Waratahs v Brumbies trial
- Thread starter Lindommer
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Here it is, the atmospheric report from Moses:
7.47pm No score after 6 minutes. VB for beer. Tahs camped in Ponies 22. Sheehan in blood bin.
Penalty to the good guys (Tahs) , 3-0 thanks to Beale
Lote has fluoro green shoes. Tahs defence shit hot. Les who?
8.oo pm - Horne scores! So horney horney horney!
8.46 50 mins still 10-0. 5th beer. Still full strength teams. Loving the Hickey style. Ponies still dropping everything, we?re much better
9.05 Kurtley just scored right in front of us. Hangers kicked it from the sideline. Then we almost scored again, but lost it
Hangers at 10, Beale at 12. 17-0 at 65min
Phibbs awesome break, no one can catch leakimbecmo. Fucked if I?m spelling that for ya
9.21 Tahs win. We rock. 17-14
7.47pm No score after 6 minutes. VB for beer. Tahs camped in Ponies 22. Sheehan in blood bin.
Penalty to the good guys (Tahs) , 3-0 thanks to Beale
Lote has fluoro green shoes. Tahs defence shit hot. Les who?
8.oo pm - Horne scores! So horney horney horney!
8.46 50 mins still 10-0. 5th beer. Still full strength teams. Loving the Hickey style. Ponies still dropping everything, we?re much better
9.05 Kurtley just scored right in front of us. Hangers kicked it from the sideline. Then we almost scored again, but lost it
Hangers at 10, Beale at 12. 17-0 at 65minPhibbs awesome break, no one can catch leakimbecmo. Fucked if I?m spelling that for ya
9.21 Tahs win. We rock. 17-14
P
PhucNgo
Guest
Just back from the game and thought I'd check in to see what others thought. Here's my 2 cents worth.
Tahs forwards seemed to dominate in the first half and ensured a glut of possession to a backline that looked well oiled. Only piece missing was a half back. Sheehan started and played well, but scrappy work around the back of scrums and counter rucking didn't help his popgun pass. Burgess didn't impress either in a cameo while Sheehan was in the blood bin. He seems to have bulked up a bit during his brief "off season", but its been at the expense of flexibility and speed. He's gunna need to concentrate on this if he's going to hold Lucas out of the No. 9. He did tho put in some big hits and can't be called a sissy.
Tahu and particularly Horne, who incidently doesn't look overly buffed and polished, looked slick together. Horne's try was a gem. Stood up Morty and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) like a couple of traffic cops. Tahu's defence still needs some work tho, but Horne as usual put in some classic clangers. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that KB (Kurtley Beale) will NOT, unless thru dire circumstances, play for the Wallabies. He was ok, but Lecombofano... impressed as the best 10 on the night. KB (Kurtley Beale), like Danny Cipriani, will be a work-in-progress for some time to come. (I'll be pleased tho if I'm proven wrong.)
Late was, well Late. Pretty ordinary actually. Turner on the other hand was WOW. Like Burgess he's also bulked up from the spindly, pimply kid of a couple of years ago. In the second half he put a BEAUTIFUL step on Rattlebones and turned on the jet shoes. Should have scored a classic winger's try from about 40 out but was cut down 5 out by a seagulling Allugia?
George Smith. Well what hasn't been said about this guy. He is a dead set freak. A cross between the Indian rubber man and a black mamba snake. His agility, tenancity and speed at the breakdown was gobsmacking. Probably the class act of the night and worth the price of admission. Even the Tah's supporters clapped him when he came off.
Gerard put down two sitters and at this stage wouldn't figure in RD's note book.
Josh Holmes has not improved one zot since last year. This guy will be chasing Phibbs shadow this year and won't get any higher up the totem pole unless someone takes him aside and he's prepared to listen. He is ponderously slow and has one of the worst passing games I've ever seen.
Back to the game. With 20 to go Phil Waugh came off and the second stringers Tilse, Palmer, Thompson etc came on. Just prior to this tho Beale had scored from a neat little grubber from Halangahu and the Tahs looked a certainty to put on a couple more, such was the momentum. After Waugh came off tho, they just fell in a heap.
Oh, almost forgot. It was a real treat for the fans (including me) to see Matty Burke back where he belongs. He's got an uphill battle with KB (Kurtley Beale)'s pace kicking tho. Looking at him (KB (Kurtley Beale)) in the warmup he seems to have ditched the Peter Hewatt style (thank god), but still has a naturally dominant hooking action and no follow thru.
In all, the Tah's were better than I expected, particularly the forwards. But I think I'll wait till the real stuff arrives before getting too excited. Brumbies on the other hand played well in patches but wouldn't have been pleased with their performance.
