Tahs v Reds Trial Sat 24 Jan Toowoomba

[TOCC]

i dont think McMenimen should play 8, he doesnt have the 'bulldozing' capability, Houston is not spectacular at it but generally speaking he is able to force his way over the advantage line.

I know MMM has said he wouldnt mind playing number 8, but IMO he is the perfect physique for openside, has the athleticism and speed for running rugby as well as going well been tall enough to be a lineout specialist.

Anyway back to the side, i am very keen to see how the speed of this backline goes, i have never seen Blair Connor play so i dont know how fast he is, but i have know how fast Vaalu, McLinden and Davies are.

I love speed in a backline!

 

[RugbyReg]

I know what you mean about MMM, and I hope Leroy has a big season. But if things go wrong you can have MMM at 8 with Tasi at 6. Tasi packs at 8 our scrum (does the ball handling/cleaning up) whilst MMM plays 8 on their feed. More weight at the back and two flyers on the side.

 

[TOCC]

actually i was watching some replays of the 2008 S14 matches, and Leroy was pretty average at clearing the ball at the back of the scrum, fumbled it twice in the 1 match.

 

[liquor box]

actually i was watching some replays of the 2008 S14 matches, and Leroy was pretty average at clearing the ball at the back of the scrum, fumbled it twice in the 1 match.

and he does not know how to pack properly, standing back at the initial contact and pushing with your forearms does not help get momentum at the contact, QLD pack with 7 forwards for most of the season, then he joined in.

He sure has talent...for around 10 minutes a game if you are lucky, if he played a full game the Reds would look good in the forwards.

 

[TOCC]

well in leroy's defence it was really his first 'proper' year of professional rugby..

anyway, i will be at the game tonight, so i should be able to give you a summary of the match afterwards!

 

[naza]

I know MMM has said he wouldnt mind playing number 8, but IMO he is the perfect physique for openside, has the athleticism and speed for running rugby as well as going well been tall enough to be a lineout specialist.

I'm assuming you had a Lee Grant senior's moment there ?

MMM's ball running is only suitable in a support role, ie: blindside, rather than the primary ball carrying forward role which we expect of Australian #8s. Would like him to continue to develop that offload a bit more.

I'm frustrated that Leroy Houston is turning into the second coming of David Lyons.

 

[TOCC]

I know MMM has said he wouldnt mind playing number 8, but IMO he is the perfect physique for openside, has the athleticism and speed for running rugby as well as going well been tall enough to be a lineout specialist.

I'm assuming you had a Lee Grant senior's moment there ?

MMM's ball running is only suitable in a support role, ie: blindside, rather than the primary ball carrying forward role which we expect of Australian #8s. Would like him to continue to develop that offload a bit more.

I'm frustrated that Leroy Houston is turning into the second coming of David Lyons.

well i was at the game which NSW won 17 - 5, i actually left before the reds scored there try because it started to absolutely piss down with lightning..

All in all, it was actually pretty hard to judge both teams, the both did pretty well.

NSW were stronger at the breakdown and had a strong focus on really quick ball, which worked in there favour with 2 of the tries coming off such ball.
Beale was actually a bit of a mixture, he showed some good glimpses when running the ball, but then 2 of his kicks of the right foot were absolute shockers, like they only made 5m.

For Queensland,
Houston is looking a lot fitter then last year, he had a high workrate and made a few bulldozing runs.. He also cleared well at the back of the scrum.
Higginbotham looks really good, he plays a lot like Horwill/McMenimen
Anthony Fainga'a, this boy can tackle, he made 3 massive tackles with turnovers out of all 3, not really a playmaker though
Genia, looks highly motivated and was getting the ball out a lot faster when he came on late in the 2nd
Vaalu, didnt really show much at centre, but he has died his hair blonde.... looks very weird
Fetoia, he had a pretty quite game, made some strong physical runs but nothing much.

Davies/Connor/Mclinden, these guys didnt do anything great, but didnt do anything wrong either.. Davies showed how quick he is in some of the kick chases but these guys werent really broght into the match.

Front row, well to be honest i couldnt figure out who was who, i think Dayna Edwards might have started in place of Laurie Weeks, but i couldnt confirm that. Scrums were a bit hard to see, so i dont know exactly what was going on, Reds got quite a few short arm penalties for the scrums though

 

[Lee Grant]

From the Reds website

Waratahs win trial season opener against QR Reds
McLinden passes first rugby test
Saturday, 24 January 2009

The skills of Waratahs backs Sam Norton Knight and Kurtley Beale backed by disciplined defence paved the way for a 17-5 win over the QR Reds in their opening trial match of 2009 in Toowoomba.

