Waratahs 2012

[DPK]

I was told by a source that Bernards nickname was "mother@#ker"
This apparently came around due to the fact his favorite movie is Die Hard and he referred to himself as "Die Hard Bernard" so players started calling him M'F'er due to the famous line. We probably can't use that but maybe just

Yippe Ki Yay

Maybe just "MoFo"?

 

[spooony]

Some interesting info here

The tallest lock-pairing in Vodacom Super Rugby – Andries Bekker at 2.08m and Eben Etzebeth at 2.03m.

The Sharks’ locks are Steven Sykes (1.98m) and the former Stormer Ross Skeate (2.01m).

Bekker is the tallest player in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby, while only two Aussies and a Kiwi – Greg Peterson (Waratahs), Phoenix Battye (Force) and Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), all at 2.04m – are taller than Etzebeth. The Waratahs’ Sitaleki Timani and Dan Vickerman, as well as Van Humphries of the Reds, are as tall as the young Stormers lock.

 

[#1 Tah]

All irrelevant if Dave Dennis is throwing the lineout

Some observations coming in from Kingsford smith airport this morning -

1: Bernard Foley looked pretty happy with himself. deserves it too
2: TPN is his usual cheeky self, trying to get M. Foley's young baby to pull on his dad's beard
3: Drew Mitchell is out of the moonboot and is "getting there"
4: Damien Fitzpatrick did his same knee and will need surgery on it
5: The SMH reporters no longer fly down to the game - fairfax have no more money
6: Tom Carter and Bernard Foley were centres of attention from the media
7: Mike Foley was a lot happier than post-game last week.

 

[qwerty51]

ACL for Damien?

 

[#1 Tah]

ACL for Damien?

I dont think its the ACL, its whatever he did last year.

 

[qwerty51]

Well that's a season for him, very unfortunate run of injuries, and our hooker depth is going to be tested immediately, TPN is due soon..

 

[Gnostic]

A good win to the Tahs. Dissapointing from the Rebels for mine.

One area of concern fo me though. Paddy Ryan. Two weeks running now he has failed to do his job at TH after replacing Kepu. On both occassion up against less than imposing opposition, not to be disrespectful to his opponents they are hardly of the calibre of Franks' et al.

I had hopes that Ryan would develop under Foley but this could become a major issue for the Tahs pretty quick. Was it 4 penalties that Ryan surrendered when he came on?

 

[cyclopath]

Something like that. The scrum was rock solid with the starters, as it has been for a few seasons. But the back-ups have to really improve, because sooner or later we will be down one of the starting props. I'm hoping Foley is on the case.
The Rebels scrum was pretty good too - they never got a shove on against the Tahs, but they held strong for most of the time. Nice to see.
Interesting that both teams missed a similar percentage of tackles. My impression was that the Rebels got hammered for many of their misses, whereas the Tahs got away with it. It probably underlines a better "structure" in the cover defence, or just some really bad luck for the Rebels.

 

[up&under]

JOC (James O'Connor) looked tired and stressed last night! better get on the swisse.

 

[Ash]

The Rebels defence, especially in the first half, was caught short a lot. The Tahs competed a lot better at the breakdown, slowed down the ball more, and had a better defensive structure, so when they missed a tackle, it wasn't so important that a guy could get a clean break.

Paddy Ryan is only 23, which is still young for a prop.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Something like that. The scrum was rock solid with the starters, as it has been for a few seasons. But the back-ups have to really improve, because sooner or later we will be down one of the starting props. I'm hoping Foley is on the case.
s.

No doubt this is why he is being thrown on: only way to learn....or buy that French scrum machine and replicate each pack in s15


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[Inside Shoulder]

The Rebels defence, especially in the first half, was caught short a lot. The Tahs competed a lot better at the breakdown, slowed down the ball more, and had a better defensive structure, so when they missed a tackle, it wasn't so important that a guy could get a clean break.

Paddy Ryan is only 23, which is still young for a prop.

From what I've seen the tahs are 4 weeks behind the crusaders or highlanders


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[Jnor]

Something like that. The scrum was rock solid with the starters, as it has been for a few seasons. But the back-ups have to really improve, because sooner or later we will be down one of the starting props. I'm hoping Foley is on the case.
The Rebels scrum was pretty good too - they never got a shove on against the Tahs, but they held strong for most of the time. Nice to see.
Interesting that both teams missed a similar percentage of tackles. My impression was that the Rebels got hammered for many of their misses, whereas the Tahs got away with it. It probably underlines a better "structure" in the cover defence, or just some really bad luck for the Rebels.

I got my stats from the Fox Match Centre, which doesn't have the total number of tackles but does have missed. It was Rebels 39 to Tahs 15. This might equate to a similar number percentage-wise as the Tahs had 57% possession but missing more than twice the number of tackles surely has to have a pretty big impact, and I think it definitely did.

 

[suckerforred]

ACL for Damien?

Looking at strapping he had on, reaction at injury, and how injury happened I am guessing medial meniscus at best, ligament at worse. Happy to be told wrong.

 

[waratahjesus]

Looking at strapping he had on, reaction at injury, and how injury happened I am guessing medial meniscus at best, ligament at worse. Happy to be told wrong.

Being reported as AcL, out for season

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Being reported as AcL, out for season

Same Knee? Geez that is bad luck - was it contact that did it?

 

[Lee Grant]

Ulugia will go OK and is a better scrummager than Fitzy, who has had that dodgy knee for a while now. Fitzy didn't get much of a chance to show his loose skills at the Super level; so if that knee can be fixed up it could turn out OK for him. He was in my cunning list of future Wallaby hookers but I will have to take him off now.

I think that the Tahs contracted 3 hookers instead of having only 2, with one in the EPS, because his knee was known to be dodgy, but the question arises: who to bring into the EPS to back up TPN and Ulugia? Some hard head from the Shute Shield would be my guess.

 

[topo]

Terrible luck for Fitzy, he's had no chance to realize his enormous potential because of that bloody knee. I think all the hard heads are contracted, Lee, and Benny Roberts has (sadly) retired. Maybe Sam Roberson from Uni. He's young, but has size and a bit of 1st grade and junior tahs under his belt. Or try Sam Talakai as a hooker?

 

[tranquility]

How many hard heads have you got down there? We might need one too....
Where is Hangers brother playing at the moment, why did he never get a shot at the big time?

 

[qwerty51]

Let's hope TPN stays fit or else we're toast. Ulugia had an impressive game for the Tahs A, he led the Tahs in the physicality department and scrummaged very well. He plays a very tight game and should be good off the bench.