Super Rugby Rnd 2 2020: NSFW Waratahs vs Auckland Blues

[Braveheart81]

The Tahs are underdogs in this game which I think is a little surprising. Neither team were amazing last week but the Blues were at home and the Tahs away. You'd probably think the Tahs faced slightly better opponents in the Crusaders.

The Tahs have a bad record against the Blues though. We haven't beaten them since 2015.

 

[Blackadder]

The Tahs are underdogs in this game which I think is a little surprising. Neither team were amazing last week but the Blues were at home and the Tahs away. You'd probably think the Tahs faced slightly better opponents in the Crusaders.



The Tahs have a bad record against the Blues though. We haven't beaten them since 2015.

It's not surprising. The Tahs have a lot of kids and like you said the Tahs haven't beaten the Blues since 2015 even with a far more experienced side.

I am hoping the Tahs get up but they really need to improve their defence and go forward.

 

[Froggy]

The really big one is broken play defence. Probably understandably for so many players tasting their first bit of rugby at this level, but last week by the time they'd adjusted to a dropped ball etc the Saders were away.
Between that, and bumbling the chances they created, we saw the difference between the two sides last week.

 

[qwerty51]

Keen to see how Harrison does in the wet. He has a nice boot on him. Would be a perfect game for Morea to debut too if ready. Blues scrum was good last week so concerning when Faulkner comes on.

 

[fatprop]

From the tweeter

Waratahs team to play Blues in Newcastle: Will Harrison, thankfully, given another go at 10. Prop Harry Johnson-Holmes healthy and will start. So too Jack Dempsey at No.8.
Former NRL forward Tepai Moeroa selected on bench and in line to make #SuperRugby debut.

 

[Silverado]

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/02/05/super-waratahs-team

 

[fatprop]

WARATAHS V BLUES, NEWCASTLE, 7.15PM

1. Tom Robertson
2. Robbie Abel
3. Harry Johnson-Holmes
4. Tom Staniforth
5. Rob Simmons (c)
6. Lachie Swinton
7. Michael Hooper
8. Jack Dempsey
9. Jake Gordon
10. Will Harrison
11. Mark Nawaqanitawase
12. Karmichael Hunt
13. Lalakai Foketi
14. Alex Newsome
15. Kurtley Beale

Reserves

16. Damien Fitzpatrick
17. Angus Bell
18. Tetera Faulkner
19. Ryan McCauley
20. Jed Holloway
21. Tepai Moeroa
22. Mitch Short
23. Jack Maddocks

 

[KiwiM]

Blues team looks weak. Tahs are a real chance here

15. Duffie 14. Hyland 13. Marchant 12. Faiane 11. Telea 10. Perofeta 9. Ruru 8. Sotutu 7. Gibson 6. Papalii 5. Goodhue 4. Tuipulotu 3. Mafileo 2. Eklund 1. Tui'nukuafe

16. Parsons 17. Lindenmuth 18. Tu'ungafasi 19. Robinson 20. Ioane 21. Nock 22. Plummer 13. Narawa

 

[Hawko]

Blues team looks weak. Tahs are a real chance here

Yeah. Until At 55 minutes they bring on Ioane, who has been absolutely seething at his treatment by the coaches to date and completely determined to show up their stupidity by making about 30 bone-crushing tackles and about 200 run metres in 25 minutes. We better be up by about 40 by then I reckon or we're cooked.

And I will be pleasantly surprised if we can get somewhere close to scrum parity too, before Faulkner comes on and it all goes to custard.

 

[fatprop]

Don't understand why Abel is starting

 

[Silverado]

Don't understand why Abel is starting

Me either. His lineout throws were poor. Also surprised that Maddocks didn't get the nod over Newsome

 

[Dan54]

Yeah. Until At 55 minutes they bring on Ioane, who has been absolutely seething at his treatment by the coaches to date and completely determined to show up their stupidity by making about 30 bone-crushing tackles and about 200 run metres in 25 minutes. We better be up by about 40 by then I reckon or we're cooked.

And I will be pleasantly surprised if we can get somewhere close to scrum parity too, before Faulkner comes on and it all goes to custard.

Yep if he remembers to stop feeding his face , he maybe good to go for 20 minutes!

 

[KiwiM]

It won't be hard for Akira to provide more impact than Gibson last week - Gibson was anonymous off the bench.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Don't understand why Abel is starting

I don't understand how he has a professional contract. This is his fourth Super Rugby team and he's been a liability for......... all of them?

 

[Micheal]

I don't understand how he has a professional contract. This is his fourth Super Rugby team and he's been a liability for... all of them?

Weird.

Lineout throwing aside, I think he's been great in the trial and Round 1.

 

[fatprop]

Weird.

Lineout throwing aside, I think he's been great in the trial and Round 1.

That is like a prop who can't scrummage or an accountant who can't count

 

[fatprop]

 

[Braveheart81]

We won 15 of 16 lineouts on our own throw and won a few from the Crusaders.

The issue was the 23 turnovers (9 more than the Crusaders) and missing 36 tackles for a 78% success rate.

I'm surprised Abel was picked as the starter ahead of Fitzpatrick but given that happened for round 1, he certainly wasn't going to lose the job for round 2 based on his performance.

 

[fatprop]

We won 15 of 16 lineouts on our own throw and won a few from the Crusaders.

The issue was the 23 turnovers (9 more than the Crusaders) and missing 36 tackles for a 78% success rate.

I'm surprised Abel was picked as the starter ahead of Fitzpatrick but given that happened for round 1, he certainly wasn't going to lose the job for round 2 based on his performance.

There was a lot of crap very deep to the back that would have been deemed a "win" - but wasn't really

 

[Braveheart81]

There was a lot of crap very deep to the back that would have been deemed a "win" - but wasn't really

A couple of those that we won were from the Crusaders though (and obviously not intentional). A couple of times we did it intentionally.

I certainly don't think our lineout was a weak point or that Abel had a poor game.