Waratahs Camp

[#1 Tah]

The Waratahs go into camp tonight and if the Stormers win, they will fly to the Republic tomorrow morning.


So who will be in the squad?

 

[Lindommer]

Paddy Ryan's been called up.

 

[topo]

Paddy Ryan's been called up.

Nope

 

[Lindommer]

Paddy Ryan's been called up.

Nope

I'm not inside the Uni fortress as you are but that's what the Uni managers told me at Concord yesterday.

 

[RugbyReg]

HSBC Waratahs Super 14 Semi-Final Squad
Chris Alcock , Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Tom Carter, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Damien Fitzpatrick, Adam Freier, Daniel Halangahu, Josh Holmes, Rob Horne, Patrick McCutcheon, Drew Mitchell, Ben Mowen, Dean Mumm, Dan Palmer, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rory Sidey, Chris Thomson, Jeremy Tilse, Lachie Turner, Phil Waugh.

no Ryan. Patrick McCutcheon not playing 7s?

 

[Scarfman]

A back 3 of Alcock, Barnes, and Baxter. I like it.

Or is that the front row?

 

[RugbyFuture]

HSBC Waratahs Super 14 Semi-Final Squad
Chris Alcock , Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Tom Carter, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Damien Fitzpatrick, Adam Freier, Daniel Halangahu, Josh Holmes, Rob Horne, Patrick McCutcheon, Drew Mitchell, Ben Mowen, Dean Mumm, Dan Palmer, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rory Sidey, Chris Thomson, Jeremy Tilse, Lachie Turner, Phil Waugh.

no Ryan. Patrick McCutcheon not playing 7s?

got exempt

 

[#1 Tah]

HSBC Waratahs Super 14 Semi-Final Squad
Chris Alcock , Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Tom Carter, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Damien Fitzpatrick, Adam Freier, Daniel Halangahu, Josh Holmes, Rob Horne, Patrick McCutcheon, Drew Mitchell, Ben Mowen, Dean Mumm, Dan Palmer, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rory Sidey, Chris Thomson, Jeremy Tilse, Lachie Turner, Phil Waugh.

no Ryan. Patrick McCutcheon not playing 7s?

got exempt

he wont be playing in the final though

 

[Groucho]

A back 3 of Alcock, Barnes, and Baxter. I like it.

Or is that the front row?

He's a sooker, not a hooker.

 

[Lindommer]

Waratahs Super 14 Semi-Final Squad
Chris Alcock , Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Tom Carter, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Damien Fitzpatrick, Adam Freier, Daniel Halangahu, Josh Holmes, Rob Horne, Patrick McCutcheon, Drew Mitchell, Ben Mowen, Dean Mumm, Dan Palmer, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rory Sidey, Chris Thomson, Jeremy Tilse, Lachie Turner, Phil Waugh.

This squad contains 3 hookers, 3 props, 3 second-rowers and 5 backrowers, although at a pinch TPN can cover LHP and both Dennis and Mowen can play lock. I sincerely hope there are no injuries during the week among the front-rowers. Can someone from the Uni camp tell us what's happening to Ducker Caldwell?

The way I see this game shaping up McCutcheon, Mowen and Waugh MUST nullify Burger and the outside backs must deny Fourie and Habana space and time. Horne has done an outstanding job covering Kahui and Smith in the last two games and we hope he continues this good form against Fourie. Habana's always a handful and it's up to Mitchell and Turner to keep him wrapped up. But before LG lets rip about fantasising about backs I've been very impresed with the forwards' efforts against the Chiefs and Canes; they've worked extremely well as a pack with few standouts among the good, hard work they've done. More please.

 

[fatprop]

I wonder who will be the starting props?

I think Tilse did enough to start with Palmer to the bench

 

[topo]

I agree FP, I think Tilse did enough to start. Palmer is much better at THP than LHP whereas Tilse has played most of his footy at LHP and only moved to THP when Jerry Yanuyanu pushed him out of the LH spot at Uni. If Tilse can hold his own at scrum time, he is much better value around the park.

