Nowra Trials - Tahs v Force and Junior Tahs v Force A
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waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
thomas carter carving up apparantly.
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
NSWWaratahs HSBC Waratahs
#tahstrial great try to Mitchell after quick hands from Carter and Beale
4 minutes ago
tommy the gun on fire.
#tahstrial great try to Mitchell after quick hands from Carter and Beale
4 minutes ago
tommy the gun on fire.
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
Love your work WJ
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
mitchell probably only went over cos carter drew the defence.
MrBump
Bob McCowan (2)
waratahjesus
Greg Davis (50)
good work tahs, another great preseason, now onto the rebels, let the countdown to the real stuff begin, speculation on team selection starts here.
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
They could do a lot worse Groucho.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
There was some good rugby in Nowra last night but one of the highlights was when a helicopter was delivering Tah Man and the game ball. It was a huge transport chopper and the wind from the rotor knocked over a portable dunny with a bloke in it.
Junior Waratahs 26 - Oz Barbarians 5 (I think)
The unexpected highlight of this match was that Robbie Horne played in it. He was a bit dusty and made dustier by being tackled by Sean Doyle of Southern Districts just after he got the ball once. It was a typical Horne tackle on Horne and it shook him up. The attacking signs were there without much effect on the score, but Horne missed a couple of tackles mainly through bad timing. He'll get that back though.
10 of the Baas starting team were Force players and the other starters, plus all the reserves, were Sydney club men plus a couple of locals, (who went OK too.)
It was a disjointed game at first. The JWs kept turning the ball over early in the match and the Baas were good at retaining the ball then. Once they settled down though the JWs turned things around.
Some other notes:
Baas
• 3. PAE did another run as on Saturday when the tackler went up then back and down, and in one scrum when the JWs didn't get the hit just right he walked through Tilse in the scrum. 2. Siliva had a couple of crook throws but otherwise played well and 1. Ah Nau had one storming run and defended well.
• 10. Batholomeusz didn't look as good as Godman did on Saturday and had 2 kicks charged down and was lucky not to have it done on two other occasions.
• 8. Metuisela had one of his typical hard bugger running and tackling days as we have seen him have for Manly. He probably won't get too much game time at the Force but if there are injuries to others I think he'll go OK.
• 15. Dellit had another couple of good runs as he did on Saturday and once for a try when you knew he was going to read the situation exactly right and he did.
Junior Tahs
• 9. McKibbin was MOTM in my eyes and had a top all round organising game. Kicked most of his goals too.
• 2. Fitzpatrick had a top game of the seagulling type: ripping the ball out of arms and backing up were features.
• 11. Kingston replaced Horne at 13 in the 2nd period IIRR and had a good old time combining with 14. Pakalani in a few incursions. These two are handy.
• 10. Saifoloi had a terrific assured match in all departments. Watch this space on the 2009 Oz Schools flyhalf.
• 12. Bennetts limped off so he was replaced by scrummie Holmes who, not for the first time, looked better as a 12.
• 5. S.Timani had the best game I've seen him play, which is not saying a lot. He still runs too upright near the goal line but he held onto the ball and played strongly on defence too. He also snaffled some bad Baas lineout throws with good reactions.
• 3. Ryan – his side of the scrum looked solid and he did some hard defending on his line. Once he ripped the ball out from a Baas player about to score but got a card for his trouble. Must have been offside. Reserve prop/hooker Ulugia came on for the next scrum as prop.
• 15. Woodhouse started, as Anesi didn't play. Good to see the 2009 Oz Schools player start in a senior game and looking like a future pro.
Junior Waratahs 26 - Oz Barbarians 5 (I think)
The unexpected highlight of this match was that Robbie Horne played in it. He was a bit dusty and made dustier by being tackled by Sean Doyle of Southern Districts just after he got the ball once. It was a typical Horne tackle on Horne and it shook him up. The attacking signs were there without much effect on the score, but Horne missed a couple of tackles mainly through bad timing. He'll get that back though.
10 of the Baas starting team were Force players and the other starters, plus all the reserves, were Sydney club men plus a couple of locals, (who went OK too.)
