Highlanders v Waratahs. Invercargill.

[Lee Grant]

TPN and Fat Cat are still in doubt for the Highlanders match. Kepu is out for 4 weeks with a torn calf muscle and Freier has a hamstring strain and is likely to miss the Highlanders match.

There probably won't be a lot of joy for Rob Horne either:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/what-a-pain-in-the-glute-horne-suffers-another-injury-blow-20100425-tlqh.html



So - assuming they are all out, the changes for the Highlanders game will be:

1. Palmer starts at LHP and Tilse, who started for Sydney Uni last weekend is on the bench.

2. Fitzpatrick starts and Luke Holmes from the Tahs training group goes to the bench.


Woop-de-do - but other teams have it worse than the Tahs.

 

[fatprop]

Re: Highlanders v Waratahs

TPN and Fat Cat are still in doubt for the Highlanders match. Kepu is out for 4 weeks with a torn calf muscle and Freier has a hamstring strain and is likely to miss the Highlanders match.

There probably won't be a lot of joy for Rob Horne either:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/what-a-pain-in-the-glute-horne-suffers-another-injury-blow-20100425-tlqh.html



So - assuming they are all out, the changes for the Highlanders game will be:

1. Palmer starts at LHP and Tilse, who started for Sydney Uni last weekend is on the bench.

2. Fitzpatrick starts and Luke Holmes from the Tahs training group goes to the bench.


Woop-de-do - but other teams have it worse than the Tahs.

I would rather see Ryan start than Tilse, so big loss in mobility in the front row and still no punch at 13, highlanders must be a chance

 

[cyclopath]

Tahs to get reamed up front, Clan play one of their good games of the year, Tahs to lose with nary a bonus point. I hate to say.

 

[Sully]

In front of a massive 5000 fans. Seriously what is with the crowds over there. How do they run a team on those gate figures?

 

[cyclopath]

In front of a massive 5000 fans. Seriously what is with the crowds over there. How do they run a team on those gate figures?

You did notice the NZRU declared a $15 million loss just recently?

 

[Pfitzy]

Yeah this could be a smokey with our frontline prop not available. I still haven't seen the game from the weekend (I'm tempted not to) but how did Palmer do at LHP?

 

[#1 Tah]

At the Tahs life members post match function, TPN & Horne both said that they were optimistic about playing this week. Fitzpatrick has been great back up for TPN all year so I would start him with TPN on the bench, Horne should start, all he had was a sore arse and the Tahs were just being safe, which was probably a good move considering his history.

Tahs win with bonus point.

 

[cyclopath]

Palmer was good - the Tahs scrum went from being bent over to much better after he came on - they got a few good shoves on nearer the end but the Brumbies in general did them. Speaks volumes for the stupidity of NSWRU recruitment, but I won't go there. Again.....

 

[Pfitzy]

As long as we retained powerhouse weakling Sekope Kepu.

 

[Scarfman]

The Highlanders will lose by less than 7. Same as every other week.

 

[topo]

From what I hear, Fatcat is a pretty good chance of playing this week, which would mean that Palmer would be on the bench. If he isn't right, Palmer will start at LHP. He did well there against Ma'afu on Sat night, better than Kepu IMO and I would expect him to handle Newlands (Highlanders THP) pretty well. Newlands is a tall THP and Palmer is at his scrummaging best against tall props (so is Fatcat). If Tilse is on the bench, I expect that both props can expect to play the full 80. However, I think Tilse is a far better player than a lot of people on this forum seem to think. Although he doesn't dominate other props too often, he seldom gets dominated himself. He is defensively solid around the fringes and running it up is his strength. He makes a lot of hard yards in tight. If he was at any other Shute Shield club he would be a club legend by now, he has struggled a bit at Uni because of a combination of injury and some good props coming through. I have watched him play since his schooldays and I just don't understand the ridicule he seems to attract. It is almost Carter-esque.

And no, my name is not Jeremy Tilse. Apart from the fact that I am a Uni supporter I have no other conflict of interest to declare.

 

[Hawko]

Yeah this could be a smokey with our frontline prop not available. I still haven't seen the game from the weekend (I'm tempted not to) but how did Palmer do at LHP?

My reading was that the scrum went from dire to powerful when he came to LHP. On his saturday night form Kepu will never get another wallaby jersey. After Palmer was on the scrum almost got a pushover try. I want to watch the tape again to see how that happened, but I need to recover from the mauling my hopes got first. Watch the game, there's some interesting moments, but just be sure to have some pain-killers close by.

I've posted in other threads that if Ben is fit we should play Palmer at THP this week to give him game time and have Baxter as reserve. If Ben is out, then Palmer goes to LHP and Baxter to THP. Either option makes me happy but our next reserve prop position is a real worry! What we have seen is how important TPN is to the front row combination.

One thing Saturday proved is that Hickey was an idiot to keep Kepu and sacrifice Palmer. Gross stupidity.

 

[Lindommer]

And no, my name is not Jeremy Tilse. Apart from the fact that I am a Uni supporter I have no other conflict of interest to declare.

Tilse and topo? A certain alliterative educational institution, perhaps?

 

[chief]

In front of a massive 5000 fans. Seriously what is with the crowds over there. How do they run a team on those gate figures?

Invercargill will attract a larger crowd then most of the Carisbrook matches. I would say 10k could be all that much of a possibility. They love there rugby over there.

 

[#1 Tah]

1. Palmer
2. Fitzpatrick
3. Baxter
4. Mumm
5. Douglas
6. Dennis
7. Waugh (c)
8. Mowen
9. Burgess/Holmes (don't really care)
10. Hangas
11. Shmoo
12. Barnes
13. Horne
14. Turner
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Robinson
18. Caldwell
19. McAffery (come on people!)
20. Burgess/Holmes
21. Carter
22. Anesi

Thats my tip of the week

 

[topo]

Newsflash: Robinson and TPN still not right so will not be in the 22 and Tilse and Luke Holmes are on the bench. You read it here first.

 

[Groucho]

As easy as it is to diss the Tahs, they remain a highly effective if often rather ugly team, and even with their current injuries they are a low risk of losing to the Highlanders.

 

[chief]

Waratahs really need to take this game seriously. Highlanders want to win and can easily do it, especially with there type of rugby which they have been playing.

 

[Pfitzy]

One thing Saturday proved is that Hickey was an idiot to keep Kepu and sacrifice Palmer. Gross stupidity.

Situation normal then. Hickey is only partly to blame.

 

[Lee Grant]

It's probably best that Robbo and TPN don't play anyway but not good that the decision was forced. That puts their participation in the following game in doubt. Horne shouldn't play either if there is any doubt remaining about him.

The Highlanders were good on attack last weekend so they should not be taken lightly despite their lowly standing on the table; but I trust that our defence will be better than the Canes were.

Not confident about the scrums but at least Fitzy was throwing to the lineout well in the 2nd half at Homebush. Will be good to see how he stacks up physically in a full game.