I understand Paddy Ryan was told on Thursday that if the tahs were in a semi in South Africa he would not be allowed to play for Uni against West Harbour and would be on the plane on Sunday. At midday on Sat he was told that he could play for Uni and wouldn't be going. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe they decided that TPN would cover any prop injuries. Probably understandable, as a semi in Capetown is no place to blood a new prop.

I understand Caldwell has a recurrence of the illness that sidelined him for a lot of last year. If true, that is terrible luck as he looked like he was just getting back into some good form.

 

[Langthorne]

Can TPN really cover any prop injuries? What sort of experience does he have in propping? If he is not an experienced prop I think an additional experienced prop in the squad would be prudent (experienced at playing the position rather than having s14 experience - although both would be nice).

 

[fatprop]

They have three props there, unless someone falls over in the warm up they will be fine

 

[Lee Grant]

Geez - how many times have we seen a player get injured in training runs and even in the warm up? They should have taken Ryan instead of Alcock or Thomson. In fact, if you took a prop from the Academy I would take LHP Ofa, who is a hard head. We need a spare LHP in case Tilse goes down before the game. [And not to the point but the Rebels should sign up Ofa.]

TPN has said in the past that he didn't like playing prop for Parramatta and I wonder what prop training he has done since those days?

 

[Hawko]

Geez - how many times have we seen a player get injured in training runs and even in the warm up? They should have taken Ryan instead of Alcock or Thomson. In fact, if you took a prop from the Academy I would take LHP Ofa, who is a hard head. We need a spare LHP in case Tilse goes down before the game.

TPN has said in the past that he didn't like playing prop for Parramatta and I wonder what prop training he has done since those days?

+1 Lee.

Given Palmer is off to Ponies I think Ofa should stay at the Tahs. Kepu's form this year was not great, Tilse's form last week was fabulous but previously his scrumming has been a big weakness, Baxtah is not getting any younger. A few really good performances in Shute could have him leapfrogging the others into the S15 next year.

But will Hickey give him enough of a chance to show his potential given how little time Palmer got till till the injuries hit? This is one area I don't think Hickey can change - he is so conservative that next year he is likely just to pick the three best front rowers, week in week out, till they drop through injury/exhaustion.

One could be uncharitable and suggest that Hickey does not expect to win this week. Given that Baxtah, TPN, Fitzpatrick and Palmer all appear to be carrying injuries, its likely that one or more of them will be injured this week. So would it not have made sense to have Freier, Ofa and Ryan in SA for team training so that they could be ready to step in for the final if required?

 

[#1 Tah]

I agree FP, I think Tilse did enough to start. Palmer is much better at THP than LHP whereas Tilse has played most of his footy at LHP and only moved to THP when Jerry Yanuyanu pushed him out of the LH spot at Uni. If Tilse can hold his own at scrum time, he is much better value around the park.

I understand Paddy Ryan was told on Thursday that if the tahs were in a semi in South Africa he would not be allowed to play for Uni against West Harbour and would be on the plane on Sunday. At midday on Sat he was told that he could play for Uni and wouldn't be going. Not sure what that was all about. Maybe they decided that TPN would cover any prop injuries. Probably understandable, as a semi in Capetown is no place to blood a new prop.

I understand Caldwell has a recurrence of the illness that sidelined him for a lot of last year. If true, that is terrible luck as he looked like he was just getting back into some good form.

Actually, he was at the canes game and told me that he had done his hammy.



sorry scarfy....

 

[Baldric]

I find the title of this thread misleading.
I thought it was about the preferences of the Waratahs.
How dissapointing.

 

[fatprop]

Geez - how many times have we seen a player get injured in training runs and even in the warm up? They should have taken Ryan instead of Alcock or Thomson. In fact, if you took a prop from the Academy I would take LHP Ofa, who is a hard head. We need a spare LHP in case Tilse goes down before the game. [And not to the point but the Rebels should sign up Ofa.]

TPN has said in the past that he didn't like playing prop for Parramatta and I wonder what prop training he has done since those days?

So they should take how many to an away game? For every game played away the Tahs don't take a 4th prop unless there is an injury concern.

 

[topo]

They always take 4 props when they go on the South Africa tour during the rounds, which is either 2 or 3 games. It would be reasonable to plan for 2 games in SA this trip.