Tahs forwards seemed to dominate in the first half and ensured a glut of possession to a backline that looked well oiled. Only piece missing was a half back. Sheehan started and played well, but scrappy work around the back of scrums and counter rucking didn't help his popgun pass. Burgess didn't impress either in a cameo while Sheehan was in the blood bin. He seems to have bulked up a bit during his brief "off season", but its been at the expense of flexibility and speed. He's gunna need to concentrate on this if he's going to hold Lucas out of the No. 9. He did tho put in some big hits and can't be called a sissy.
Tahu and particularly Horne, who incidently doesn't look overly buffed and polished, looked slick together. Horne's try was a gem. Stood up Morty and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) like a couple of traffic cops. Tahu's defence still needs some work tho, but Horne as usual put in some classic clangers. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that KB (Kurtley Beale) will NOT, unless thru dire circumstances, play for the Wallabies. He was ok, but Lecombofano... impressed as the best 10 on the night. KB (Kurtley Beale), like Danny Cipriani, will be a work-in-progress for some time to come. (I'll be pleased tho if I'm proven wrong.)
Late was, well Late. Pretty ordinary actually. Turner on the other hand was WOW. Like Burgess he's also bulked up from the spindly, pimply kid of a couple of years ago. In the second half he put a BEAUTIFUL step on Rattlebones and turned on the jet shoes. Should have scored a classic winger's try from about 40 out but was cut down 5 out by a seagulling Allugia?
George Smith. Well what hasn't been said about this guy. He is a dead set freak. A cross between the Indian rubber man and a black mamba snake. His agility, tenancity and speed at the breakdown was gobsmacking. Probably the class act of the night and worth the price of admission. Even the Tah's supporters clapped him when he came off.
Gerard put down two sitters and at this stage wouldn't figure in RD's note book.
Josh Holmes has not improved one zot since last year. This guy will be chasing Phibbs shadow this year and won't get any higher up the totem pole unless someone takes him aside and he's prepared to listen. He is ponderously slow and has one of the worst passing games I've ever seen.
Back to the game. With 20 to go Phil Waugh came off and the second stringers Tilse, Palmer, Thompson etc came on. Just prior to this tho Beale had scored from a neat little grubber from Halangahu and the Tahs looked a certainty to put on a couple more, such was the momentum. After Waugh came off tho, they just fell in a heap.
Oh, almost forgot. It was a real treat for the fans (including me) to see Matty Burke back where he belongs. He's got an uphill battle with KB (Kurtley Beale)'s pace kicking tho. Looking at him (KB (Kurtley Beale)) in the warmup he seems to have ditched the Peter Hewatt style (thank god), but still has a naturally dominant hooking action and no follow thru.
In all, the Tah's were better than I expected, particularly the forwards. But I think I'll wait till the real stuff arrives before getting too excited. Brumbies on the other hand played well in patches but wouldn't have been pleased with their performance.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Fell asleep typing this last night due to a mixture of wine and old age but it wouldn't be the first time.
PhucNgo
Good post, but can't agree that Beale didn't have a top game and that Lealiifano was that impressive. I thought Kurtley was one of the best on the park and Christian was a ball disher. But that's opinions for you.
This was not a great advertisement for Oz rugby and both coaches would have been appalled by some of the poor passing and catching - and that's just for starters.
Clearly, the Tahs starting team was better than the Brumbies starting team and at one time were up 17-0 just after half time, but as the reserves came on after that it was just as clear that the Brumbies bench players were better than the Tahs version.
Neither circumstance caused any surprise.
It was hard to pick out who were the best players as there weren't that many standouts, but in the first half the Beale-Tahu-Horne connection looked dangerous a few times. For the first Tah try Tahu ran straight at a gap between Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Beale delivered a beautiful flat pass to him, Tahu ran into Gerrard's tackle just after dishing out to Horne who was too fast for Rathbone coming off his wing.
By contrast there seemed little connection at all between Lealiifano, Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and that was probably because their ball didn't have a lot of quality. I can't remember anything the two Brumbies centres did of note on attack to be honest.
The Tahs kooked very slick at the start of the game and looked like thumping the visitors but the Brumbies' defence hardened up and the Tahs started offering loose ball. The Tahs played a harder physical game for the first 3 quarters and their defence was good all night until deep in the game when players were pointing instead of tackling - but that's trial matches for you.
Beale seemed to be everywhere because he was: 10,12 and 13 during the night. He looked a decent enough midfielder on attack but the Brumbies seemed to make a few incursions in that area in the 2nd half. I think that he played the whole game, but could be wrong. In the 2 trials I've seen him play he doesn't look like a chap who has just turned 20.
Halangahu had a good second half and from a dominant Tahs scrum after half time picked up a crap low pass from Fava and grubbered perfectly for Beale to score. Put that try down to the pigs and Hangers. SNK worked well again from fullback. A couple of his kicks for touch were top stuff. Turner continued his good form from Newcastle.
