Waratahs Blues Sunday 24th March, SFS

[Rob42]

From the RugbyStats website, only 6 kicks by the Tahs in a whole game, of which only 1 by Foley. Of course, it helps when you're spending 65% of your time in the opposition half. I don't have access to last year's numbers, but I seem to remember the average kicks per game for 2012 was approximately 1 million.

 

[Rob42]

Not to forget that at least three of those six kicks were rubbish - a very short box kick by McKibbin, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) donating the ball the ball back by kicking it dead after a turnover, and I think another turnover kick which went straight back to the Blues despite there being acres of open space. The last kick was on, there was heaps of space, but poorly executed. The other two were never on.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

And on the subject of Match Day things, the youngest of the Junior Jarses was most disappointed with the quality of the Tah's "flags" that were given out as a freebie.

The plastic bit was too weak for vigourous waving, and the stitching came undone far too easily.

I explained that you get what you pay for, and what was he expecting for nothing?

His retort was that he was expeting nothing but if HSCB and the Waratahs were expecting him to be advertise products for nothing then they had better give him something that is fit for purpose, and not just a throwaway piece of sh!t that you can't take home, hang on the wall and re-use at each game.

Pretty shrewd, and cynical for someone new to their teenage years.

 

[Braveheart81]

Not to forget that at least three of those six kicks were rubbish - a very short box kick by McKibbin, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) donating the ball the ball back by kicking it dead after a turnover, and I think another turnover kick which went straight back to the Blues despite there being acres of open space. The last kick was on, there was heaps of space, but poorly executed. The other two were never on.

The cross field kick for Mitchell was definitely a good option. We had penalty advantage and not a lot happening. It was only just fielded by Noakes (I think it was Noakes). If it had been a foot higher it would cleared him and probably been a try.

 

[barbarian]

From the RugbyStats website, only 6 kicks by the Tahs in a whole game, of which only 1 by Foley. Of course, it helps when you're spending 65% of your time in the opposition half. I don't have access to last year's numbers, but I seem to remember the average kicks per game for 2012 was approximately 1 million.

We had a lot of ball between our own 22 and halfway, and chose to run it out every time. We were successful on almost every occasion. Last year I don't think either fact would have been the case. Great signs.
.

 

[Braveheart81]

Do people really think Foley was MOTM? I definitely agree he had a good game but he also did a few things wrong.

Deciding to kick for touch in the opposite direction and miss the sideline by a good distance late in the game was a massive mistake and meant we missed out on a golden opportunity.

The other one which was more tactical than anything was sitting back in the pocket with two minutes to go waiting for a drop goal attempt. We were outside the 22 so it was never an easy attempt and we were retaining the ball well. Without him at first receiver our structure suddenly looked very flat and we went nowhere.

I thought at that point we were better off continuing to attack as winning a penalty or getting much closer to the line was probably more likely than him slotting the drop goal. It would have been a different story if it was after the 80 minute siren (or very close to).

I thought Dave Dennis could have easily been MOTM. Now we just need him to keep playing like that!

 

[rugbyisfun]

So you had a go at the car parking attendants? Why give them a spray as they would not be responsible for setting the price?

Have you considered giving the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, the parking management, a gobful instead?

How dare you question my right to abuse whoever whenever I want.
Stephen Conroy, is that you?
I have already penned a letter with my favourite ball point to all parties as you have suggested and I look forward to sliding it under the door this evening on my way past.

 

[rugbyisfun]

And on the subject of Match Day things, the youngest of the Junior Jarses was most disappointed with the quality of the Tah's "flags" that were given out as a freebie.

The plastic bit was too weak for vigourous waving, and the stitching came undone far too easily.

I explained that you get what you pay for, and what was he expecting for nothing?

His retort was that he was expeting nothing but if HSCB and the Waratahs were expecting him to be advertise products for nothing then they had better give him something that is fit for purpose, and not just a throwaway piece of sh!t that you can't take home, hang on the wall and re-use at each game.

Pretty shrewd, and cynical for someone new to their teenage years.

Promote that man! What a legend

 

[something]

Anyone else get really pissed off when the commentators call matt lucas ben lucas? jeez its frustrating. on the folau try the commentator (cant remember which one called him Ben about 5 times)

 

[qwerty51]

Anyone else get really pissed off when the commentators call matt lucas ben lucas? jeez its frustrating. on the folau try the commentator (cant remember which one called him Ben about 5 times)

Clarkie called him Matt Cooper at one stage as well.

