Reds v. Force Super Rugby Round 6 2012

[RedsHappy]

Welcome to the Tahs 2011 experience.

Hawko, though apropos the Tahs' injury problems and with background the awful list of same you had in late 2011, what I find doubly intriguing is the decision of Tahs' management to sign on two old warriors that everyone has now owned up to carrying very serious underlying and unfixed injuries into the 2012 season, namely Rocky and Vicks.

Are you gluttons for punishment?

 

[Sam White]

Long time browser, first time post.....

My mates and I have been going through the inside backs available in Australia and as posted previously we have come up with Matt Brandon. The guy who was drafted into the Force squad last year. We do have the question as why he wasnt signed before the young ben seymour but that is for another thread.

We found a highlights package of him on youtube

He had obviously been around the reds set up so why hasn't he been drafted into the wider training squad?

On another note, agree that Murphy should be given time at 15 and maybe Tapaui given the responsibility of running the team. I dont think there is much point in putting Genia at 10. It would weaken a strength of the reds. But i guess it does come down to how well the forward pack is going. They just got smashed in South Africa

I think the reds will get up just this week. Some Samo brilliance?

 

[Sandpit Fan]

Long time browser, first time post.....

My mates and I have been going through the inside backs available in Australia and as posted previously we have come up with Matt Brandon. The guy who was drafted into the Force squad last year. We do have the question as why he wasnt signed before the young ben seymour but that is for another thread.

We found a highlights package of him on youtube

He had obviously been around the reds set up so why hasn't he been drafted into the wider training squad?

On another note, agree that Murphy should be given time at 15 and maybe Tapaui given the responsibility of running the team. I dont think there is much point in putting Genia at 10. It would weaken a strength of the reds. But i guess it does come down to how well the forward pack is going. They just got smashed in South Africa

I think the reds will get up just this week. Some Samo brilliance?

Welcome aboard Sam.

We are certainly going to need some brilliance from somewhere this weekend.

For those advocating that Murphy move to 15, I'm sure I read somewhere that he's only ever played at 10, and is pretty much regarded as a specialist? After that baptism of fire on the weekend, I would think the last thing to do would be to move him to 15 if he's not familiar with the demands.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

One of the worst things you can do to a young kid is to shift or drop him after having a rough start. Given that there aren't a huge amount of other options at 10 for the Reds, he should stay there. Given also that he is playing against one of the least threatening backlines in Super rugby this weekend should also help his confidence. Link is a smart coach and I think he will keep him at 5/8.

 

[vidiot]

Murphy was quite solid when the reds were in possession, especially when you consider the circumstances. It was just the tackling. Maybe give a haircut (and colour) so he isn't so easy to pick to run at.

 

[What2040]

Murphy was quite solid when the reds were in possession, especially when you consider the circumstances. It was just the tackling. Maybe give a haircut (and colour) so he isn't so easy to pick to run at.

Murphy was shit - accross the park - no problem with youth but if you're good enough fair enough - if not then that is the result

 

[No4918]

One of the worst things you can do to a young kid is to shift or drop him after having a rough start. Given that there aren't a huge amount of other options at 10 for the Reds, he should stay there. Given also that he is playing against one of the least threatening backlines in Super rugby this weekend should also help his confidence. Link is a smart coach and I think he will keep him at 5/8.

Easy for you to say. Bet Force fans would love to see there backrow running at him all night. Unfortunately Taps is the only centre available so he will prob have to stay there, it doesn't get much harder than the Bulls at Loftus so the fawn in headlights look will be gone at least.

Really hope the Force are taking the Reds as lightly as some of their fans. The day they take any side lightly is the day they lose by 20+ instead of <7. Don't think anyone can expect the pack to be anywhere near as bad again this week.

Didn't the Tahs and Reds both use about 37 players last season. If the 14 above is true that puts us at 36, not all have played so total used will be lower but the effect is the same. The tragedy this year is that almost half those have been the 10-12s. No side will do well with so many injuries in that channel. Lucky for the Tahs to still have Barnes/Carter/Halangahu. Not much love for the last but the Reds would love him this week.

