Blues v Tahs, round 11 2014

[CTPE]

Firstly well done to the Blues and in particular Jerome Kaino who is one hell of a player.

I'm starting to think Michael Cheika is as stupid as he sounds.

2 years in and we've seen fits and starts from a roster that should be capable of consistently winning. Remember that before the 11th in 2012 this side had been in the top 5 for 4 years running.

A lot of people have already touched on it but the Foley - Beale combo is obviously not working. Now I don't think Foley is a bad player and I think in time Beale has the skills to make a 12 but it looks like Cheika has decided his chief playmaker is Beale. This leaves Foley in an awkward position where he really is the least influential 10 in the whole of Super rugby.

The other problem with it was shown up by the Brumbies early on and that is Beale's defense is not strong enough at 12. Cheika's solution, start Rob Horne on the wing and get him to defend at 12. The shuffling doesn't work.

Either make the decision that Beale is your playmaker and play a midfield of Horne and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) or give Foley the freedom to run the team. If you give Foley the reigns and drop Beale to the bench or to Fullback with Folau on the wing.

The second issue which hasn't been discussed is the game plan which revolves around getting the ball wide as early as possible. Most starter plays target the outside channels and there are little to no plays run off 9. Tonight we had a dominant forward pack with a big scrum advantage and looked likely in close but we played a game plan that played right into the speed they had out wide.

Cheika has been good for the Tahs and has introduced a very attractive style of play as well as some great initiatives (eg. Kick off chase) but he needs to value patience much more and then impart this on to the players. The Tahs always start brilliantly and if it all clicks and we get those early points victory inevitably follows. But if it doesn't then effectively all we get is a master class in premature ejaculation as clearly evident from their handling issues (pardon the pun).

For all the talent in the team there seems to be a gross lack of patience, discipline and on field leadership for mine and a couple of stalwarts need to be moved on. I'd like to see our depth in front rowers explored a bit more as ours offer very little in attack compared to other sides. Paddy Ryan looks good when he's hitting the ball up as he knows how to hit a hole or run a good tight line to get us over the advantage line but Robbo, Kepu and Tilse don't - where is our Scott Sio?

Contrary to others comments I think Phipps is a very good no 9 and he does a heap of work around the field but as is so often the case a halbacks game is very often defined by the dominance of the 8 in front of him.

If you look at the great early Tahs wins this season the focus was very much on competing and dominating at the breakdown and most importantly focussing on getting over the advantage line then giving the electric backs free reign on the back of front foot ball. At the moment we seem to be trying to play a sevens style rugby and just go wide at every opportunity - it's great when it all clicks but if our opponents aren't going backwards at the breakdown or otherwise aren't having their defensive line challenged with carries over tha advantage line then their set defence sees us pushing passes in close contact and paying massive consequences for loose carries and some atrocious passes and handling.

I'd really urge Cheika and his support staff to go back and have a very close look at the style of game being played at season's start - then ask themselves why they've deviated from it?

 

[ShtinaTina]

BTW, are you unaware of the quote function?

Yes, I'm aware of it, but my new computer isn't so for the past couple of months I've been reduced to this.

Which browser are you using?

 

[Blackers13]

The handling and decision making of the Tahs was worse than 3rd Grade Colts at times and that's being harsh on the Colts. As professionals they should be competent at the basic skills of catch/pass and I'd hoped the 'I've run out of ideas so lets grubber/chip/box' had disappeared with Berrick.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Bullshit, the Tahs made plenty of breaks and had try scoring opportunities. There's nothing wrong with Beale at 12.

Yeah. Keep him there as long as you like, I say.

 

[Quick Hands]

Which browser are you using?

Have been using Internet Explorer. Followed a couple of tips and just downloaded chrome, but it doesn't have the cute yellow box.

Cute yellow box comes up in reply.

Should have asked a G&GR member before

 

[boyo]

I said few weeks back that the Tahs play helter skelter rugby and got laughed at.. You cant just play high risk rugby.. Theres a thing called phases..

The Beatles or U2 they aint.

 

[Quick Hands]

Cheika has been good for the Tahs and has introduced a very attractive style of play as well as some great initiatives (eg. Kick off chase) but he needs to value patience much more and then impart this on to the players.
I'd really urge Cheika and his support staff to go back and have a very close look at the style of game being played at season's start - then ask themselves why they've deviated from it?

Apart from Phipps, we agree completely.

Last year we saw a logical selection process and a definite game plan/style of play. It didn't work perfectly every time, but I could see the makings of a good team there.

We seem to have thrown logical selections and a simple game plan out the window. I have no idea what they are trying to do out there and it seems that they don't either

Beale is simply not an inside centre and Horne is not a winger - so why are we playing them in those positions?

Some of us questioned the Beale and Phipps signings on the main Waratah thread before a ball had been passed, and in most cases what we said has come to pass.

My main question on the Beale signing was where to play him, as Foley was playing exactly the style of 10 that suited the team and Folau is the best 15 in the country. I had no problem with Beale playing 12 in the trials, but it quickly became apparent that he does not have the skill set in either attack or defence to play in that position. This means he either has to play 10 in place of Foley or start on the bench.

To me, Phipps is no improvement on McKibbin. Tonight where the backline was in disarray, was the time crying out for a half back with a decisive, strong running game, which Phipps doesn't possess or has hidden well. I don't think he ran the ball once and his one kick went straight down the fullback's throat, who then ran it straight back.

