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Round 6: Waratahs v Crusaders - Saturday 23 March @ SCG

Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Well, it's time for the Waratahs to get their shit together. This game was originally scheduled for some of the All Blacks to be rested but that will be out the window now given they didn't play in round 5.

The Crusaders have been sublime in the opening month of the competition and if the Waratahs don't really get their act together they'll get belted.

Foley had an absolute shocker against the Brumbies and needs to find some form.

Hunt will hopefully be right to move back into 12.

The lineout was a huge issue against the Brumbies and needs to improve. If we're going to have a weak scrum we can't afford to be stuffing up our lineout as well.
 
Dismal Pillock

Dismal Pillock

Michael Lynagh (62)
RWC year, a year the Cantabs traditionally ease off. Cotton wool that shit, keep the powder dry. They haven't yet. Surely they'll swithc to autopilot re 2011 and 2015 soon​

But after recent events in Christchurch, with an extra week off, you'd think they may well come out with blood on the brain and murder in their strides.
 
Froggy

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Well, if the Tahs perform the same as last Friday the Saders will put 100 on them. I thought they were absolutely pedestrian, offering no real threat anywhere, and most significantly, it was some of their older, more experienced big name players who are just not performing. The only way they will score against the Saders will be for Foley to bounce one off the post for Hooper!

If it were up to me (yes, I know this won't happen) but Kepu, Dempsey, Gordon, Foley and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would all be on the bench. Kepu was just too stupid for words, how can a full time professional give so many dumb, lazy penalties week after week, and top it off with that effort on the weekend. O'Connor wasn't the worst, give him a start, we don't have a lot to lose. Dempsey was MIA until the last 20 minutes, where he suddenly fired up. Well next week he can just play those 20 minutes, give Swinton a start. By the way, for mine HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Holloway, Hanigan and Hooper have been the stand-out forwards for the Tahs this year (guess your name has to start with an H!).

Gordon has been all right, but next week I would start Phipps. Plenty will disagree, but what the Tahs really lacked was energy last week, and Phipps brings that in spades. I have been a Foley backer all along, but this year he is just offering nothing. He has always been a suspect defender and had a limited boot, but we put up with that for his ability to get the back-line going and kick goals. Now he's doing neither! Sure, starting Mason is a massive risk, but what is there to lose, it's not as if we stand to win with the existing line-up. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has been a great servant to Tah and Aus rugby, but father time has caught up (or over-taken), he's now offering nothing. Hunt back in to 12, Rona to 13, KB (Kurtley Beale) to 15 and Isi to the wing.

Radical? Yes. Likely? Definitely not. But that's my reaction. Sometimes you've got to draw a line in the sand and say 'this is just no longer acceptable.'
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Tahs:

1. HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes)
2. Fitzpatrick
3. Kepu
4. Holloway
5. Simmons
6. Hanigan
7. Hooper
8. Dempsey
9. Phipps
10. Foley
11. Newsome
12. Beale
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Clark
15. Folau

16. Tuala 17. O'Connor 18. Talakai 19. Swinton 20. Wells 21. Gordon 22. Mason 23. Hunt
 
Derpus

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Silverado said:
Yeah, needed to start Hunt at 12, Beale at 15 and Israel on the wing. I guess we'll see the character of the team. Need some sort of momentum but I can't see any superiority across the board
Click to expand...
A combined best 15 is probably just the Crusaders + Izzy.
 
Derpus

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Not keen to see Beale and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) up against Crotty and Goodhue. Jesus what a mismatch.
 
Blue

Blue

Andrew Slack (58)
super-lube-car-fluids-chemicals-31110-64_1000.jpg
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Crusaders:

1. Bower
2. Taylor
3. Franks
4. Strange
5. Whitelock
6. Taufua
7. Todd
8. Douglas
9 Hall
10. Cameron
11. Bridge
12. Crotty
13. Goodhue
14. Ennor
15. Havili

16. Makalio 17. Allan 18. Ala'alatoa 19. Romano 20. Sanders 21. Enari 22. Hunt 23. Jordan
 
Brumby Runner

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
That's a weakish Crusader front row, and missing Barrett, Read and Mounga will be disruptive as well. Still, Tahs will have to be very good to be competitive.

I am a little mystified that two of the Tahs' best backs are on the bench - Gordon and Hunt. Along with Izzy and Rona, they have been pulling their weight this year and would probably make the side stronger if they were in the starting lineup.
 
Froggy

Froggy

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Gibson has stuck to a number of grossly underperforming players. I hope they repay his faith!
Personally, I think it sends the wrong message, but we will see.
 
waiopehu oldboy

waiopehu oldboy

George Smith (75)
No Mo'unga or SBar 'cos they trained for last week's game so it doesn't count towards their rest weeks or reset the no-more-than-five-in-a-row count (even tho that doesn't seem to be an issue for certain Bloos & Tribe players). CruSadists by ~14.
 
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