The Tahs forwards lived up to the name of "pack" in the first half and their scrum was superior when the ref wasn't involved, but TPN's throwing to lineout was off target again, At least he made up for it nabbing a few loose balls on the ground ahead of George Smith and Co.
George Smith had a top game as usual but so did Phil Waugh for the Tahs. It was great to see these two warriors at loggerheads again.
I thought that Phibbs was easily the best scrummie of the night - not that it's saying a whole lot. I don't think he is ever going to be a Wallaby, but he is a real scrapper who outscrapped Sheehan. With not long to go and still 0-17 down, he caught the Tahs dozing off as though a tap and go from an ELV free kick was some new thing, and dished out to Lealiifano, who had done a decent block on Fava beforehand, to score a nice try.
It woke the crowd up - game on.
Near the end of the game the Tahs were caught napping again with a standard lineout pass back to hooker Ulugia, who tiptoed down touch grotesquely like a hippo in a tutu to score a nice set piece try.
Rathbone looks like he needs a lot more work as he looked hamfisted a few times. Lealiifano needs to spark his backline more but Tyrone Smith looked a handful when he got a run in the second half.
I can't make too many more comments as my glasses came apart at the ground and I had trouble trying to fix them. The score looked close due to late tries from the Brumbies but the Tahs looked better more often than the Brumbies did, especially in the 1st half with their best pack.
But geez - they are missing the big boofhead Palu at 8.
As I expected: the Brumbies A team smacked a Tahs A side with nobody who had played in the Super14 before (versus 13), too many non Academy club players and 8 of last years schoolboys playing in their first senior game (versus 0).
Nevertheless, the Brumby Runners had some good moments and had they not bombed a few more tries the score would have been ugly.
Zipper looked pretty dangerous. His Joeys team mate from 2007, hooker Damien Fitzpatrick, looked OK for the Tahs except for one gaffe when he fielded a cross kick to the Brumbies winger and neglected to mark it. They knocked him over to score.
He also threw a few crooked lineout throws, come to think of it. He'll have to work on that because he's 3rd string hooker and IIRR Freier limped off the park in the main game and - who knows?
Timani strode around the park like a huge panther and did a couple of great things for the Brumbies that had the eyes blinking. I've talked him up before - look for him in the S14 and see if you agree that he'll be a Wallaby smokey one day.
PhucNgo
Good post, but can't agree that Beale didn't have a top game and that Lealiifano was that impressive. I thought Kurtley was one of the best on the park and Christian was a ball disher. But that's opinions for you.
This was not a great advertisement for Oz rugby and both coaches would have been appalled by some of the poor passing and catching - and that's just for starters.
Clearly, the Tahs starting team was better than the Brumbies starting team and at one time were up 17-0 just after half time, but as the reserves came on after that it was just as clear that the Brumbies bench players were better than the Tahs version.
Neither circumstance caused any surprise.
It was hard to pick out who were the best players as there weren't that many standouts, but in the first half the Beale-Tahu-Horne connection looked dangerous a few times. For the first Tah try Tahu ran straight at a gap between Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Beale delivered a beautiful flat pass to him, Tahu ran into Gerrard's tackle just after dishing out to Horne who was too fast for Rathbone coming off his wing.
By contrast there seemed little connection at all between Lealiifano, Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and that was probably because their ball didn't have a lot of quality. I can't remember anything the two Brumbies centres did of note on attack to be honest.
The Tahs kooked very slick at the start of the game and looked like thumping the visitors but the Brumbies' defence hardened up and the Tahs started offering loose ball. The Tahs played a harder physical game for the first 3 quarters and their defence was good all night until deep in the game when players were pointing instead of tackling - but that's trial matches for you.
Beale seemed to be everywhere because he was: 10,12 and 13 during the night. He looked a decent enough midfielder on attack but the Brumbies seemed to make a few incursions in that area in the 2nd half. I think that he played the whole game, but could be wrong. In the 2 trials I've seen him play he doesn't look like a chap who has just turned 20.
Halangahu had a good second half and from a dominant Tahs scrum after half time picked up a crap low pass from Fava and grubbered perfectly for Beale to score. Put that try down to the pigs and Hangers. SNK worked well again from fullback. A couple of his kicks for touch were top stuff. Turner continued his good form from Newcastle.
The Tahs forwards lived up to the name of "pack" in the first half and their scrum was superior when the ref wasn't involved, but TPN's throwing to lineout was off target again, At least he made up for it nabbing a few loose balls on the ground ahead of George Smith and Co.
George Smith had a top game as usual but so did Phil Waugh for the Tahs. It was great to see these two warriors at loggerheads again.