It's just so disappointing, after all the pain of seasons past to watch that tonight. It's like the last 2 years hadn't happened and we were back in headless chook mode.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Although when they played direct they did look a million bucks and had the Blues on their heels. But then they looked about 10 bucks when they coughed the ball up or threw it away.

Just lost their shape in attack in the latter parts of the game. That replacement halfback didn't help the cause either IMO.

Absolutely. There were times when they looked like they'd bust the game open and then made some brainless mistake.

 

[Sully]

 

[ShtinaTina]

Have been using Internet Explorer. Followed a couple of tips and just downloaded chrome, but it doesn't have the cute yellow box.

Cute yellow box comes up in reply.

Should have asked a G&GR member before

And now you're "quoting" like a BAWSE!

 

[ShtinaTina]

At least it wasn't the worst performance at Eden Park. That goes to fucking Sky Sport producers who played that music during the game. What the actual fuck.

It was so loud & distracting in the last 15mins on TV, I wonder if it was that bad at the ground too

 

[Tomikin]

It was so loud & distracting in the last 15mins on TV, I wonder if it was that bad at the ground too

I didnt have a clue what it was .. turned the volume down as I thought it was elsewhere but no it was the game

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[Inside Shoulder]

16 handling errors to the Tahs according to Fox Sports. Unacceptable.

is that up to half time?

 

[Badger]

It's just so disappointing, after all the pain of seasons past to watch that tonight. It's like the last 2 years hadn't happened and we were back in headless chook mode.

Terribly frustrating to watch them play at the moment. Forget about a top 2 finish. At the rate they are going, they will be lucky to scrape into the finals and as they are struggling to string consecutive wins together, they will be cannon fodder in the finals.

I thought last year, the Foley/Horne combination seemed to be developing and now the arrival of KB (Kurtley Beale) has thrown things awry.

Chieks didn't have a big player clean out at the end of last season, but it looks like he needs to do it this year. Start with the half back position. More immediately, could be time to bite the bullet and appoint Hoops captain as he seems to be the one leading by example.

The way they are travelling at the moment, Tahs HQ can forget about any big crowds for the remaining home games. It's times like this it may be fortunate that Super Rugby isn't on FTA as what the Tahs are dishing up would more likely turn off rather than attract fans.

 

[Tahspark]

There were just so many disappointing aspects to the Tahs' play and given the almost comical litany of mistakes there's a certain perversity that we finished one point shy of a losing bonus point.

The attack was incredibly wasteful from the get go. In between there were some brilliant passages where the game seemed almost certain to rain with Tahs' points. However, as much as it pains me to say it, the Tahs didn't deserve the win given the lack of patience & respect shown for possession.

I agree with a number of posters. Where to play Beale was almost worthy of its own thread from the time the Tahs signed him. It dominated the Tahs' 2014 thread pre-season. Why is it that us armchair critics can so plainly see that Beale at 12 and Horne on the wing isn't a winning formula?

I trust Cheika's judgment but surely this butchered performance must question his faith in some of his own selections?

 

[tranquility]

Foley is a good player, no doubt, has the potential to be a very good 10 at this level.

Phipps will never be a good 9 at this level.

He doesn't have a strong running, kicking, passing or defensive game. He is okay at all.

Not really good enough for a championship aspiring side.

 

[CTPE]

Just for good measure Potgeiter epitomises what Australian forwards have lacked for far too long and made us such easy fodder for the AB's and Saffies - urgency, intent, mongrel and desire to play on the edge of the rules. You can have electric backs but until the Wobblies develop this mentality in our forwards ( ie. take no prisoners approach ) we will continue to be be the whipping boys in our games against them.

 

[Quick Hands]

Just for good measure Potgeiter epitomises what Australian forwards have lacked for far too long and made us such easy fodder for the AB's and Saffies - urgency, intent, mongrel and desire to play on the edge of the rules. You can have electric backs but until the Wobblies develop this mentality in our forwards ( ie. take no prisoners approach ) we will continue to be be the whipping boys in our games against them.

Very few of our forwards would have scored that try - Hooper & Palu probably. The rest run too high. And what about that ruck, where the ball was at the back, Phipps didn't pick it up - 3 Waratah forwards standing over the ball, all too high and too passive and got absolutely smashed off the ball. That would have been embarrassing at under 12s. (one of them was Dennis, can't recall the other 2.)

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Just for good measure Potgeiter epitomises what Australian forwards have lacked for far too long and made us such easy fodder for the AB's and Saffies - urgency, intent, mongrel and desire to play on the edge of the rules. You can have electric backs but until the Wobblies develop this mentality in our forwards ( ie. take no prisoners approach ) we will continue to be be the whipping boys in our games against them.

Agree and it's not like we haven't had these kinds of blokes in the past, but there is a lack (at the moment) of the kinds of abrasive players you're talking about.

 

[Tomikin]

Very few of our forwards would have scored that try - Hooper & Palu probably. The rest run too high. And what about that ruck, where the ball was at the back, Phipps didn't pick it up - 3 Waratah forwards standing over the ball, all too high and too passive and got absolutely smashed off the ball. That would have been embarrassing at under 12s. (one of them was Dennis, can't recall the other 2.)

I saw that I dunno what was doing..

JackPot shows Passion skill technique a brilliant Forward but why is it that till he got to sn Australian coached team he shows it.. He was good im SA but the Tahs have got great out of him.. Running game to a big technical athletic south african

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