Rebels v Waratahs Round 2 - 2012R02 - Dunlop Shield III

[daz]

Good to see Luke Jones get a start, I rate him as having alot of potential to step up and become a permanent starting player. Same goes for Mitch Inman, who should start of Mortlock by the end of the year.

Yep, I rate these guys as well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again; watch Inman this year.

 

[daz]

Cippers, JOC (James O'Connor) and Vuna. This is the Waratahs game to lose, we need to shove the ball up the jersey and go straight through your forwards.

Normally I would agree, but if trial form means anything, I think you are under-estimating these guys. Whatever was in the gatorade over the summer break has been working. I see many tackles in the 2012 futures of Cips and Vuna.....

 

[wilful]

Matt Bourke offers some free advice to the Waratahs. Not particularly insightful - "the rebels are crap at defence, target Cipriani". Well we shall see.

 

[Braveheart81]

What would Matt Burke know?

He's never played the Rebels.

 

[Dumbledore]

Matt Bourke offers some free advice to the Waratahs. Not particularly insightful - "the rebels are crap at defence, target Cipriani". Well we shall see.

First half of the article is quite balanced, then he just loses it and says Cipriani is shit, Bieber is the only one who can play and the Rebels still can't defend. I'm not too worried about Cips, during the trials I saw him smash Ice Toeava out as he was flying down the line to score, bring iDagg down in broken play and chop Tom Donnelly down 5m out from the tryline. Same old lazy rugby journalism we get here, facts replaced by FACTS.

With that said, 'Tahs still by 25+

 

[Ash]

Sorry guys, but remind me of one of the reasons why AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) left the Brumbies? Was it because he was getting sick of the "Mr Versatile" tag and wanted to lock in a position to call his own?

Pretty sure there were a lot of external factors in his move up the Hume - namely his partner of the time.

Regarding AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s being moved around last year - I think it was due to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s versatility as much as his poor form. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) didn't really play too well most of the Super 15 season, and never stuck his hand up in one position and said "I must be picked here!". As a result, he got shunted around when other players stuck their hand up, like McCabe.

 

[Dumbledore]

So I've heard this James O'Connor kid might be better than Carter [/segue]

 

[barbarian]

OK let's get back on topic now guys. I apologise for taking it further off-road.

I am tipping the Tahs to win this comfortably. The Rebels forward pack is very poor and could be in for a long night.

I am interested in the performance of Luke Jones. The kid has had wraps on him for a while but I haven't seen much to write home about yet. This is his first big chance at Super level, hope he steps up and grabs it with both hands.

 

[Ash]

I don't know if I am sold on Luke Jones yet. Not that I've seen much of him. Hasn't he been injury riddled on and off as well for the last couple years? Haven't seen much of him in the Schute Shield.

Or maybe the Rebels have just done a good job hiding him from the spotlight...

I'm more keen to see how Saffy goes this year, and would like to see him get a shot at open side in the next few weeks.

 

[Ash]

And I'll say this about the Tahs forwards: they seemingly combine to be more than the sum of their parts (like I've often thought the Crusaders pack does), particularly when they are aggressive around the breakdown.

 

[daz]

In about 3 hours I will be heading out to have dinner and a few drinks before taking my seat at AAMI park. It will probably be a bit wet and the wind will be a bit chilly, but I tell you what, I am just stoked that I get to go to watch real rugby in the flesh again for 2012.

The Rebels also have an after match function for the Gold and Platinum members and that should be good too. All up, I'm really looking forward to this season of rugby in Melbourne.

It all seems slightly surreal given I am a Reds fan. Ah well.

But, they are playing the Tahs so I will be right behind the boys from Melbourne tonight. I think they will put on a show but I just cannot see them tipping over the Tahs. The Rebels forwards will just wilt tonight like a snowflake in front of a blowtorch, sadly.

Tahs by some/many/lots.

However, it is the manner the Rebels play and contest (especially the backs) that I will be keenly watching.

 

[Ash]

The Tahs have their full strength front row, and it should be too good for the Rebs as well. I'm expecting a solid domination at strum time to the Tahs.

I am hoping that the Rebels forwards turn up to play after watching how the Tahs attacked the Reds at the breakdown last week. It wasn't superior numbers that saw some turnovers, it was surperior technique and body height from the Tahs forwards. The Rebels forwards should be prepared, or it will be a very long night for them.

 

[daz]

The Rebels forwards should be prepared, or it will be a very long night for them.

Yeah, otherwise by the time they get to the pub post-game Cips would have filtched all the stock.

Hey, don't flame me; I mock because I care.

 

[Dumbledore]

I don't think the Rebels forwards are as pathetic as common memory has it. They were solid if unspectacular, they rarely got on top of opposing teams but weren't often completely blown away. Most of the tries were leaked by backs refusing to tackle as well as appalling defensive alignment and structures. The Tahs are most definitely better, but I don't think it will quite be the prison-style shaming many are predicting.

 

[qwerty51]

The difference is I think this pack is quite worse than what they put out last year..

I rate Luke Jones highly however I don't think he's Super rugby quality yet. Saffy is better, Lipman/Chamberlain are equal. Robinson is probably better than Freier atm and Sommerville is gone. I can't say I rate Brynes any more either.

 

[Braveheart81]

Byrnes seems slightly less likely to get sinbinned these days than he did a few years ago.

 

[Dumbledore]

The difference is I think this pack is quite worse than what they put out last year..

I rate Luke Jones highly however I don't think he's Super rugby quality yet. Saffy is better, Lipman/Chamberlain are equal. Robinson is probably better than Freier atm and Sommerville is gone. I can't say I rate Brynes any more either.

Man-for-man I agree with you. Saffy is on the bench because he's been injured for most of the pre-season and they're just easing him back in. Robinson is most definitely better than Freier. Sommerville's importance was as a pack leader, I don't think we lose all that much in terms of playing ability with Weeks. A good pack is more than the sum of its parts though, and the boys have now had a solid few months training together, along with the experience they can bring from last year. They held their own against the Blues and Crusaders, which as far as trial matches go were pretty intense. If the Rebels can achieve parity, or slightly less than, I think it becomes a pretty even game.

 

[daz]

If the Rebels can achieve parity, or slightly less than, I think it becomes a pretty even game.

The problem here, Dumbledore, is that unless you are a rabid one-eyed fan it is almost universally agreed that the Rebels pack for tonights game will not come even close to being slightly less better than the Tahs pack, much less achieve parity.

Love to be wrong, and happy to cop some flack if I am.

 

[p.Tah]

In about 3 hours I will be heading out to have dinner and a few drinks before taking my seat at AAMI park. It will probably be a bit wet and the wind will be a bit chilly....

I'm next to AAMI park at the moment and there is brilliant sunshine

 

[Dumbledore]

The problem here, Dumbledore, is that unless you are a rabid one-eyed fan it is almost universally agreed that the Rebels pack for tonights game will not come even close to being slightly less better than the Tahs pack, much less achieve parity.

Love to be wrong, and happy to cop some flack if I am.

Mate, I'm more than happy to cop some flack if I'm wrong as well. I'm just not entirely convinced that the Tahs pack is as good as the hype, and that the Rebels pack is as bad as the internet would have you believe. Still, we'll know who's right in three and a half hours I guess.