 

[liquor box]

Easy for you to say. Bet Force fans would love to see there backrow running at him all night. Unfortunately Taps is the only centre available so he will prob have to stay there, it doesn't get much harder than the Bulls at Loftus so the fawn in headlights look will be gone at least.

Really hope the Force are taking the Reds as lightly as some of their fans. The day they take any side lightly is the day they lose by 20+ instead of <7. Don't think anyone can expect the pack to be anywhere near as bad again this week.

Didn't the Tahs and Reds both use about 37 players last season. If the 14 above is true that puts us at 36, not all have played so total used will be lower but the effect is the same. The tragedy this year is that almost half those have been the 10-12s. No side will do well with so many injuries in that channel. Lucky for the Tahs to still have Barnes/Carter/Halangahu. Not much love for the last but the Reds would love him this week.

Or you could play a very tight game and put Taps at 10, Samo at 12, another big unit (Van) at 13 and just bash the shit out of the force. Not much of a spectacle but it would fill the gaps.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Easy for you to say. Bet Force fans would love to see there backrow running at him all night. Unfortunately Taps is the only centre available so he will prob have to stay there, it doesn't get much harder than the Bulls at Loftus so the fawn in headlights look will be gone at least.

Really hope the Force are taking the Reds as lightly as some of their fans. The day they take any side lightly is the day they lose by 20+ instead of <7. Don't think anyone can expect the pack to be anywhere near as bad again this week.

Didn't the Tahs and Reds both use about 37 players last season. If the 14 above is true that puts us at 36, not all have played so total used will be lower but the effect is the same. The tragedy this year is that almost half those have been the 10-12s. No side will do well with so many injuries in that channel. Lucky for the Tahs to still have Barnes/Carter/Halangahu. Not much love for the last but the Reds would love him this week.

Who else is there? Unless one of Harris or Lucas is available, then who to play 10? Taps is better off being at 12, where I predict he will do some damage.

Who is taking the Reds lightly? Not I.

 

[No4918]

Who else is there? Unless one of Harris or Lucas is available, then who to play 10? Taps is better off being at 12, where I predict he will do some damage.

Who is taking the Reds lightly? Not I.

Comment on the previous page tipping Force by 20. I suspect it was at least partially tongue in cheek, as were my comments about the Force taking sides lightly.

 

[RedsHappy]

We won't know what Murphy's really got or not until he's played 2 or 3 games at this level. All but the most talented and mentally hardened 10s in Aus rugby would have struggled v these 2012 Bulls at Loftus when, as in the Reds' case, the team's forwards were being made lambs to the slaughter by the ballistic machines in the Bulls' forwards. (This was in part QC (Quade Cooper)'s problem in the RWC when our forwards were being dominated and weren't able to gain fast, clean ball.)

If we want a wildly creative suggestion, start with Gill and Beau at 6 and 7, and put Higgers at 13. He's the best centre we have who's never played there. He has all the attributes, and he's a street fighting hard man. And, just a btw, I'll bet money that he was the only Reds' forward that the Bulls would have rated as giving them a match when they were back in the sheds after the game.

 

[fatprop]

Hawko, though apropos the Tahs' injury problems and with background the awful list of same you had in late 2011, what I find doubly intriguing is the decision of Tahs' management to sign on two old warriors that everyone has now owned up to carrying very serious underlying and unfixed injuries into the 2012 season, namely Rocky and Vicks.

Are you gluttons for punishment?

The Reds last year had the 9/10 nexus stable for most of the season and the wide spread of injury. The squads can comfortably cover a spread of injuries across a squad, the problem is when specific specialists are hit hard (as the Tahs with Hookers & 10s last season and the Reds this season with 10s/centres).

 

[tigerland12]

1- Holmes
2- Hanson
3- Slipper
4- Humphries
5- Horwill
6- Higginbotham
7- Robinson
8- Shatz
9- Genia
10- Brandon
11- Morahan
12- Tapuai
13- Fainga'a (hoping he is fit for return)
14- Shipperely
15- Davies

Bench: Anae, Daley, Simmons, Samo, Gill, Frisby, Murphy

Wallace-Harrison and Aiden Toua should be close to fitness given their injury time-frames, same with Anthony Fainga'a. Ruggo do you have any idea on if they're training currently?