I thought that Phibbs was easily the best scrummie of the night - not that it's saying a whole lot. I don't think he is ever going to be a Wallaby, but he is a real scrapper who outscrapped Sheehan. With not long to go and still 0-17 down, he caught the Tahs dozing off as though a tap and go from an ELV free kick was some new thing, and dished out to Lealiifano, who had done a decent block on Fava beforehand, to score a nice try.
It woke the crowd up - game on.
Near the end of the game the Tahs were caught napping again with a standard lineout pass back to hooker Ulugia, who tiptoed down touch grotesquely like a hippo in a tutu to score a nice set piece try.
Rathbone looks like he needs a lot more work as he looked hamfisted a few times. Lealiifano needs to spark his backline more but Tyrone Smith looked a handful when he got a run in the second half.
I can't make too many more comments as my glasses came apart at the ground and I had trouble trying to fix them. The score looked close due to late tries from the Brumbies but the Tahs looked better more often than the Brumbies did, especially in the 1st half with their best pack.
But geez - they are missing the big boofhead Palu at 8.
As I expected: the Brumbies A team smacked a Tahs A side with nobody who had played in the Super14 before (versus 13), too many non Academy club players and 8 of last years schoolboys playing in their first senior game (versus 0).
Nevertheless, the Brumby Runners had some good moments and had they not bombed a few more tries the score would have been ugly.
Zipper looked pretty dangerous. His Joeys team mate from 2007, hooker Damien Fitzpatrick, looked OK for the Tahs except for one gaffe when he fielded a cross kick to the Brumbies winger and neglected to mark it. They knocked him over to score.
He also threw a few crooked lineout throws, come to think of it. He'll have to work on that because he's 3rd string hooker and IIRR Freier limped off the park in the main game and - who knows?
Timani strode around the park like a huge panther and did a couple of great things for the Brumbies that had the eyes blinking. I've talked him up before - look for him in the S14 and see if you agree that he'll be a Wallaby smokey one day.
S
Spook
Guest
Lee Grant said:
Perhaps because that combination has never been tried before. Give it time.. I think they'll be a handful when they play together for a while although Friend may opt for T Smith.
Good hit out for the Brums. I thought they might be a little underdone but it sounds as though the Tahs were a lot better. I think the Tahs have done the right thing by playing an extra game.
One good thing, the match appeared to show up Henderson. Sheperdson is clearly a better tight head.
Gerrard better lift his game and he fancies being a Wallaby ever again.
Plenty of work to do for Friend and a reality check.
How did To'omua play for the seconds?
S
Spook
Guest
Thanks Lee. I wonder if T Smith will surprise a few of us this year. Like Tahu, he came straight from league. He is a powerful bloke with some of the best feet around. Still young as well.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
I wouldn't be surprised if Tyrone Smith got in a Wallaby squad this year - maybe the EOYT - given the names of others who made it on the 2008 EOYT.
There are a few assumed ifs in that statement - if he doesn't get the curse of the 2nd year; if he gets several starting games for the Brumbies, which means also: if Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) don't hog the midfield starting roster, which most likely means also: if Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) are injured during the year and/or others are injured so that players move around to make the 12 jersey available for Smith Jnr.
That's a lot of ifs. You may have to throw in: if Tahu and Cooper have crap seasons, also.
But he may have the curse of the inside centre specialist. If we can agree that Smith is a specialist 12 then he has a hard row to plough to be a Wallaby because coaches like players who have versatility on their bench, and that's where he would start. Tyrone is a tad slow to play outside centre (though I'd like that assumption tested sometime) and does not have noticeable flyhalf skills.
But I digress.
There are a few assumed ifs in that statement - if he doesn't get the curse of the 2nd year; if he gets several starting games for the Brumbies, which means also: if Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) don't hog the midfield starting roster, which most likely means also: if Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) are injured during the year and/or others are injured so that players move around to make the 12 jersey available for Smith Jnr.
That's a lot of ifs. You may have to throw in: if Tahu and Cooper have crap seasons, also.
But he may have the curse of the inside centre specialist. If we can agree that Smith is a specialist 12 then he has a hard row to plough to be a Wallaby because coaches like players who have versatility on their bench, and that's where he would start. Tyrone is a tad slow to play outside centre (though I'd like that assumption tested sometime) and does not have noticeable flyhalf skills.
But I digress.
S
Spook
Guest
How was KB (Kurtley Beale)'s defense? I heard he is still missing tackles ???
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
He's still doing the Gregan pull down thing so he stays on his feet. I'd just like to see him put his shoulder into folks and thrust with his back leg and maybe lift the knee with the opposite hand.
There were a few Brumby incursions in the midfield, but I couldn't warrant that any were due to the delinquency of Kurtley. Certainly not the tap and go from Phibbs that lead to a try.
That was a team effort.
There were a few Brumby incursions in the midfield, but I couldn't warrant that any were due to the delinquency of Kurtley. Certainly not the tap and go from Phibbs that lead to a try.
That was a team effort.
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