It was a disjointed game at first. The JWs kept turning the ball over early in the match and the Baas were good at retaining the ball then. Once they settled down though the JWs turned things around.
Some other notes:
Baas
• 3. PAE did another run as on Saturday when the tackler went up then back and down, and in one scrum when the JWs didn't get the hit just right he walked through Tilse in the scrum. 2. Siliva had a couple of crook throws but otherwise played well and 1. Ah Nau had one storming run and defended well.
• 10. Batholomeusz didn't look as good as Godman did on Saturday and had 2 kicks charged down and was lucky not to have it done on two other occasions.
• 8. Metuisela had one of his typical hard bugger running and tackling days as we have seen him have for Manly. He probably won't get too much game time at the Force but if there are injuries to others I think he'll go OK.
• 15. Dellit had another couple of good runs as he did on Saturday and once for a try when you knew he was going to read the situation exactly right and he did.
Junior Tahs
• 9. McKibbin was MOTM in my eyes and had a top all round organising game. Kicked most of his goals too.
• 2. Fitzpatrick had a top game of the seagulling type: ripping the ball out of arms and backing up were features.
• 11. Kingston replaced Horne at 13 in the 2nd period IIRR and had a good old time combining with 14. Pakalani in a few incursions. These two are handy.
• 10. Saifoloi had a terrific assured match in all departments. Watch this space on the 2009 Oz Schools flyhalf.
• 12. Bennetts limped off so he was replaced by scrummie Holmes who, not for the first time, looked better as a 12.
• 5. S.Timani had the best game I've seen him play, which is not saying a lot. He still runs too upright near the goal line but he held onto the ball and played strongly on defence too. He also snaffled some bad Baas lineout throws with good reactions.
• 3. Ryan – his side of the scrum looked solid and he did some hard defending on his line. Once he ripped the ball out from a Baas player about to score but got a card for his trouble. Must have been offside. Reserve prop/hooker Ulugia came on for the next scrum as prop.
• 15. Woodhouse started, as Anesi didn't play. Good to see the 2009 Oz Schools player start in a senior game and looking like a future pro.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Tahs 38 Force 22
The Tahs forwards were a lot better than against Fiji and they tag-teamed better. Their set pieces were grand and the semi-set pieces: restarts and mauls (apart from the odd truck and trailer), were top notch.
Full marks to the Force forwards for nabbing turnovers. The Tahs had the stick on the Force at the beginning of the match but two of the poachings (one by Brown) led to tries against the run of play. At other times the Force were their own worst enemies – kicking restarts to the same spot for Mowen to swallow, poor throws to the lineouts, and poor passing which spoiled likely tries.
Force
• 14. Cummins was the best for the Force and he played OK last Saturday too. David Smith will be one winger in Rd. 1 but Cummins could get the other spot based on form in the east – ahead of Mafi. He was busting through tacklers like they weren't there and once they actually weren't, on a set play. He ripped the Tahs apart on that run but eventually JOC (James O'Connor) was blindsided otherwise the Force would have scored.
• 11 Mafi threatened a bit but 12 Fairbanks and 13. Sidey did nothing of note.
• 9. Stannard has more guile to his game than Sheehan but they are not a bad contrast to have in a 22.
• 15. Shepherd wasn't spectacular but he was solid and it was grand to see him play again and finish a game in a healthy state.
• 10. JOC (James O'Connor) – that's the first time I can remember his starting a game at flyhalf since I saw him do it (once only) for Qld Schools. He went OK and underplayed his hand more than in that other game. Once last night he was executing a swing pass and it was set up for him to step off his outside foot for a break inside but he passed the ball. There were other little shortcomings also and they all boil down to having not played the position a lot for the Force. Not too bad at all though.
One thing I forgot to mention on Saturday is how far this little bloke can punt the ball. We see it on TV but it's only when you see him do at a suburban ground close to the action that you realise how he can hoof it.
• 5. McCalman – the experiment to play him in the 2nd row was a worthy one but it didn't work. Also it took him away from where he should be – at 8. 4. Battye had some good moments but I can't see him starting in Super Rugby until he proves himself from the bench first.
