Lessons from round 1 (?)

[Ash]

They really need to find some succession planning for Waugh. He seems to be struggling with the changed rule interpretations this year.

Tahs scrum was great - I'd say that it won them the game, in fact.

More desperation at the breakdown needed. Reds are typically soft there, but the Tahs didn't even try to exploit it.

Backline play was atrocious. Whether they were too flat or what - I don't know.

Anesi is a bit of a dud. Looks flash, very pacy - but scared of contact. He wasn't like that till he did his neck - then was like that from then on. I hate to say I told you so - but I did when he was signed.

 

[DPK]

where was dud (roodt) last night? is he actually a serious dud?

 

[naza]

Attack

1 Better structure at the breakdown, cleanout was inadequate
2 Options given to the half quicker, we have two playmakers and numerous forward runners and still struggled to provide decent options; the means the ball-carriers have to get working much harder and give the playmakers options.
3 Clean up restarts

Defence

1 Speed up realignment, just two slow.

Positives,

scrum and lineout were pretty good
Our bench depth sorted things out in the end as that they made good contributions and theirs provide penalties.

The overall sluggishness and lack of intensity doesn't worry you ?

I was surprised at how poor the defence was. A lot of grabbing but not a lot of commitment.

And together with attack point #2, get the bloody forwards out of the way. Props do not belong at first receiver.

 

[Scotty]

Anesi is a bit of a dud. Looks flash, very pacy - but scared of contact. He wasn't like that till he did his neck - then was like that from then on. I hate to say I told you so - but I did when he was signed

I reckon Anesi looked more dangerous that almost all the other Tahs backs, exceptions probably Burgess and Turner.

 

[Ishmael]

I thought Anesi was very very average. He ran diagonally every time he got the ball and never really looked like breaking through to me.

 

[Biffo]

I thought Anesi was very very average. He ran diagonally every time he got the ball and never really looked like breaking through to me.

His being average sets a benchmark. Which Tah backs were above and below average?

 

[Ishmael]

I thought Anesi was very very average. He ran diagonally every time he got the ball and never really looked like breaking through to me.

His being average sets a benchmark. Which Tah backs were above and below average?

Good point. I reckon Burgess, Turner and Mitchell were slightly above average. Carter was well below.

 

[Lindommer]

Carter didn't really do anything wrong, in fact I like his no nonsense style of play, he is just not quick enough to start at OC

The prosecution rests, yer honour.

By my count Carter passed the pill once during the whole match, and hogged it four times! Hasn't Tom learnt anything from his contribution to the Tahs' result last year? On Saturday night's performance I fear not. I also fear Tom's rating is now worth less than a Carter; he's probably now worth about 0.7 of a Carter. Sad, isn't it?

 

[Epi]

I really thought Carter would come out with all guns blazing to prove the doubters wrong? He hit the defensive line like a wet sock, didn't pass, and didn't even do his donkey work like chasing kicks.... Completely and utterly anonymous.

Being in Melbourne I haven't had a chance to watch him play for uni - though from all accounts on here he rules clubland - but that must mean the gulf between club football and super 14 is bigger than we thought. If he tried his hand at league he wouldn't make metropolitan cup.

 

[Ash]

Carter lacked aggression with the ball, despite his niggle and yapping. I want to see him try to run over people, not surrender meekly with a half attempted step. 13s normally need to be strong runners, especially with two ball players inside and three pacy backs outside. He's the basher, but lacked poorly in that department. Lindommer put it succintly: he was 0.7 Carters.

Anesi? Yeah he ran and looked for the gap, but lacked aggression (again). Compare him with Hynes, breaking tackles and bouncing off players. Anesi looked nervous as he ran into contact. Every time Anesi got the ball and started running he looked like a real threat, especially as he looked to get on the outside of a defender...then he meekly surrended.

Turner? He has the speed, but I'd like to see more of him at times. Perhaps it was the way the Tahs played that he was really only reduced to chasing kicks, but I saw a lot more of Davies then Turner. And I want to see more of Turner.

Epi; oh I don't know, I don't think that Carter would make too different a league "defensive" centre from Matt Cooper. I don't rate Matt Cooper too much, by the way. I like my league centres to have some real attacking ability, like an Inglis, Hodges, Gasnier, etc. Carter just isn't a natural attacking player by the looks.

 

[Lee Grant]

I like my league centres to have some real attacking ability, like an Inglis, Hodges, Gasnier, etc. Carter just isn't a natural attacking player by the looks.

League coaches value defensive centres like Cooper because half of the game is played without the ball.

 

[Scarfman]

Turner was fast but not quite finishing off; Anesi ran well, but away from support; Mitchell was skillful but always looked capable of big fuck-ups, like dropping it or poor kicks, getting isolated, etc.

But still, it was nice to see the Tahs' back 3 having a crack. It add a whole new dimension to the game, and makes the oppo think twice before kicking. They might be tempted to keep it in the forwards, which is where we want it.

 

[Langthorne]

Surely with the strength of the scrum and the speed of the outside backs (not Carter) we can expect some interesting back line play from scrums - maybe a winger or fullback popping into the line...something?...anything?....please?

 

[naza]

Carter lacked aggression with the ball, despite his niggle and yapping. I want to see him try to run over people, not surrender meekly with a half attempted step. 13s normally need to be strong runners, especially with two ball players inside and three pacy backs outside. He's the basher, but lacked poorly in that department. Lindommer put it succintly: he was 0.7 Carters.

I was hoping to see evidence of Tom Carter's improved speed. He claimed he'd dropped 5 kgs and was better for it. Not that I saw albeit he had limited opportunities. He needs to take a leaf out of Mortlock's book and make sure he runs onto the ball at pace because he takes a while to get going.

 

[fatprop]

Carter lived up to my expectations of him, but I was surprised how little work Tirinui did in the game

7 tackles, 1 ruck and maul and 1 run in 80 mins is tragic

Carter at least did something, just not very well

11 tackles, 5 ruck and mauls & 5 runs

http://www.rugbystats.com.au/matches/rugby/match2835.html

 

[RugbyReg]

fp, QLD were drifting and as we all know, Carter doesn't pass. So Fainga'a did the tackling.

It should be noted, for Bruce of course, that Carter missed the same number of tackles as Cooper did, according to those stats at least.

 

[fatprop]

fp, QLD were drifting and as we all know, Carter doesn't pass. So Fainga'a did the tackling.

It should be noted, for Bruce of course, that Carter missed the same number of tackles as Cooper did, according to those stats at least.

It was more his lack of ball running

 

[RugbyReg]

that site doesn't have passing stats does it?

perhaps he was passing it more?

 

[Scotty]

I don't think there were many times when the ball got to Turinui in a backline move. We tended to attack the blind, and therefore the winger got the pill, or have Fainga'a hit it straight, or pass inside/chip over the top. Cooper didn't use his long pass much at all actually.

I would be good to see the backline give him the option of a second line of attack out wide, such that Giteau did for him in Perth. Hynes is probably the man for this job, but it would be good to see him also link with Chambers.

 

[fatprop]

that site doesn't have passing stats does it?

perhaps he was passing it more?

mmm ..... Fox has pies a bit better

Minutes played 80
Runs 3
Offloads 1
Tackles made 9
Tackles missed 1

edit: here seems some more complete info

http://www.ruggastats.co.za/games.aspx?G=5