agree our forwards were excellent. lineout was a weapon t hroughout the game and towards the latter part of the second half, our scrum became an absolute force.
also agree re haggerty. he looked and played like a proper 10 and i was impressed with his kicking and passing game. good defense too.
mitchell didn't miss too many to be honest, flat footed on the one try which was bad, but he certainly wasn't horrid and made up for that miss tackle/try by scoring one of his own.
vuna was off - i thought that was unusual for him, but you're right that the defensive pattern we adopted certainly didn't help. at least two tries vuna was caught outwide in what was effectively a two on one.
we rushed up compressed - just meant as soon as they could get the ball to the 13, provided he got it off, they were home free.
they are a few defensive holes away from being a really good team in my opinion. the only thing that's bugging me is the starts. just so shit. the effort is there and the skill is largely there, but that's three weeks in a row a horrid start. you take away a try in each game and we'd have beaten the crusaders, chiefs and blues. not good enough yet.
oh and pyle and higgers are playing great rugby the last three - four weeks.
higgers a shoe in for the wallabies surely.
also agree re haggerty. he looked and played like a proper 10 and i was impressed with his kicking and passing game. good defense too.
mitchell didn't miss too many to be honest, flat footed on the one try which was bad, but he certainly wasn't horrid and made up for that miss tackle/try by scoring one of his own.
vuna was off - i thought that was unusual for him, but you're right that the defensive pattern we adopted certainly didn't help. at least two tries vuna was caught outwide in what was effectively a two on one.
we rushed up compressed - just meant as soon as they could get the ball to the 13, provided he got it off, they were home free.
they are a few defensive holes away from being a really good team in my opinion. the only thing that's bugging me is the starts. just so shit. the effort is there and the skill is largely there, but that's three weeks in a row a horrid start. you take away a try in each game and we'd have beaten the crusaders, chiefs and blues. not good enough yet.
oh and pyle and higgers are playing great rugby the last three - four weeks.
higgers a shoe in for the wallabies surely.
Hugh Jarse
Rocky Elsom (76)
^^^ Thanks for reminding us.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
oh so very happy about that.
strzacker really does have a great pass. and he hardly ever kicks. box kick is such an opportunistic thing for my mind. piri weepu employed it quite well when he was one. phipps does it as if to gain territory/relieve pressure. pass it to your 10 or 15 and they have a better angle and will kick it further.
anyways. burgess back soon. i hope toulon knocks toulouse out.
phipps would HAVE to be no chance of being the wallabies #2. surely it's White
strzacker really does have a great pass. and he hardly ever kicks. box kick is such an opportunistic thing for my mind. piri weepu employed it quite well when he was one. phipps does it as if to gain territory/relieve pressure. pass it to your 10 or 15 and they have a better angle and will kick it further.
anyways. burgess back soon. i hope toulon knocks toulouse out.
phipps would HAVE to be no chance of being the wallabies #2. surely it's White
Dumbledore
Dick Tooth (41)
Hegarty's kicking was broadly shit I thought. Why, why, why, would you bang it down the throat of Piutau, Moala and Halai? Without even mentioning Ranger and Saili. Against a backline like that, you make sure the ball goes out. Inman was pretty good in defence I thought. Not great, but being stuck in between Mitchell and Vuna he's having to do a lot of work. Was probably the best game I've seen from him on attack as well. He's finally learning how to start using his frame.
I'm not even going to get into the Phipps/Stirzaker thing, because it's been entirely self-evident from last year. It's the same stuff every week. Damien Hill clearly has no problem with a scrumhalf who can't pass.
I'm not even going to get into the Phipps/Stirzaker thing, because it's been entirely self-evident from last year. It's the same stuff every week. Damien Hill clearly has no problem with a scrumhalf who can't pass.
Bernie_Larkham
Herbert Moran (7)
Fuck if you think Heggartys passing was good you need new g,asses. Anyone, I repeat anyone, who throws under spinning passes doesn't warrant s15 selection. His passing is a joke, behind the man and slow. You don't need another handicap when you have Phipps at 9
Scooter
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Inman has been one of if not our best this year. It was good to see Horie get some game time, I thought he was reasonably good except for one lost lineout. Higginbotham and Pyle were magnificent. Saffy's running is back to near his best and I like Fuglistaller at the breakdown. The scrum was very good. I actually thought Hegarty put in a solid performance, particularly in his first game. No stand out errors, unlike Roberts during his game time this year. I would be happy to see Hegarty wear 10 next week, Beale to still be suspended and add Sitauti and Rokobaro to the bench.
Sir Arthur Higgins
Dick Tooth (41)
Heggarty had two kicks that didn't go to touch and two passes that went behind, one to Inman off which he scored and the other to saffy who had tonnes of time.
swingpass
Peter Sullivan (51)
given that heggarty has not played rugby, except 3 games at club level in melbourne, since leaving school, i thought he did a very good job. i agree his kicking wasn't fabulous, but wasn't bad and he seemed to get much more distance than JOC (James O'Connor). a very encouraging start imo. hope we see more of him.
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