The Waratahs locked up the game with three tries before thunderstorms that had threatened all night finally arrived to drench the enthusiastic Gold Park crowd of 3,530.

Reds replacement scrumhalf Will Genia grabbed a late try for the Reds after neat work by outside centre Brando Va'aulu, who recovered a seemingly lost ball before regaining his feet and outpacing the defence to put Genia away.

The match opened brightly with both sides looking to attack at every opportunity but they cancelled each other out until Beale broke the deadlock with the Waratahs pressing the Reds' line, putting wing Peter Playford through a gap for the first of his two tries.

Then it was Norton Knight's turn, putting on a "show and go" to create a break before putting Playford clear.

With the Waratahs ahead 12-0 after Beale's conversion of the second try, a yellow card for the Reds' hard tackling flyhalf Anthony Fainga'a, pinged for an alleged shoulder charge, forced the home side to have to work all that much harder on the humid evening.

A try by replacement Mitch Inman stretched the Waratahs lead to 17-0 as the downpour finally arrived.

Both coaches professed themselves happy with the opportunity to finally play rugby after months of pre-season training and to give some of the younger players in the squad a run.

?We did some things really well that we?ve been working on, and we probably found a few more things that we?ll need to do some more work on,? said Waratahs head coach Chris Hickey.

?It?s a sound performance first up. There?s still some fine turning that needs to occur, but that?s what trials are for.

?The experienced players in the squad all stepped up, and the young players we brought up [to Queensland] performed well. Mark Preston played really well when he came on, while Tim Bennetts and Damon Anderson showed some good touches in their first match out of school.?

QR Reds' Head Coach Phil Mooney was also upbeat, chalking the night up to experience and looking forward to raising the ante against the Blues in Auckland on Friday.

?I think both sides would be pretty happy that they were able to get some footy at last,? Mooney said.

?What we got out of it was in the first 20 minutes I thought our enthusiasm was good and our defence was good and then a little bit of inexperience, a couple of bad kicks and the Waratahs capitalised.

?I think it did show that we played a very young side and we did lack a bit of direction, but when you throw in some of our experienced guys it augurs well for us, I think."

League convert Mark McLinden was given plenty to do at fullback by the testing kicks of Norton Knight and Beale, but gained a pass mark from coach Phil Mooney for his efforts.

"I was really happy for Mark McLinden. It's been quite a long buildup for him with the off-season and to get a game of rugby under his belt is really good. I thought he was quite good for us tonight."

McLinden came off with a slight head knock after being hit by the Waratahs forward pack as he tried to gather a ball at the tackle but was happy with his first game of professional rugby.

"That was good. I enjoyed it. I made a couple of errors but overall I was pretty happy," McLinden said.

Waratahs 17 (Peter Playford 2, Mitch Inman try, Kurtley Beale goal) bt QR Reds 5 (Will Genia try) in a trial match at Gold Park, Toowoomba. Crowd 3530)

 

[Lee Grant]

From the Tahs site

Saturday, 24 January 2009
NSWRU Media Unit

Less than a week after signing to the HSBC Waratahs for the 2009 Super 14 season, Peter Playford scored two tries to help the defending Super 14 runners up to a 17-5 win over the Queensland Reds in their opening pre-season match at Gold Park, Toowoomba.

Sporting stiches across the bridge of his nose from a hit at training earlier this week, Playford was one of a number of players who staked an early claim for Super 14 selection in the Waratahs first pre-season match for 2009.

The first half of the match was distinct in its difference, with an arm wrestle in the opening 20 minutes gradually turning NSW 's way in the run to half time.

Kurtley Beale was instrumental in the Waratahs first score, with some nice handling putting Peter Playford across for the opening try of the game.

Another experienced campaigner in Sam Norton-Knight created the Waratahs next try with a line-beating show-and-go and sidestep creating space for Playford to cross for his second.

The Waratahs took a 12-0 lead into the break, and their authority on the match continued into the third quarter.

Replacement back Mitch Inman scored the Waratahs third try and sent the visitors to an unassailable 17-0 lead as the clock wound down.

With lightning peppering the ground throughout the match, the heavens finally opened in the final 20 minutes making conditions difficult for both sides.

The Reds scored a consolation try through replacement half Will Genia inside the last ten minutes, but it wasn't enough to stop the Waratahs recording a 17-5 victory, and a repeat of their opening trial victory over Queensland on Australia Day 2008.

