Super Rugby R4 2025: Waratahs v Force @ SFS, Saturday 8 March

[dru]

bell is a millions times better than toupo. it's not even close. big minutes for bell tonight.

What? at halfback? They play different positions. Agree that Bell has been one of the strong players on the field and that Tupou hasn't. The comparo is weird though. Tupou is a better tighthead than Bell.

 

[Derpus]

The only thing that holds me back from tipping them is they are the Force. Failure is baked into the walls. Don't get me wrong the Tahs have had a lean decade but the Force have been so consistently disappointing when it matters that I'm wary of putting my hard earned behind them.

Early signs would suggest this year is different, but I've been fooled before.

Prescient

 

[Pfitzy]

The surface at Allianz is abominable. How many knee injuries tonight?

Play at the Renegades. Less seats, better turf

 

[cyclopath]

Solid win for the Tahs. Good defence, good scrum. Force looked threatening for 50-55 mins but poor discipline let them down. Big shift from Bell and Gamble. Both teams with some stuff to work on though. I think McKellar will be pretty pleased.

 

[Pfitzy]

Yeah i think the Force have fallen on the wrong side of the ref two weeks in a row.

They also leapt eagerly and willingly to the wrong side of the Laws through much of that game

 

[Wilson]

His whole career.

Time at the Tahs was waiting for him to push over the potential claims but never happened and it seems it still hasn’t.

Look, I think he was massively overrated while he was at the tahs, but he does also have something to offer long term. He's not a star though, so as a 24 year old back rower he's only just getting up to this level. He's a classic for guys that just desperately need gametime, whether that's here or abroad.

 

[Pfitzy]

Tupou is soooooooooooooooooo lazy. FMD

 

[Wilson]

The surface at Allianz is abominable. How many knee injuries tonight?

Play at the Renegades. Less seats, better turf

Looked like 2 at least - Gordon and Pietsch. Possibly Gleeson as well

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Hard worker made 18 tackles tonight

3 turnovers on 7 carries as well.

 

[Derpus]

They also leapt eagerly and willingly to the wrong side of the Laws through much of that game

Granted. I just hate the massive momentum swings from simple misses. That shit makes a difference at this level.

 

[Thalium]

Tupou is soooooooooooooooooo lazy. FMD

I recon a few of those penalties should have also gone to Marley Pearce and not Tupou. Dude was clearly hinging and at times not taking the weight going for that double hit

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Was nervous about some of the guys like Grant starting and Kalapu being a bit of an unknown with Leafi on debut but gee they were strong.

Hopefully a strong message to others and Miles about aiming up and you’re spot ain’t assumed.

Well done getting A games played so these guys were ready.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Tupou is soooooooooooooooooo lazy. FMD

Frustrating to watch. Might be time for him to explore other opportunities.

 

[Heavyd]

Crowd of 4000? We’ve been drinking the coolaid about best ever super rugby. Rugby fans have gone AWOL.

 

[Wilson]

Was nervous about some of the guys like Grant starting and Kalapu being a bit of an unknown with Leafi on debut but gee they were strong.

Hopefully a strong message to others and Miles about aiming up and you’re spot ain’t assumed.

Well done getting A games played so these guys were ready.

The biggest difference for the tahs tonight was Ben Grant instead of Amatosero and Creighton instead of Edmed. Neither has as high as a ceiling, but they're both an order of magnitude (or 2 in the case of Grant v Amatosero) more reliable right now and that's exactly what the tahs need.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Crowd of 4000? We’ve been drinking the coolaid about best ever super rugby. Rugby fans have gone AWOL.

Not great hey.

Won’t be that low but not an improvement on previous crowds which is a shame. Average weather (we can’t complain) but the Force don’t move the needle much for fans either.

 

[Derpus]

Weird that the crowd was so poor. The crowd was solid for the Drua game.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Fijians in Sydney love that side.

Bookies took some dough tonight off people that loved that juicy Force HtH market.

 

[Shiggins]

What? at halfback? They play different positions. Agree that Bell has been one of the strong players on the field and that Tupou hasn't. The comparo is weird though. Tupou is a better tighthead than Bell.

he is a better front rower. period

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Fark, I thought we were a real chance tonight