• 2. Charles had a horrible match throwing the ball to the lineout. By my count he had 6 bad throws in half a game, 2 of which were luckily recovered. Mostly the bad throws were too long. Whittaker was surety itself when he replaced him.
• 11. Smith didn't have the good game he had on Saturday when he got a run last night, but his reading of the play was good. Once Cross was about to score and he tackled the ball – no try.
Tahs
• 2. TPN - just as well there aren't any more trials as this bloke will kill himself before Rd. 1. He was rushing out from the Tahs goal line and tackling guys around the shins and smiling. Generally he was knocking guys over anywhere on the park. He was everywhere – and then I realised that Palu had a bit of an Afro too so I had to discount TPN a bit. Threw to the lineout good too.
• 3. Baxter, 1. Kepu – OK we know the scrum is more than the props, but give these blokes a wrap for their part in it. The Tahs scrum looked like the Pom scrum giving it to the Wallabies last winter. They were going for pushover tries and would have got a penalty try once but Cliffy actually scored from it. Cliffy was good with and without the ball but he went off with a hamstring twinge.
• 4. Douglas had more participations last night than against Fiji, especially on defence, and like Mowen and Mumm was supreme in the air at lineout time. Mumm had a good work rate again and Mowen had a much better match than he did last Friday,
• 9. Burgess executed some horrible passes like a bowler when the ball gets stuck in his hand. Then just when you've finished shaking your head he does something so bloody brilliant you are gobsmacked.
• 10. Halangahu started instead of Barnes, who had a quad injury, and played better with the good ball he got than for the Baas the other day. Kicked some good goals too.
• 12. Carter had a cracking game. Everybody will be talking about the Mitchell try when Beale got the ball and took half a dozen accelerating steps which attracted a tackler, only to see KB (Kurtley Beale) pass the pill just in time to Mitchell. They won't mention the Ella pass of Carter to Beale to set it up – and here was me a few days ago saying he couldn't do that kind of thing. He looked good in other situations too.
• 13. Cross hardly ever got the ball in a set move though once he nearly scored, as mentioned above. I can't see him starting in Rd. 1. If Horne doesn't start I'd play Turner there.
• 14. Turner looked very dusty when he came off and was replaced by Batger.
• 15. Beale – We saw another side of him in the first half: the scrambling saving the situation Beale. He wasn't perfect: he dropped a high ball – but turned his body so it bounced back to a Tah – and he bombed too far once or twice. But he can seize a try scoring opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
The Tahs were the better team for more of the game in the first 3 Qtrs., but in the 4th Qtr they had all their academy players on. IIRR only Cross was still on the park, and maybe Holmes – I forget. The Force scored a couple of tries in this period and the score was skewed a bit.
It was interesting to see last year's schoolboys on the park at the end: Seage, Killingswoth and Apo plus 2009 schoolies Peterson, Sio, Saifoloi and Miles McCaffrey. A very interesting academy player is 7. Latekefu. He's like a back playing in the forwards – like a Hugh Perrett; tough though. He's just turned 21, weighs in at 100kgs and is playing for Parramatta. Watch this space.
The Tahs forwards were a lot better than against Fiji and they tag-teamed better. Their set pieces were grand and the semi-set pieces: restarts and mauls (apart from the odd truck and trailer), were top notch.
Full marks to the Force forwards for nabbing turnovers. The Tahs had the stick on the Force at the beginning of the match but two of the poachings (one by Brown) led to tries against the run of play. At other times the Force were their own worst enemies – kicking restarts to the same spot for Mowen to swallow, poor throws to the lineouts, and poor passing which spoiled likely tries.
Force
• 14. Cummins was the best for the Force and he played OK last Saturday too. David Smith will be one winger in Rd. 1 but Cummins could get the other spot based on form in the east – ahead of Mafi. He was busting through tacklers like they weren't there and once they actually weren't, on a set play. He ripped the Tahs apart on that run but eventually JOC (James O'Connor) was blindsided otherwise the Force would have scored.
• 11 Mafi threatened a bit but 12 Fairbanks and 13. Sidey did nothing of note.
• 9. Stannard has more guile to his game than Sheehan but they are not a bad contrast to have in a 22.
• 15. Shepherd wasn't spectacular but he was solid and it was grand to see him play again and finish a game in a healthy state.
