Waratahs v Crusaders

[spectator]

I fear that the curtain raiser might disappoint. Sydney Uni will probably win in a canter although I hope I'm wrong.

For Easts Andrew Walker is at 10 and a lot will hinge on his form. Curtis Franks, the half played off the bench for the Qld B side, but apart from those two there is no one of note.

I look forward to a match report.

IWell I'm glad I was proved wrong, and hear Easts got up. Anyone watch the game?

 

[Spook]

A lack of confidence?

 

[naza]

I was at the game, and what an epic Mt Everest pile of shit that was. For 80 minutes the Tahs did nothing. They were just gormless. They ran up the white flag. The Tahs will be lucky to get 10,000 to games soon the way they are going. We can handle 10 man rugby, we can't handle limp wristed surrender.

Their back line is even worse than I'd realised. They were never in position to exploit the rare moments of quality position and possession. Their basic skills were absymal. When Tom Carter is easily your best back, you're in farking trouble.

Credit to the Crusaders. The intangibles are still there - teamwork, chemistry, support play.

 

[Pfitzy]

A lack of confidence?

Lack of basics skills moreso, but yes confidence comes with it. Started with a hiss + roar and then went into our shells once the Crusaders dared to tackle us. It didn't work that way on the training park...

 

[Scarfman]

Their back line is even worse than I'd realised. They were never in position to exploit the rare moments of quality position and possession. Their basic skills were absymal. When Tom Carter is easily your best back, you're in farking trouble.

Maybe we can go to uncontested back lines.

 

[spectator]

Wouldnt be happy if I were a Tahs fan. Solid enough forward pack, but they seem to lack imagination, flair and confidence when in a position to do sometihing. Carter was the best of the backs and Robinson can hold his head high.

 

[fatprop]

I can cope with my team losing, I can't cope with dumb, lazy rugby.

We knew the Crusaders were going to chase their kicks, where was the urgency to get back and support the receiver.

We know we are going to kick, where is the solid line of chase.

How can the Tahs pack get so slow ball so often?

Why can't the backs get into position after two phases?

I wonder what this skills coach is done, then I remembered he worked under Connelly with Aus and they struggled then too.

Positives?

Burgess, Nau & Robinson were good and never gave up.

Lote & Carter tried hard.

Thompson did OK, Palmer is coming on well.

 

[Spook]

Has Burgess lost pace? He doesn't look as snappy. I thought he had a terrible game. His option taking and passing were ordinary. A few times he delayed his passes to Palu which forced Cliff to slow down and reach for the ball. Would I have Burgess back at the Brumbies? Yes.

Robinson and TPN were excellent.

 

[disco]

Their back line is even worse than I'd realised. They were never in position to exploit the rare moments of quality position and possession. Their basic skills were absymal. When Tom Carter is easily your best back, you're in farking trouble.

So it's agreed that Greg Martin was right & not just an annoying Qlder??

I wonder what the Tahs players & Coaches will say when they're asked about playing ugly rugby now.

 

[Pfitzy]

So it's agreed that Greg Martin was right & not just an annoying Qlder??

Can we have both?

I wonder what the Tahs players & Coaches will say when they're asked about playing ugly rugby now.

Coach Hickey was heard to say at last night's press conference: "As long as you're winning it ... uh, never mind"

 

[disco]

So it's agreed that Greg Martin was right & not just an annoying Qlder??

Can we have both?

Yes

 

[Ash]

Kearns giving Horne yet another huge rap before the game was ironic as Horne was awful.

I think that the Tahs lack the passing ability to spread the ball wide, and they lack the finishing ability to grab the few chances they had. They had a few chances to score the winning try, but failed at the last post as the Crusaders, as a team, simply seemed to want it more.

As a side note, the Tahs have a real good back 5 of hard grafters. But they lack ball skills. Mumm (who should be in the second row) and Caldwell, Palu, Waugh, all do their job but don't rely on them for that x-factor. Thompson seems to do his share of ball watching.

 

[naza]

As a side note, the Tahs have a real good back 5 of hard grafters. But they lack ball skills. Mumm (who should be in the second row) and Caldwell, Palu, Waugh, all do their job but don't rely on them for that x-factor. Thompson seems to do his share of ball watching.