 

[Badger]

How dare you question my right to abuse whoever whenever I want.
Stephen Conroy, is that you?
I have already penned a letter with my favourite ball point to all parties as you have suggested and I look forward to sliding it under the door this evening on my way past.

Feel free to abuse who you like. Does Conroy know how to actually use the internet?

Another option could be parking on the grounds of Sydney Boys High. Not sure what the cost is there. It is further away from the SFS, but the money goes towards student co-curricular activities.

 

[Braveheart81]

Another option could be parking on the grounds of Sydney Boys High. Not sure what the cost is there. It is further away from the SFS, but the money goes towards student co-curricular activities.

SBHS and SGHS both charge $20 for parking (the same as opposite the SFS/SCG. As you say though, it's to raise money for their schools and the people running it are parents and students trying to do their bit.

 

[Froggy]

I think this is pretty shit. It wouldn't be tolerated if he did this to a ref or an AR - why should it be OK to do to the match doctor?

This was badly handled. If the doctor was going to demand a break, wtf were the coaches asked beforehand and then ignored??? It's simple, you either leave it to the doctor, in which case you don't ask the coaches what they want and just tell them the doctor will make the decision, or you give the coaches the option and follow their wishes.

I know it shouldn't be used a a scapegoat, and the Tahs can take a fair amount of blame, but even the most one eyed Blues supporter would admit the Tahs were on a role before the break, and immediately following the break the Blues gained their first real ascendancy in the game.

 

[qwerty51]

Cheika also not happy at all with the Blues time wasting and slowing the game down tactics, fair enough as well.

I think it's safe to say there's no longer a fitness issue with the team with numerous comebacks now.

 

[mark_s]

I think SANZAR (or maybe the IRB) need to look at time lost in general during games. Scrums are the main culprit with it often taking 2 plus minutes to set a scrum. This pretty much doubles if a reset is required. I think they should call time off whenever a scrum is called for and call time on when the ball is fed.

 

[Ruggo]

Understand Cheika's point of view not being involved with past Tah sides but I have not been happy with the Tahs slowing the game down for years now.

 

[Ruggo]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have been my MOTM.

 

[Quick Hands]

I think SANZAR (or maybe the IRB) need to look at time lost in general during games. Scrums are the main culprit with it often taking 2 plus minutes to set a scrum. This pretty much doubles if a reset is required. I think they should call time off whenever a scrum is called for and call time on when the ball is fed.

Scrums have become a blight on the game unfortunately. The new scrum laws can improve things, but the refs need to get the packs together quickly. In the French Top 14 the calls are much quicker and there are virtually no resets as the refs calls are quicker and they almost always penalise the first infringement and get on with the game. Unfortunately some of our refs are still with the old timings, just using different words and we get the same result. I've been to the IRB website about this; there is no requirement in the laws for the packs to be stationary before the ref calls 'set'. The touch is to establish a distance and the ref should call 'set' when the teams are 'ready' not 'stationary'.

 

[Quick Hands]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have been my MOTM.

Because he passed it more that once in the game?

 

[Bullrush]

This was badly handled. If the doctor was going to demand a break, wtf were the coaches asked beforehand and then ignored??? It's simple, you either leave it to the doctor, in which case you don't ask the coaches what they want and just tell them the doctor will make the decision, or you give the coaches the option and follow their wishes.

I know it shouldn't be used a a scapegoat, and the Tahs can take a fair amount of blame, but even the most one eyed Blues supporter would admit the Tahs were on a role before the break, and immediately following the break the Blues gained their first real ascendancy in the game.

I actually haven't seen the game as I was gigging at the time (I think I have o watch the Blues play for them to win this year - both losses I haven't watched...LOL) but I still think that it's pretty unacceptable for a coach to go off his rocker at the match doctor.

Again - it wouldn't be accepted if it was directed at the refs and it certainly wouldn't be OK if it was done by a player.

Every coach knows the protocol before the game and I'm sure that if they weren't consulted, they would be saying things like, "We weren't even consulted or given any opportunity to have input into the decision" etc etc.

At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure the match doctor doesn't care about who is on a roll, who is winning or thinking about how they can have an impact on the game. Their concern is simply for the health and safety of the players.

Imagine if something happened to a player because the doctor didn't take appropriate action and you were later to find out that he was more worried about interrupting the momentum a team had?