• 10. JOC (James O'Connor) – that's the first time I can remember his starting a game at flyhalf since I saw him do it (once only) for Qld Schools. He went OK and underplayed his hand more than in that other game. Once last night he was executing a swing pass and it was set up for him to step off his outside foot for a break inside but he passed the ball. There were other little shortcomings also and they all boil down to having not played the position a lot for the Force. Not too bad at all though.
One thing I forgot to mention on Saturday is how far this little bloke can punt the ball. We see it on TV but it's only when you see him do at a suburban ground close to the action that you realise how he can hoof it.
• 5. McCalman – the experiment to play him in the 2nd row was a worthy one but it didn't work. Also it took him away from where he should be – at 8. 4. Battye had some good moments but I can't see him starting in Super Rugby until he proves himself from the bench first.
• 2. Charles had a horrible match throwing the ball to the lineout. By my count he had 6 bad throws in half a game, 2 of which were luckily recovered. Mostly the bad throws were too long. Whittaker was surety itself when he replaced him.
• 11. Smith didn't have the good game he had on Saturday when he got a run last night, but his reading of the play was good. Once Cross was about to score and he tackled the ball – no try.
Tahs
• 2. TPN - just as well there aren't any more trials as this bloke will kill himself before Rd. 1. He was rushing out from the Tahs goal line and tackling guys around the shins and smiling. Generally he was knocking guys over anywhere on the park. He was everywhere – and then I realised that Palu had a bit of an Afro too so I had to discount TPN a bit. Threw to the lineout good too.
• 3. Baxter, 1. Kepu – OK we know the scrum is more than the props, but give these blokes a wrap for their part in it. The Tahs scrum looked like the Pom scrum giving it to the Wallabies last winter. They were going for pushover tries and would have got a penalty try once but Cliffy actually scored from it. Cliffy was good with and without the ball but he went off with a hamstring twinge.
• 4. Douglas had more participations last night than against Fiji, especially on defence, and like Mowen and Mumm was supreme in the air at lineout time. Mumm had a good work rate again and Mowen had a much better match than he did last Friday,
• 9. Burgess executed some horrible passes like a bowler when the ball gets stuck in his hand. Then just when you've finished shaking your head he does something so bloody brilliant you are gobsmacked.
• 10. Halangahu started instead of Barnes, who had a quad injury, and played better with the good ball he got than for the Baas the other day. Kicked some good goals too.
• 12. Carter had a cracking game. Everybody will be talking about the Mitchell try when Beale got the ball and took half a dozen accelerating steps which attracted a tackler, only to see KB (Kurtley Beale) pass the pill just in time to Mitchell. They won't mention the Ella pass of Carter to Beale to set it up – and here was me a few days ago saying he couldn't do that kind of thing. He looked good in other situations too.
• 13. Cross hardly ever got the ball in a set move though once he nearly scored, as mentioned above. I can't see him starting in Rd. 1. If Horne doesn't start I'd play Turner there.
• 14. Turner looked very dusty when he came off and was replaced by Batger.
• 15. Beale – We saw another side of him in the first half: the scrambling saving the situation Beale. He wasn't perfect: he dropped a high ball – but turned his body so it bounced back to a Tah – and he bombed too far once or twice. But he can seize a try scoring opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
The Tahs were the better team for more of the game in the first 3 Qtrs., but in the 4th Qtr they had all their academy players on. IIRR only Cross was still on the park, and maybe Holmes – I forget. The Force scored a couple of tries in this period and the score was skewed a bit.
It was interesting to see last year's schoolboys on the park at the end: Seage, Killingswoth and Apo plus 2009 schoolies Peterson, Sio, Saifoloi and Miles McCaffrey. A very interesting academy player is 7. Latekefu. He's like a back playing in the forwards – like a Hugh Perrett; tough though. He's just turned 21, weighs in at 100kgs and is playing for Parramatta. Watch this space.
Langthorne
Phil Hardcastle (33)
I love your work Lee. Love it.
WorkingClassRugger
Michael Lynagh (62)
Any idea of the crowd size? According to the local ABC radio station down here they were expecting around 4,000.
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