Tahs V Rebels, SFS, April 30 - 2011R11

[Slim 293]

I'm pretty sure the Rebels could field the Victorian Schoolboys and still beat the Waratahs under Kaplan...

 

[Jnor]

I really really really hope Beale is proper fit and isn't going to crock himself becuase he's not right for this game. The last thing we want is anyone like him out for a long time in the WC lead-up.

 

[wobbly]

Kaplan reffing means rugby will be the loser no matter what result.

Why do they keep appointing him?

 

[fatprop]

Timani was very good last week.

I am surprised Nau and Beale are playing, good to see Barnes back out there

 

[rugbysmartarse]

lets not forget that the Rebels have done some pretty public complaining about Kaplan's efforts when he last reffed them, and he may now have a new whipping boy to focus on.

 

[FiveStarStu]

lets not forget that the Rebels have done some pretty public complaining about Kaplan's efforts when he last reffed them, and he may now have a new whipping boy to focus on.

I doubt he even remembers we exist.

Rebels paying 4.05 at Centrebet, nowhere near the tasty 13 they were against the Blues but still worth a flutter.

 

[Army_Gav]

thats OK, remember what happened last time it wasnt a home game v the Rebels?

Super Rugby jitters.

 

[Hawko]

The referees appointments board seem determined to give Kaplan a chance to prove he can ref a match that the Tahs win. The record at the moment is something like 15 losses and one win. I think the one win was the Lions during one of their dire periods, even Kaplan couldn't help them.

Why does the appointments board do it? There are plenty of refs that never get a Tah appointmeent, why put one ref who has had difficulty with the team in a position where he is under pressure not to have another loss because it emphasises the perception of bias? About the only sensible suggestion is that its a square-up from the Board for the criticism of Smith's refereeing last week.

The Board did not have to do it. All it can do is bring pain and dissent. If the Waratahs win, the Rebels will claim that Kaplan was unconsciously biased to even up the discrepancy. If the Rebels win then the Waratahs will continue to believe they cannot win under Kaplan, reinforcing the belief of bias. Nobody wins either way, Kaplan is placed under immense pressure and all for what? I cannot think of one real benefit to the game of rugby.

 

[Hawko]

This team selection seems to confirm three Hickey coaching characteristics:

1. To be consevative about picking young backline players even when the incumbents are playing so poorly that their performance lost the match the previous week (Cross over Kingston).
2. Selecting players who appear to be carrying injuries, even in games where the opposition is not a top drawer team. (Beale, TPN)
3. Consistently selecting players who have not played well over better performed players in the squad (McCutcheon over Alcock).

Despite the abuse hurled upon them, the Tahs are a good team who had a narrow loss to the table leading team last week. They can still win despite the adversity of injuries, Kaplan and the like. But the selection of this team is the almost perfect case study of why Hickey is not the right coach for the Tahs next year. He has too many blind spots.

 

[I like to watch]

Cross did not play well, but to say he lost the game suggests that the 2nd half never took place.
If we are laying blame, there are a few more suspects to add to the list..

 

[Langthorne]

Please Waratahs, use your strong scrum and rolling maul wisely - it is not essential to score a push over try, there are other options available when you have a dominant scrum.

 

[Bruce Ross]

The Board did not have to do it. All it can do is bring pain and dissent. If the Waratahs win, the Rebels will claim that Kaplan was unconsciously biased to even up the discrepancy. If the Rebels win then the Waratahs will continue to believe they cannot win under Kaplan, reinforcing the belief of bias. Nobody wins either way, Kaplan is placed under immense pressure and all for what? I cannot think of one real benefit to the game of rugby.

Having weighed up the two alternatives, Hawko, I reckon I can live with the first option. I will feel no pain and I promise not to dissent.

Bugger "the game of rugby"; I can "think of one real benefit" for me.

 

[FiveStarStu]

If the Waratahs win, the Rebels will claim that Kaplan was unconsciously biased to even up the discrepancy.

Speaking as independently as I ever will about my beloved Rebels, I think what the Brumbies game showed that Kaplan has the ability/bias to consciously even up discrepancies that he identifies. The penalty that was given to win the game, whilst being euphoric in its awesomeness and a decision I totally agree with and would never want revisited in any way, was barely there. It was a return serve for the missed forward pass that led to Speight's late try.

Maybe it's more hope than anything else, but I don't think Kaplan will decide this match. I don't think he'll win the game for the Waratahs (he sure as hell isn't going to start now) and he won't win the game for the Rebels.

He'll be equally awful to both sides.

 

[Dunnman]

Hopefully Cipriani, Vuna and Phipps are benched for this one. Every week their appalling defence astounds.

The Rebels set piece is looking sound at the moment, but Cipriani insists on kicking good ball away. When the Rebels have kept the ball in hand they have shown that they can score tries. With someone else at stand off the creative juices might start flowing. Hell even give livewire kingi a go. At least he would tackle.

 

[fatprop]

Please Waratahs, use your strong scrum and rolling maul wisely - it is not essential to score a push over try, there are other options available when you have a dominant scrum.

Yeah, until the tahs have a 9 who can box kick, the rolling maul is a strange one, it ties up most of your pack by the end, either in the maul or as detritus strewn around it.

And what then? The standard approach appears to be work for a penalty or a box kick. One being a crap shoot in the hands of the ref and the other down to your 9 and the chase; with little back up because the forwards have been stuck in the maul.

Spread it wide and the backs have little forward support fer the same reason as above.

 

[Scarfman]

And did you notice that on a couple of occasions (I think including the Cooper try), a dominant defensive scrum from the Tahs led to a good Reds attack. The problem was that the ball would come out on the Red side, but all 16 scrummagers had fallen over in a heap, leaving a wide open field with no loosies.

I know we tell our loosies to keep their heads in to power-up the scrum, but this needs to be fixed to make the dominant defensive scrum useful.

 

[DPK]

I did, Scarfy, and it looks good for the Wallabies if Genia and Cooper can be effective of a poor scrum.

 

[Gooch]

Courtesy of: http://www.rebel-army.com/archives/1508. Rebels team named.
1 Rodney Blake
2 Ged Robinson
3 Greg Somerville
4 Alister Campbell
5 Hugh Pyle
6 Jarrod Saffy
7 Michael Lipman
8 Gareth Delve (vc)
9 Nick Phipps
10 James Hilgendorf
11 Peter Betham
12 Stirling Mortlock (c)
13 Mark Gerrard
14 Lachlan Mitchell
15 Julian Huxley

16 Heath Tessmann
17 Laurie Weeks
18 Hoani Macdonald
19 Tim Davidson
20 Richard Kingi
21 Cooper Vuna
22 Danny Cipriani

 

[Hawko]

And did you notice that on a couple of occasions (I think including the Cooper try), a dominant defensive scrum from the Tahs led to a good Reds attack. The problem was that the ball would come out on the Red side, but all 16 scrummagers had fallen over in a heap, leaving a wide open field with no loosies.

I know we tell our loosies to keep their heads in to power-up the scrum, but this needs to be fixed to make the dominant defensive scrum useful.

In the Cooper try the scrum had already gone through the 90, but the ref refused to apply the rules. That meant that all the loosies were a good 5-10 metres behind the pass and no hope to get across in cover. One could argue I guess that the Tahs applied the wheel the wrong way, but all match with either ref there was a reluctance to apply the law when it came to the scrum.

 

[DPK]

Rebels focusing on defense, and the Tahs attacking firepower limited. Expect a shitfest.