Tahs Vs Brumbies

[Moses]

** 1 is enough. 8 is better. Tahs to win.

Lineout should still be strong, BaxTAH not lifting hurts but having Mumm at 6 and Thompson the tallest player in Oz I'm sure if TPN can throw it straight someone will be there to catch it.

 

[naza]

Brumbies: Mark Gerrard, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Stirling Mortlock, Tyrone Smith, Francis Fainifo, Christian Lealiifano, Joshua Holmes, Stephen Hoiles (capt), George Smith, Peter Kimlin, Mark Chisholm, Ben Hand, Guy Shepherdson, Stephen Moore, Nic Henderson, Res: Huia Edmonds, Ben Alexander, Sitaleki Timani/Shawn Mackay, Julian Salvi, Patrick Phibbs, Matt To'omua, Clyde Rathbone.

Whatever happened to Alfi Mafi ?

 

[mark_s]

Echo Echo Echo

Looks like I am the only one with no foxtel and no ability to get to the pub.

 

[Pfitzy]

Nah I'm here but not for much longer as I'm crook as the proverbial little dog. Planet Rugby has a call - its a bit behind so see if ABC Radio has it:

http://live.planet-rugby.com/2009/03/13/3176.shtml

 

[Pfitzy]

Sounds like a thriller... NOT! 6-3 at halftime to the home side.

 

[PaarlBok]

Would love to get a little help from a friend with the scoring from the Aus locals. Score now 11-3 and sound like the Tahs have already lost the plot here. :nta:

 

[mark_s]

tahs down 18-6 with 10 to go. looks like the horses will get this one

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Holy crunching scorelines Batman, I can hear the snapping of the arsehole all the way up in Queensland.

Looks like chokers there Robin my faithfull sidekick

 

[ACT Crusader]

Brumbies hit rucks like men possessed tonight. Were patient enough when they went phase after phase (now when have we seen the Brumbies do that before).

T Smith at 12 makes a significant difference to the way the Brumbies attack.

And for those in the OZ full back thread calling for Beale to move, tonight was further evidence why it is a ludicrous idea. He fell off tackles when moved there.

Well done to Brumbies, they deserved it despite Clarkeee's Tah cheerleading.

 

[Sully]

He positioned himself perfectly to make the Tackle. You have got to admit that. Then the used him like a speed bump! :lmao:

 

[Pfitzy]

Holy crunching scorelines Batman, I can hear the snapping of the arsehole all the way up in Queensland.

Looks like chokers there Robin my faithfull sidekick

Yep. But at least we're not the Reds :thumb

 

[PaarlBok]

Very disappointing from my tippings view but not so bad if you are a Sharks or Bulls supporter. Important game for the Sharks tomorrow and it will be nice to see two Saffers teams name at the top. of the log. :thumb

 

[PhucNgo]

Brumbies hit rucks like men possessed tonight. Were patient enough when they went phase after phase (now when have we seen the Brumbies do that before).

T Smith at 12 makes a significant difference to the way the Brumbies attack.

And for those in the OZ full back thread calling for Beale to move, tonight was further evidence why it is a ludicrous idea. He fell off tackles when moved there.
Well done to Brumbies, they deserved it despite Clarkeee's Tah cheerleading.

He was falling off tackles even before he moved there. This kid has a serious problem in making the transition from boy to man. He's a fair lump of a lad but he's playing as if he's still a kid among the grownups. Maybe a psychologist (to help with the performance anxiety), in addition to a kicking coach is the ticket.

The Brumbies were, well, just the Brumbies tonight and thoroughly deserved to win. G Smith was outstanding yet again and probably worth about 1.5 Pococks according to my meter. Difficult to see the Tahs taking away any positives from that second half performance and they now know they have some serious problems in the inside backs. Burgess was absolute cack, as was Beale, and when the angry dwarf came on to replace Burgess, he was even cacker. Tahu made a few good breaks in the first half, as did Horne, but across the board there seemed to be no real fluency or structure in attack from the Tahs backs.

I honestly don't know where they go from here. They probably, by necessity, need to persevere with Burgess, but Beale should be riding the pine from here on in. I don't rate Halangahu highly at 10, he's just too slow doesn't offer much, but I guess at least he can tackle. So, that means SNK going to 10 and Turner to 15, on the basis that you need someone with an almighty boot back there these days. And as he showed last week, his defence is not bad, and he can kick from the tee as well. Maybe Playford or Cararo to the wing until the Big Rat is available.

As for the forwards, they desparately need a strong scavenger to at least share the load with Waugh, who is looking a lot like a beachball at a cricket match. The big buys are just batting him around all over the place. And with Frier now probably out for a while, it just doesn't get any better.

They've still got some time and options (but not many), but realistically, the chances of making the 4 from here are looking slim.

 

[Spook]

What have the Tahs done to Growden? He has been slagging them all year. I wonder if Hickey told him to fark off - good man.

Haven't watched match yet but will do.

 

[Pfitzy]

Growden is deep into menopause - he slags everything. And Hickey probably DID tell him to fuck off, which is no less than any human would do.

I should probably watch Reds v Tahs while waiting for the game.

 

[Lindommer]

Well played, ponies, a deserved win. The commitment and urgency at the breakdown and their patience in attack won it for the Brumbies. Were both their tries scored after 15+ phases? Wonderful to watch. As was the Tahs' defence to get those phases into double figures. The Tahs can't win the whole shebang without their best 8 forwards on the paddock.

 

[Scarfman]

Good post Phuc.

Two big results for the Ponies: (1) smashed Tahs in the ruck (2) the T. Smith version of the backline is easily the best one. Mortlock loving it, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) a much better winger than FB.

Gerrard beat SNK, but SNK was being asked to play 15, 10, 12.

Was Sheehan concussed? He was playing like a little lost boy. Beale is now seriously stinking the place up. They're going to have to drop him and play SNK at 10. Hangers is hopeless.

Individually I thought most of the Tahs pack played well, no howlers anyway, but got out-enthused at the breakdown. Thomson did a good job.

Oh, TPN played better than Moore, IMHO. Salvi and Kimlin were good, we should have had Beau Robinson out there.

 

[fatprop]

Well done the Brumbies, they absorbed all the pressure the Tahs put on them because the Tahs failed to convert the pressure into points and then came over the top. They finished with much better urgency at the breakdown, especially when the Tahs had a half break, they closed it down very well.

Both Smiths was good for the Brumbies, Lealiifano was better having some dynamism and go forward at 12. For the Tahs, I thought Nau was just excellent, as was Turner.

 

[Spook]

How did Kimlin go? Apparently he was quite unfit at the beginning of the season as he played feck all games whilst riding the pine for the Wallabies...but you would think by now he'd be getting match fit.

 

[Lindommer]

Beale is now seriously stinking the place up. They're going to have to drop him and play SNK at 10. Hangers is hopeless.

The lack of development and fluidity in the Tahs' back play this year highlights the incompetence of the NSWRU over the last five years. Firstly, Brian Melrose's services were dispensed with; for all I think of Melrose he was/is an excellent coach of backs. This was followed by a year of no backs coach, well, there was a coach of sorts, Les Kiss the defence coach. And a very good defence coach he is but not on attack. Then the Tahs' brain trust engineers Todd Louden's return from a successful season in Pretoria just to piss him off with the utter balls up over Link's departure last year. Here was a bloke who was involved in two different teams reaching the Super final in successive seasons on different continents. An outstanding backs coach.

The sooner the management of the Tahs is removed from the general committee of the NSWRU and has its own board the better.

SNK at 10? Geez, Scarfie, I don't think things are that desparate. :-\ :-\ :-\