Super Rugby: Rd 4, 2024. NSW Waratahs v The Auckland Blues

[Pokinacha]

Good from Edmed, even without a 50/22. Poor from the chase to let the Blues go quick though

Im constantly confused by the quick lineout laws. How many are needed for a lineout and surely it still needs to be straight and not just passed backwards towards a player

 

[Wilson]

Im constantly confused by the quick lineout laws. How many are needed for a lineout and surely it still needs to be straight and not just passed backwards towards a player

Quick just has to be backwards, go 5m and be thrown with the ball that was kicked out without interference from anyone not on the on field team throwing it.

 

[Derpus]

Would've caught the ball if not for the other player but still a penalty. Said it before but those laws are a zero sum game. They should just make it so you can't jump for the ball.

 

[Wilson]

tahs hanging on well here, but it does look a bit like they're just hanging on. Still, if they can keep it up and frustrate the Blues into changing their game they'll have a real contest.

 

[Wilson]

tahs look great when they play at pace, but their handling is letting them down. A bit on the catcher, but the passes are pretty poor for most of the screw ups

 

[Pokinacha]

tahs look great when they play at pace, but their handling is letting them down. A bit on the catcher, but the passes are pretty poor for most of the screw ups

I’d say they did a lot of catching and pass work at training after last weeks efforts

 

[Wilson]

I’d say they did a lot of catching and pass work at training after last weeks efforts

They should've, but if they did I'd be worried about the very minimal improvement.

 

[Derpus]

The maul laws are so counter-productive to entertaining footy. Charging down the field but play has to get pulled up because they stood up in the tackle slightly too long? fucken dumb.

 

[Wilson]

Support is doing a much better job at the ruck for the tahs now, really sticking to the hip of the carrier to leave no room for the blues

 

[Wilson]

The maul laws are so counter-productive to entertaining footy. Charging down the field but play has to get pulled up because they stood up in the tackle slightly too long? fucken dumb.

It's really just the way they're enforced at the moment, too much favour to the team setting the maul. There's a lot in what's written they could be applying that would help

 

[Wilson]

Still haven't worked out how the ref is calling it on defence though

 

[Derpus]

Have a word then would ya

 

[Wilson]

Have a word then would ya

You don't want me giving the tahs motivationals, if I do it right half of them will quit the game for the monastery and spend their lives in a vein attempt to atone for their sins.



The rest will sign with the Reds

 

[Pokinacha]

Still haven't worked out how the ref is calling it on defence though

Unsure how they’re calling most things. Interestingly Aus refs are harsh on Aus teams and NZ refs are also harsh on Aus teams.

 

[Wilson]

Unsure how they’re calling most things. Interestingly Aus refs are harsh on Aus teams and NZ refs are also harsh on Aus teams.

It's not to do with where the teams are from, it's about how they play the ruck and read the ref. Generally the top teams have adapted this season regardless of where the ref came from. The rest seem to struggle to deviate from the plan they went into the game with and maybe the put more focus on planning for the refs they're not as familiar with

 

[Derpus]

So what times kick off?

 

[Derpus]

Tahs look even worse than last week really

 

[Mr Arie]

Some outrageous clearance kicks

 

[Wilson]

Tahs look even worse than last week really

I think they've been much better defensively and are doing a good job putting the Blues off their game. Not doing a good job of their kicking though and the depth of the bench will probably kill them.

 

[Wilson]

Gleeson had been a little quiet after the first 20, but so far this has been his best game this year by a wide margin.