Waratahs v Brumbies, round 6, Sunday 22 March

[fatprop]

You know defence is half of the game right? He defended well. Was busy all game. For me, Foley just shuffles the ball along, although his support play is superb. A close call, but I would still give it to To'omua slightly.

from Foxsports team of the week for context

10. Bernard Foley (Waratahs): No fly half made more run metres in Week 6 than Foley who ran for 62 metres, made a linebreak, busted five tackles from his five runs. Scored 15 points from two conversions, two penalty goals and his third consecutive try against the Brumbies.

 

[Viking]

from Foxsports team of the week for context

Impressive stats. But they do not reflect his ability to distribute and set up the attack. His job at the Tahs is to straighten the attack and give Beale space to do the playmaking. This is reflected by his high run metres. (as well as his superb support play). To his credit, he did this well. But I still think To'omua was the busier player.

Foley's tackle busts are certainty surprising. Well done to him for that stat.

FYI, To'omua was in the G&GR team of the week:
"Gets the nod for a bit of individual brilliance to score the Brumbies only try. Foley was good but did nothing decisive."

So I guess I'm not the only one who rated To'omua over Foley.

 

[matty_k]

But one of the criticisms is that the officials reacted either to the crowd noise or to what they saw on the big screen. I don't think the AR suggested to Joubers that he might like to have a look at the Fardy incident until after it had been replayed on the screen. It might be better for replays not to be shown at all if they can't be shown in all cases. Certainly leaves an impression that there is some hometown advantage accruing in games. as has been suggested by people attached to the game of much more authority than us mere posters on the internet.

It didn't come up on the super screen until after Joubers asked for it to be checked.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[MonkeyBoy]

I don't think Joubert was affected by the Home town pressure, I do however think the process to get to the yellow card decision lead to that feeling. Tahs changed point of attack brilliantly and were brutal in contact in the 1st half ... it something like Brumbies 80 and Tahs 15 tackles in the 1st and the Brums just ran out of gas in the second. Waratahs out enthused them and the Brums didn't seem to trust or be able to set their defensive patterns. Sets up a cracker of a return match though.

 

[formerflanker]

The mauls were a mess, but I'll forgive the Tahs for fringing a lot of the time, because the rolling maul is legalised obstruction anyway. I'm actually happy that there's a bit of chaos there.

The Tahs appeared to have a new tactic of splintering the Brumbies rolling maul. Rather than continue with a well bound maul to oppose the push from the Brums, individual Tahs would drive into spaces between Brumby players and fracture their set up, often pushing them back or across field.
Well, that's what it looked like to me!

 

[Gnostic]

You know defence is half of the game right? He defended well. Was busy all game. For me, Foley just shuffles the ball along, although his support play is superb. A close call, but I would still give it to To'omua slightly.

I think we all get it you don't like Foley. Is it just because he is flyhalf for the Tahs?

I'm not one to play the parochialism bullshit, but give it a rest.

To'omua is far from first choice 10 in Oz. He is a 12 with some aspects of a 10's play. If you wish to play a kick dominated game plan he would be better executing it than either Foley or Cooper. But if you want to run the ball with in depth support either of the other two is the far better option.

As for Beale marshalling the Tahs backline, we saw it more in the last game than in any other game I can remember, he is usually very very individualistic in his play. He also is not a 10. At test level I wouldn't even have him in the 23, if all other options were fit and playing to potential, and that is before I even consider his off field behaviour, which regardless of the ARU stance, the fans will not forget.

 

[Wendell]

The Tahs appeared to have a new tactic of splintering the Brumbies rolling maul. Rather than continue with a well bound maul to oppose the push from the Brums, individual Tahs would drive into spaces between Brumby players and fracture their set up, often pushing them back or across field.
Well, that's what it looked like to me!

Joubert let the Tahs get away with murder! They constantly pulled down the brumbies lifters and jumpers after the maul was set. What about Palu shoulder charging Mann-Rae on the side of the maul right in front of the AR and gets away with it! Potgeiter and Skelton attacked the maul from an offside position on several occasions, in from the side etc. I am not a Brums fan at all but they got zero favours from the officials. Watched replay yesterday and they missed 5 obvious knock ons! What are they looking at...

 

[ChargerWA]

FYI, To'omua was in the G&GR team of the week:
"Gets the nod for a bit of individual brilliance to score the Brumbies only try. Foley was good but did nothing decisive."

So I guess I'm not the only one who rated To'omua over Foley.

Just quietly, when there is a Sunday arvo game it seriously cuts down the time for us to talk over the team of the week and still be able to get it published at a reasonable time Monday. Chuck in the late Force game half the writers hadn't seen and this weeks TOTW was pretty much just my opinion. There wasn't any consensus.

 

[cyclopath]

Just quietly, when there is a Sunday arvo game it seriously cuts down the time for us to talk over the team of the week and still be able to get it published at a reasonable time Monday. Chuck in the late Force game half the writers hadn't seen and this weeks TOTW was pretty much just my opinion. There wasn't any consensus.

And a fine job you did, sir! There are always some contentious calls, nature of the beast. If we waited for consensus from the blogging group on everything, we'd never get any of these out!

 

[Pfitzy]

How fucking hard was it? Waratahs 1-15, leaving out JacPot for some bloke from the Force.

 

[Viking]

I think we all get it you don't like Foley. Is it just because he is flyhalf for the Tahs?

I'm not one to play the parochialism bullshit, but give it a rest.