"We did some things really well that we've been working on, and we probably found a few more things that we'll need to do some more work on," said head coach Chris Hickey. "It's a sound performance first up. There's still some fine turning that needs to occur, but that's what trials are for.

"The experienced players in the squad all stepped up, and the young players we brought up [to Queensland] performed well. Mark Preston played really well when he came on, while Tim Bennetts and Damon Anderson showed some good touches in their first match out of school."

With no major injuries to report out of the match, Hickey added how happy he was with the performance of a number of players who had spent long periods on the sidelines since the conclusion of the 2008 Super 14.

"Tom Carter, Matt Carraro, Rob Horne - they've all had a extensive rehab from injuries last year and have come through the match really well which is good news," said Hickey.

The Waratahs return to Sydney on Sunday afternoon and head into camp in the Hunter Valley on Tuesday ahead of Friday's trial with the Fiji Warriors at EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle.

HSBC Waratahs 17 (Peter Playford 2, Mitch Inman tries; Kurtley Beale con) d Queensland Reds 5 (Will Genia try) at Gold Park, Toowoomba. Half-time: HSBC Waratahs 17-5. Referee: Paul Marks.

 

[Lee Grant]

A little bit from the SMH



QUEENSLAND 7 NSW 17

FORMER NRL player Mark McLinden made his debut for Queensland in last night's trial against the Waratahs at Toowoomba.

McLinden, aged 29, played for the Canberra Raiders before spending four years in the English Super League.

The Waratahs won 17-7, with young five-eighth Kurtley Beale starring for NSW.

The final quarter was played as a thunderstorm hit the area.

Leroy Houston played strongly for the Reds.

 

[Sully]

Big Leroy looks fit they say. FANTASTIC!

 

[TOCC]

Houston looks fit from the amount of ground he covered, he still has a bit of that gut that he had last year, actually the Reds lifted Houston in the first lineout of the match, pretty good jump as well.

when i was walking in the entrance a few of the players were driving in, James Horwill drives a BMW X5, pretty funny because the security guard had to check his ID.

I ran into Hugh McMenimen and Van Humphries at the merchandise stall, pretty funny guys, both were having a few beers last night, they noticed that they were selling NSW gear at the merchandise stall and were asking if they were selling much of it(the answer was no), they then asked if pouring beer over all of it would help it sell. Van Humphries seems pretty nice, he was going up and talking to all the kids and parents.

All the players not playing were pretty good, they were getting out and interacting with the crowd, i think Greg Holmes had his family and friends there. Ezra Taylor has one of those plastic foot braces on, he is a massive guy as well, almost as tall as the other locks.

 

[Lee Grant]

I know MMM has said he wouldnt mind playing number 8, but IMO he is the perfect physique for openside, has the athleticism and speed for running rugby as well as going well been tall enough to be a lineout specialist.

I'm assuming you had a Lee Grant senior's moment there ?

There is no reason to be writing these insults naza. If I were TOCC I would be most upset. Shame.


On Houston: Let's all hope that that he is fit and stays that way, otherwise it is a talent wasted. I couldn't believe what a caricature of a player he had become when I watched him in the Oz A v Maori game last year. He looked like one of those fat props just before their retirement.

We all need him to become a Wallaby candidate again.

 

[naza]

Too early to write off Leroy it appears.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24949930-5015651,00.html

"Big changes, mate. Lifestyle. I've matured heaps. Hopefully, that will take me further," Houston said of his personal transformation.

A talented ball runner, Houston is leaner after shedding four kilograms in the off-season.

"I've got my weight down from 121 to 117 kilos," Houston said. "I'm a bit lighter, mate. We'll see how we go this weekend. See how I get around the field."

The Reds badly need Houston to step up - their main weakness has been a lack of go forward to generate momentum in attack.

 

[TOCC]

from what i witnessed last night, he has stepped up considerable, probably the best QLD forward getting around the field, his runs became more damaging later in the game, which is probably a indication that his fitness is pretty good.

 

[RugbyReg]

A few snippets from the paper I haven't seen commented on:
- James Hanson threw a number of crooked throws
- Byrnes niggled and the Tahs are angry about some lineout incident that lead to Thompson coming off injured
- Weekes played very well apparently

 

[TOCC]

Hanson did throw a number of crooked throws, but so did Fainga'a when he came on..

The ground was pretty wet from the high humidity and impending storm so that probably contibuted somewhat