I finally got around to watching a replay last night. This was a very, very disappointing loss by the Tahs; they've now lost to the three leading contenders (Stormers, Bulls and Saders, admittedly all away) and on that count alone it's highly unlikely they'll win the whole shebang this year. My thoughts on the match:
1. Referee One of the things I dread as a referee is a mistake which affects a result. I've made heaps of mistakes in my 15 years whistling but none which have resulted in the wrong team winning. Thank you, O Great Rugby God. The two contentious instances on Saturday night DID affect the result: Beale's "offside" and the Saders' "try". Commentators and posters here have (correctly) rabbitted on about the Tahs' play in the latter stages not being good enough but they miss the point: the Saders' tactics would've been considerably different if they were trailing after Beale's try. Beale has questionably been called offside twice in crucial moments in matches in Christchurch, the 2008 final being the other. A forensic examination of the facts suggests one could mount a strong argument he was offside in neither. This is what shits me about prima donna referees, the propensity to go for the whistle rather than pause and get it right more often.
The Saders "try". If the dickhead TMO had've had his Law book to hand he would've noted Law 22.1 states:
There are two ways a player can ground the ball:
(a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. ‘Holding’ means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required.
(b) Player presses down on the ball. A player grounds the ball when it is on the ground in the in-goal and the player presses down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck inclusive.
My viewing of the incident showed the ball slipped from Fotu's right hand and he forced it with his forearm, ie, he wasn't holding it in either his hand/s or arm/s. He CAN use his forearm but the ball has to be on the ground first, it wasn't. This incident will be shown at many refs' courses in years to come and I'd wager the trainers will make the students carefully read their Law books, and theoretically rule "no try".
Apart from these two bloopers I though the ref allowed the Saders to go off their feet in attacking contact far too many times. Aren’t McCaw, the Saders and the ABs the masters at getting away with what they can get away with? Good luck to them. It’s up to referees (with George Gregan’s occasional help) to put a stop to their infringing.
2. Tahs’ tactics The Tahs have slowly played their way into some fluency in their back play with the inclusion of Horne and Beale over two stodges and Barnes’ glimmer of form. Add this development to Mitchell’s superb play all season and Hanger’s solid showing at five-eighth and Tahs’ supporters had reason to hope they could win games through playing enterprising rugby. But, no, we should’ve expected this glimmer to be nothing more than fool’s gold. When things got tight against the Saders in the second half they went back to their introverted game and tried to get past the Kiwis at the edge of the ruck, maul and tackle. I’ll repeat ad infinitum: commitment at the breakdown defines New Zealand rugby. To which I’ll add: Kiwis like to put their best athletes in the back row, not in the centres as we do.
On Saturday night the Tahs effectively lost the game as they had plenty of opportunities to punish the Saders in the second half but every time they got turnover pill in the last 15 minutes (what? five or six times) they either knocked it on or gave it back. Their skills under pressure simply weren’t good enough.
Which brings me to my last point.
3. Phil Waugh Phil played magnificently on Saturday night. He rolled back the years and some would say he bested St Richie the Invisible. A bit of background here: early last year one of my snouts at the Tahs casually let slip (over a few beers, surprisingly) Phil is a major determinant of the Tahs’ playing tactics, he loves a physical game and doesn’t want the ball too far away from him. Now this would explain a lot of things, the reluctance to use the backs the last few years, Link’s departure and snubbing by Phil after the 2008 final and the fact the last three years the Tahs have started each season with stodgy forwards rumbles. I’ve written elsewhere I reckon Phil’s too big and would be well advised to lose a few kg to help him get around the paddock in his old age. Over each of the last three seasons it would seem the Tahs’ hierarchy have pulled rank mid-term and insisted the backs be allowed into the game, after Link was given notice in 2008 and Louden was finally given rein to show his wares, last year when Beale was moved to inside centre for the SAf tour (and they won three out of three), and this year when Horne and Beale made the run on side in place of two stodges. Let me say here I think Carter’s a terrific club player and a very good Super sub, he’s just the man to stop the Tahs losing a game at the death if they’re in front but he’s not capable of winning a game from the kickoff. Getting back to last Saturday, when the pressure was on in the second half Waugh kept the ball close to the breakdown and had the rest of the forwards try to smash their way through the Saders’ close-in defence. Madness. The style of rugby Phil likes is capable of taking the Tahs only so far, it won’t get them into the frame to win a Super title.
4. The future Things look grim without Palu. The value of a big bruiser at number 8 was magnified when Cliffy went off and Waldrom came on. The way these two blokes look and play you’d reckon they were brothers! A fit Palu is essential for next year’s campaigns. But Cliffy aside the Tahs have developed some depth at 4, 5 and 6 with the improvement in Mowen, Douglas and Dennis over the last two years. The scrum should stay solid and I pray a prop, or two, puts his hand up. We can only hope Barnes returns to form, Mitchell stays in form and Horne stays fit. I’d also like to see Burgess recapture his helter-skelter service from scrums and rucks and I don’t mind if a few passes go astray, as long as they’re fast. In fact if the Tahs find themselves capable of playing an ensemble game an ageing Phil might have trouble fitting in.