To'omua is far from first choice 10 in Oz. He is a 12 with some aspects of a 10's play. If you wish to play a kick dominated game plan he would be better executing it than either Foley or Cooper. But if you want to run the ball with in depth support either of the other two is the far better option.

As for Beale marshalling the Tahs backline, we saw it more in the last game than in any other game I can remember, he is usually very very individualistic in his play. He also is not a 10. At test level I wouldn't even have him in the 23, if all other options were fit and playing to potential, and that is before I even consider his off field behaviour, which regardless of the ARU stance, the fans will not forget.

Just because i don't rate Foley as a flyhalf doesn't mean I have a Tah bias. u supporters really need to stop being so defensive, not everyone is out to get the Tahs. In your own words "give it a rest". For the record I thought he played well, I just thought To'omua was better given his superb indivivual try and being busy on defence.

Thats ironic that you say To'omua is a 12 with some aspects of a 10 especially when Foley is far from the complete 10. He does most things average, kicking, passing, tackling all average. Nothing outstanding. His distribution skills in my opinion is very average. He needs an x-factor player next to him otherwise the backline stagnates. Evidence from his time at the wallabies.

I agree with your opinion of Beale, I would prefer he wasn't near the 23.

If Foley is selected as the wallabies 10 over Cooper I'd be curious to know who you'd put at 12? Don't you think To'omua 12 with Foley at 10 is just too one-dimensional on attack? Doesn't seem like a centre pairing that would set the back-line alight - evidence from last years wallabies tour.

 

[Pfitzy]

For the record I thought he played well, I just thought To'omua was better given his superb indivivual try and being busy on defence.

To'omua scored one try off some great individual initiative, and set up zero others. He didn't kick any goals, didn't put in any decent midfield kicks, made tackles, and half knocked himself out.

He didn't make another break all game, didn't have a hand in any other scoring moves.

Nope. No bias.

 

[Braveheart81]

Just because i don't rate Foley as a flyhalf doesn't mean I have a Tah bias. For the record I thought he played well, I just thought To'omua was better given his superb indivivual try and being busy on defence.

.

Well you didn't initially. You made comments about him doing basically nothing.

You've eventually got to this position of giving him faint praise after being presented with multiple points of the things he did well.

 

[Viking]

Well you didn't initially. You made comments about him doing basically nothing.

You've eventually got to this position of giving him faint praise after being presented with multiple points of the things he did well.

This is true. You know Foley is the type of player who does a lot of things you don't notice at first glance. After viewing the game I thought to myself "I didn't notice Foley at all except for the goalkicking". But since then I was presented with some impressive ball running and tackle bust stats. On second veiwing he did better then I thought.

But my main criticism of him still remains. Average ball distributor.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Foley is far from the complete article but does all of the roles of a 10 in an at worst solid manner. What does well he does very well indeed: playing flat to the gain line and frequently challenging the defence, bringing other players into the game and his support play (which is quite exceptional). His goal kicking is of a generally high quality too. I think Cooper is an overall better player but Foley is far from shabby.

 

[chasmac]

Foley needs a bigger kick but his distribution is fine. Wide balls to outside backs need to be minimised anyway.

 

[fatprop]

Foley needs a bigger kick but his distribution is fine. Wide balls to outside backs need to be minimised anyway.

Yeah, his kick ain't long, but he has improved his accuracy, he finds grass now a lot; and that slows the kick return as much as kicking longer straight down the throat of the receiver

I like Foley's decision making, he rarely passes to someone in a worse position; he will straighten the attack instead, take the contact and set up (something both Beale & Cooper need to be more conscious of), but when those outside him are in a better position, he gets it there quickly and works hard to support.

But he is a tradesman, not an artisan at 10, he will never do the dominant tackles of To'omua or do the miracle balls of Cooper

 

[Gnostic]

Yeah, his kick ain't long, but he has improved his accuracy, he finds grass now a lot; and that slows the kick return as much as kicking longer straight down the throat of the receiver

I like Foley's decision making, he rarely passes to someone in a worse position; he will straighten the attack instead, take the contact and set up (something both Beale & Cooper need to be more conscious of), but when those outside him are in a better position, he gets it there quickly and works hard to support.

But he is a tradesman, not an artisan at 10, he will never do the dominant tackles of To'omua or do the miracle balls of Cooper

Foley actually reminds me strongly of Noddy Lynagh (with a much weaker boot). Lynagh was consistently good at most aspects of the 10 position, but he didn't have a hugely creative game. He was calm and sure. At the same period David Knox was the Cooper type 10, flashy and sometimes erratic (though Cooper has improved greatly in this point).

I like Foley at 10 and indeed would like To'omua at 12 as the defensive lynch pin for the backline as he is at the Ponies, but Cooper is back this weekend and if he can find form after his injuries (and with what passes as a game plan from Richard Graham) he should be in serious consideration.

 

[chasmac]

Lynaghesk is what you are looking for.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Foley actually reminds me strongly of Noddy Lynagh (with a much weaker boot). Lynagh was consistently good at most aspects of the 10 position, but he didn't have a hugely creative game. He was calm and sure. At the same period David Knox was the Cooper type 10, flashy and sometimes erratic (though Cooper has improved greatly in this point).

I like Foley at 10 and indeed would like To'omua at 12 as the defensive lynch pin for the backline as he is at the Ponies, but Cooper is back this weekend and if he can find form after his injuries (and with what passes as a game plan from Richard Graham) he should be in serious consideration.

Knox would have to be the most timid tackler I've seen at senior rugby level, but his hands were lightning quick. Certainly played his part in a lot of try scoring moves.