Matt Brandon has always been a better player then Dallan Murphy, and is the most talented fly half running around in club rugby. It is a travesty he hasn't been picked up by a Super Rugby club. He could always do a Brock James and head overseas and make a killing for it, but he has stayed in Brisbane for Easts by all reports. Throw him in, he will no struggle.

Ed Quirk should be in the side, and definatly will if Fainga'a isn't fit, as Samo will move into the centers/wing. I would drop Samo for him but given his versatility I would think we need to keep him at the moment.

 

[No4918]

RH, agree that if it does come down to a forward in the backs (which would be getting close to a joke at this level, forget Samo at RWC, that was with a limited squad), Higgers must get the nod. Can kick and pass, fast and with good agility and there was quite a few on here contemplating the merits of a such a move permanently a year ago.

 

[liquor box]

RH, agree that if it does come down to a forward in the backs (which would be getting close to a joke at this level, forget Samo at RWC, that was with a limited squad), Higgers must get the nod. Can kick and pass, fast and with good agility and there was quite a few on here contemplating the merits of a such a move permanently a year ago.

While I agree with your post, I would struggle to move Higgers, I think he is the best player for the Reds this year, and I would go as far as to say he has been the Best Aussie in my opinion.

 

[RedsHappy]

Re round 6. If we think we might just be good enough to just contain the Force's forwards in broken play, what we MUST have is the best possible backline (and a half-decent place kicker) as that's where they have a high-risk (for them) combination of lack of depth of experience and less-than-stellar talent. Which has been on a neon-lit display ever game they've played this year.

Whatever, if the Reds' coaches don't exit their 'champions winning machine' mindset and get shaken to the core as to their own sloppy 2012 so far as coaches, and thus start a new intensity right now to fixing the Reds' obvious skills problems, I'll predict a 10-15 point loss on Saturday, to which the contribution of injuries will be but a minor part.

 

[bloodred]

Murphy was quite solid when the reds were in possession, especially when you consider the circumstances. It was just the tackling. Maybe give a haircut (and colour) so he isn't so easy to pick to run at.

I think what happened here goes to point out the value in having someone like Lucas at 10. That channel is a great favourite for sending big forwards through. If there is a weakness it will be exposed. Players like Lance and Lucas plugged it admirably. The bonus with Lucas is that he is also a good 10 and can play 9

 

[Troy]

1- Holmes
2- Hanson
3- Slipper
4- Humphries
5- Horwill
6- Higginbotham
7- Robinson
8- Shatz
9- Genia
10- Brandon
11- Morahan
12- Tapuai
13- Fainga'a (hoping he is fit for return)
14- Shipperely
15- Davies

Bench: Anae, Daley, Simmons, Samo, Gill, Frisby, Murphy

Wallace-Harrison and Aiden Toua should be close to fitness given their injury time-frames, same with Anthony Fainga'a. Ruggo do you have any idea on if they're training currently?

Matt Brandon has always been a better player then Dallan Murphy, and is the most talented fly half running around in club rugby. It is a travesty he hasn't been picked up by a Super Rugby club. He could always do a Brock James and head overseas and make a killing for it, but he has stayed in Brisbane for Easts by all reports. Throw him in, he will no struggle.

Ed Quirk should be in the side, and definatly will if Fainga'a isn't fit, as Samo will move into the centers/wing. I would drop Samo for him but given his versatility I would think we need to keep him at the moment.

Some of those guys are injured:

Ben Daley - suspected broken thumb
Van Humphries - broken nose

Not sure were they'd stand on those injuries or if they'd still play?

 

[tigerland12]

Some of those guys are injured:

Ben Daley - suspected broken thumb
Van Humphries - broken nose

Not sure were they'd stand on those injuries or if they'd still play?

Forgot about Daley, I assume Shepherdson or Kevin Davis will come into the 22 then. I read that they expect Big Van will be fit to play.

 

[emuarse]

Murphy was shit - accross the park - no problem with youth but if you're good enough fair enough - if not then that is the result

As I said in another thread, Reds V Bulls, Murphy was behind a forward pack that was going backwards, and for even an accomplished 5/8 that's a hard act to play well from. Look at some of QC (Quade Cooper)'s games when he has been behind a backward pack - not very impressive either.
I'd keep Murphy in for the Force game.