Waratahs 2012
- Thread starter Lee Grant
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Swat
Chilla Wilson (44)
Goddamnit... My orchestra is playing that night
That's awesome! all I've got is an ipod nano
#1 Tah
Chilla Wilson (44)
T
tranquility
Guest
Timing is actually very important. The best defenders, Peter Ryan's, Gillmesiters, Tony Carroll's have that natural timing that slumps attackers to theirs knees and has them looking for holes elsewhere. Its hard to teach that, but your right attitude does go along way especially in a collective (team) sense. Attitude will sort out covering the inside man, and continually staying in formation and getting off the line quickly. But individually the players still need to have good technique to be effective.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
The Big Hit is over rated, IMHO
T
tranquility
Guest
I didnt mean the big hit.
So am I.
I know late February is ridiculously early to start the rugby season, but geez, why does it have to be so far away?
Swat
Chilla Wilson (44)
I'm working on my flux capacitor...
HodgoBerro
Bill Watson (15)
Just got my confirmation for the fan forum on 24 November keep you posted
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
The aimless kicking of the Tahs has been one of my big bugbears for a while now. The plan as reported looks good and smells good but let's see if it works good.
When we fans criticised their kicking is wasn't the kicking as a tactic that we were unhappy with, it was the execution of it. Many many long kicks were not to the right spot on the field and/or not chased well as a discipline, except by Carter and Turner who were diligent.
Coaches should tell some of their young players what the iconic rugby league coach Jack Gibson told a very nervous young Peter Sterling once. He said: "Kick to the seagulls." It was the only thing he said to him as they went out of the sheds and Sterling had no clue what it meant. After a while he saw a few seagulls on the grass and it clicked: they were standing where there were no players, and he should kick the ball there.
The short kicks of the Tahs were too often fielded too easily and too often caught on the full. For me any chip that doesn't bounce is flawed and probably from the moment it was thought of, unless it is a gem taken on the full by the kicker or a team mate. Otherwise it should be censured as much as an easy tackle missed or a pass dropped. Worst were the ones that had no earthly chance to work, even if they bounced, yet we knew what was in the player's mind and said, "Nooooo" before he did it.
Sometimes it is just better to run in front of your team mates, take the tackle and let your mates clean out and recycle.
Or look for a seagull.
When we fans criticised their kicking is wasn't the kicking as a tactic that we were unhappy with, it was the execution of it. Many many long kicks were not to the right spot on the field and/or not chased well as a discipline, except by Carter and Turner who were diligent.
Coaches should tell some of their young players what the iconic rugby league coach Jack Gibson told a very nervous young Peter Sterling once. He said: "Kick to the seagulls." It was the only thing he said to him as they went out of the sheds and Sterling had no clue what it meant. After a while he saw a few seagulls on the grass and it clicked: they were standing where there were no players, and he should kick the ball there.
The short kicks of the Tahs were too often fielded too easily and too often caught on the full. For me any chip that doesn't bounce is flawed and probably from the moment it was thought of, unless it is a gem taken on the full by the kicker or a team mate. Otherwise it should be censured as much as an easy tackle missed or a pass dropped. Worst were the ones that had no earthly chance to work, even if they bounced, yet we knew what was in the player's mind and said, "Nooooo" before he did it.
Sometimes it is just better to run in front of your team mates, take the tackle and let your mates clean out and recycle.
Or look for a seagull.
K
Keithy
Guest
Does that mean the Waratahs will kick to Elsom?
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
Diligence is not one of the national selectors' KPIs, LG, as you probably realise.
I love that Jack Gibson quote which I've not previously come across. Great wisdom expressed in his unique style.
While we're focussed on enigmatic utterances I remember Greg Harris telling me about his First Grade debut for Sydney Uni as a very young undergraduate. As he walked off the field at the end of the game his coach, the equally iconic Dave Brockhoff, muttered, "Get a photo of it, son". Bewildered, he asked senior players what Brock had meant, only to be told that the message was, "get a photo of it, you mightn't be here next week".
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Good one Bruce. I used to see Brockie a few times at Tahs training and he must have thought I was somebody important because he saw me talking to one of the Rats players once. He asked me my name but he always forgot it and called me "mate" all the time.
I love the story about him when he loosened the screws on the door hinges of the dressing room before a stern talk at half time. When he had them all revved up he said follow me and charged out the door which came off the hinges. You never know - it could even be true.
But back to the current Tahs. Fat Cat had his first 50M run last week and reckoned he would be right to go for the opening round. Talk is cheap but I hope he is right.
I love the story about him when he loosened the screws on the door hinges of the dressing room before a stern talk at half time. When he had them all revved up he said follow me and charged out the door which came off the hinges. You never know - it could even be true.
But back to the current Tahs. Fat Cat had his first 50M run last week and reckoned he would be right to go for the opening round. Talk is cheap but I hope he is right.
I think the issue is what to do from static ball, the current approach is send it to the forwards, and do plodding hit ups to the get over the advantage line and quick ball. Sending it to the corners and kicking a few field goals make more sense than having a 9 playing merkat while he drags forwards into position to make another 1m gain.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
The two assistant coaches, Bowen and Gaffney are both back experts. I would have been happier had one been a forwards coach, as I don't think a head coach should be too hands on with the players but be hands on with the two coaches.
Obviously Foley would have some input into the forwards in specialty areas like the scrum, and I suspect that Vickerman will be seconded to be the foreman in other matters such as lineouts and restarts, but I think that a forwards coach should have been employed.
On the other hand having two backs coaches seems to be over-egging the pudding. I hope that Bowen picked up something about defence coaching for his backs in 2011 because Muggleton has gone south of the border. Muggo did well last year and next to the Stormers the Tahs had the fewest tries scored against them. I don't want to see backsliding in that discipline.
Gaffney knows a bit about head coaching - don't you worry - but his hands on expertise is as an attack coach of the Randwick school. I hope that niche is saved for him at the Tahs.
It would be interesting to find out what the allocation of duties between Bowen and Gaffney is, and who will have primary responsibility for defence. I trust Foley to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks but we have to watch this space on the coaching team which looks out of balance.
Obviously Foley would have some input into the forwards in specialty areas like the scrum, and I suspect that Vickerman will be seconded to be the foreman in other matters such as lineouts and restarts, but I think that a forwards coach should have been employed.
On the other hand having two backs coaches seems to be over-egging the pudding. I hope that Bowen picked up something about defence coaching for his backs in 2011 because Muggleton has gone south of the border. Muggo did well last year and next to the Stormers the Tahs had the fewest tries scored against them. I don't want to see backsliding in that discipline.
Gaffney knows a bit about head coaching - don't you worry - but his hands on expertise is as an attack coach of the Randwick school. I hope that niche is saved for him at the Tahs.
It would be interesting to find out what the allocation of duties between Bowen and Gaffney is, and who will have primary responsibility for defence. I trust Foley to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks but we have to watch this space on the coaching team which looks out of balance.
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