Waratahs V Brumbies @ Homebush

[Ghibli]

Reading the experts in the press and many comments online, it is amazing how many people still don't give enough respect to the Brums to do the job, and still equate Wallabies numbers to success. Very hard to change people's perception.

Stirling, a great player, don't always agree with his epiphanies however.
I remember when he scored the winning try against the Brums in Melbourne last year, first ever win for the Rebels, and he said "this is the best thing in rugby that ever happened to me".

Weird thing to say, having won (two?) Super titles with the Brums. It is a free country I guess.

 

[waratahjesus]

Reading the experts in the press and many comments online, it is amazing how many people still don't give enough respect to the Brums to do the job, and still equate Wallabies numbers to success. Very hard to change people's perception.

Stirling, a great player, don't always agree with his epiphanies however.
I remember when he scored the winning try against the Brums in Melbourne last year, first ever win for the Rebels, and he said "this is the best thing in rugby that ever happened to me".

Weird thing to say, having won (two?) Super titles with the Brums. It is a free country I guess.

It's like a tree falling in the Forrest isn't it? If stirlo wins a title in Canberra does it make a sound?

 

[Hawko]

Foley has done the right thing with that selection I think. I like Barnes at 12 more than 10 and Foley is a five-eighth, not a fullback IMHO. I saw Turner in Eastwood's game against Souths and agree he should be selected. With everyone fit, he's a starter in that team and I'm glad to see him back. And did my eyes deceive me, is Drew Mitchell in that line up? Happy days if that's the case.

If these blokes stay fit, then this points for some good selection headaches come TRC time.

Foley's problem is that he has done the right thing, but four rounds too late. He needs to learn to be able to tell the difference quickly between bad form that will fix itself and bad form that needs surgery. Four rounds ago it was obvious that Barnes at 10 was not working in the Tahs set-up and he had to make changes. Had he done it then I think they would still be contenders. Foley was unsuccessful as head coach in the UK mainly, if the reports are to be believed, because he was overly cautious and adopted a dire, forwards-based, no risks gameplan. Sound familiar? IMO if he cannot change that then he will not make it past next year.

But all of this will be academic if Foley at 10 is told to play conservatively. He needs to have a license to attack and if we have to kick this should be Barnes' role for the most part. Foley A. has to tell Foley B. to go out and play his natural sevens-type game and let Barnes be the safety back-up. Given the impact he has had this year I hope Gaffney is relegated to doing interviews. On what we have seen so far, the further away from our backline he is the better we will play.

The other changes I like except that I would play Mitchell at 15 and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 11. Given that Mitchell is just coming back from injury I am not all that distraught.

Roll on the Brumbies and Reds. I could have returned home just in time to see the beginning of the Waratah revival. God I hope so!

 

[Braveheart81]

Gaffney's greatest and only achievement this season was being Member of the Week.

 

[waratahjesus]

Hawko - there was an article during the week that mentioned b.Foley hadn't been moved to ten as he is carrying a shoulder injury and requires surgery. Fullback was a way of playing him and minimizing his contact.

 

[Badger]

Reading the experts in the press and many comments online, it is amazing how many people still don't give enough respect to the Brums to do the job, and still equate Wallabies numbers to success. Very hard to change people's perception.

Stirling, a great player, don't always agree with his epiphanies however.
I remember when he scored the winning try against the Brums in Melbourne last year, first ever win for the Rebels, and he said "this is the best thing in rugby that ever happened to me".

Weird thing to say, having won (two?) Super titles with the Brums. It is a free country I guess.

Stirling was injured and didn't actually play with the team in the two finals that the Brumbies won in 2001 and 2004.

 

[Ghibli]

Stirling was injured and didn't actually play with the team in the two finals that the Brumbies won in 2001 and 2004.

Are the two titles included in his career achievements?

 

[I like to watch]

Foley was unsuccessful as head coach in the UK mainly, if the reports are to be believed, because he was overly cautious and adopted a dire, forwards-based, no risks gameplan. Sound familiar? IMO if he cannot change that then he will not make it past next year.

He can't change his personality. He is cautious, will always be so.

 

[Braveheart81]

Normally people would describe hookers as exhibiting risk taking behaviour.

Why is Foley so conservative?

 

[I like to watch]

Probably scarred for life after winning a couple of tight heads only to see the backs turn it over on the first phase, when he was 10.

 

[mudskipper]

The Tahs are going to hate losing to the little brother from the ACT... jezz I hope Fotu is back on deck for the pony club... The Tahs are questionable, the Brumbies will push them for the full 80 minutes... I just cant see the Tahs getting an easy win here as the Brumbies have more to play for, a real shot at a home semifinal where as the Tahs are a week out of pulling down their 2012 super rugby campaign tents and going back to club rugby… and sacking their coach…

 

[Paradox]

nah, this is the 2012 Tahs, I will be happy if we keep within 20 points in the next two weeks.

The Brumbies have to be clear favourites as the form Aus S15 side who were so unjustly underrepresented in the June Tests; and the Reds next week, meh, at Suncorp?, they should put 30 on the Tahs

FatProp, methinks you don't really believe this

 

[Braveheart81]

The Tahs are going to hate losing to the little brother from the ACT.

Little brother? We prefer red-headed stepchild.

 

[fatprop]

FatProp, methinks you don't really believe this

I may have been appeasing the mocker gods a tad

 

[Slim 293]

Waratahs vs Brumbies in Sydney
Referee: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), Julian Pritchard (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)

Keith Brown has been good this year.

As long as we don't have to go upstairs we'll be alright.......

 

[Schadenfreude]

I'm having difficulty choosing who to cheer for.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I'm having difficulty choosing who to cheer for.

Cheer for the poor sods who have to venture out to the Homebush spectator wasteland.

Being stuck in the Captain Cook for an hour and a half waiting for the Driver Avenue Car Park Emptying Precision Driving Demonstration to clear is preferable to the soulless expedition to and from the Homebush Colosseum.

 

[mjw]

The Tahs are going to hate losing to the little brother from the ACT. jezz I hope Fotu is back on deck for the pony club. The Tahs are questionable, the Brumbies will push them for the full 80 minutes. I just cant see the Tahs getting an easy win here as the Brumbies have more to play for, a real shot at a home semifinal where as the Tahs are a week out of pulling down their 2012 super rugby campaign tents and going back to club rugby… and sacking their coach…

I don't think the Brums have a good record in Sydney. In fact I don't remember them ever winning here.

 

[Bardon]

Really looking forward to this game. It's great that there's something riding on both of the Tahs final 2 games.

 

[Scotty]

nah, this is the 2012 Tahs, I will be happy if we keep within 20 points in the next two weeks.

The Brumbies have to be clear favourites as the form Aus S15 side who were so unjustly underrepresented in the June Tests; and the Reds next week, meh, at Suncorp?, they should put 30 on the Tahs

Now come on, your boys just beat wales 3 to zip. Surely you will smash the lessor brumbies and reds?

1. Robinson > Alexander > Holmes
2. Tpn > Moore > fa'ainga
3. Kepu > Palmer > slipper
Douglas, Timani, Dennis, Palu etc etc etc etc
Barnes, Horne, Mitchell, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) etc etc etc

Brumbies and Reds only hopes rely on our opensides and halfbacks!