Palu is a hard grafter with no x-factor ? Deadset, that'll do me.

Our pack seemed low on energy and intensity. Morale may be down, knowing any hard won possession will be pissed away by the backs.

 

[fatprop]

As a side note, the Tahs have a real good back 5 of hard grafters. But they lack ball skills. Mumm (who should be in the second row) and Caldwell, Palu, Waugh, all do their job but don't rely on them for that x-factor. Thompson seems to do his share of ball watching.

Palu is a hard grafter with no x-factor ? Golly gosh!, that'll do me.

Our pack seemed low on energy and intensity. Morale may be down, knowing any hard won possession will be pissed away by the backs.

The Tahs pack has had low intensity since the Canes game.

 

[Biffo]

Cut their pay in half, except for Robinson and Polota-Nau.

Great game plan, wasn't it? You know you are playing a running team, so the plan is to give them the ball at every opportunity, using all means available. To ensure that the opposition is given every chance to run, chasing kicks is banned. If you make an awful mistake and chase a kick and recover the ball, limit your support players in the ensuing breakdown to a ratio of one of our to six of theirs.

 

[Ash]

Palu is a hard grafter with no x-factor ? Golly gosh!, that'll do me.

Our pack seemed low on energy and intensity. Morale may be down, knowing any hard won possession will be pissed away by the backs.

Palu is a big basher who does his role very well. Not begrudging his ability for his role, rather just stating what the Tahs lack in the forwards. The Tahs need Palu. But where, though, is the link for the Tahs from the forwards to the (poor) backs? Traditionally it's the openside, but when you have a fetcher the role may go elsewhere. As much as I hate to say it, even a Sharpe seagull playing a link between forwards and backs would help the Tahs.

 

[naza]

Great game plan, wasn't it? You know you are playing a running team, so the plan is to give them the ball at every opportunity, using all means available. To ensure that the opposition is given every chance to run, chasing kicks is banned. If you make an awful mistake and chase a kick and recover the ball, limit your support players in the ensuing breakdown to a ratio of one of our to six of theirs.

You think the players were instructed not to chase kicks or show up to the breakdown ? People blamed Link for dumb rugby played in the last couple of seasons. What's the common denominator ? Dumb/lazy players.

 

[naza]

Palu is a hard grafter with no x-factor ? Golly gosh!, that'll do me.

Our pack seemed low on energy and intensity. Morale may be down, knowing any hard won possession will be pissed away by the backs.

Palu is a big basher who does his role very well. Not begrudging his ability for his role, rather just stating what the Tahs lack in the forwards. The Tahs need Palu. But where, though, is the link for the Tahs from the forwards to the (poor) backs? Traditionally it's the openside, but when you have a fetcher the role may go elsewhere. As much as I hate to say it, even a Sharpe seagull playing a link between forwards and backs would help the Tahs.

Interesting idea but I don't buy it. The Chiefs put on a half century of points. Who is their link forward - Sione Luaki ? Support play has to be embraced by the entire team.

 

[disco]

Support play has to be embraced by the entire team.

Spot on Naz, everytime Burgess mad a half break he ended up standing in the tackle waiting to offload with no support. Usually ended up as a turnover or very slow ball when it should have been at worst a 50 metre gain down the paddock.

 

[mark_s]

Surpised there aren't more match reports.

Anyway, It was a game of missed opportunities for the tahs. Horne dropping the ball with the line open, beale and carter running into each other leading to the saders second try, Tiquiri getting run down (and not looking for support) when in the clear.

Naza'a comment is right, and is very possibly the only realy problem with the tahs attack, not enough support play. The half breaks are there but there is no one to capitalise. The contrast with the crusaders is stark, they scored a length of the field try andf had two spare support players that were unneeded.

The tahs forwards were solid yet again. Polota Nau's line out throwing continues to be shaky from time to time, but otherwise the set pieces are fine. Nevertheless, the tahs forwards could learn alot from watching the crusaders forwards and how they are able to particpate in attacking play witrh the backs.

Beale will probably be dropped and hangers will come in for the bliues. Frankly it will make no difference. The problem is more ingrained than that.

Oh, and I am dirty as hell with ANZ stadium. I attended with a mate who is a gold member and paid for the highest catgory seats, but our sets were shit. We were in the corner of the stadium well behind the grassed area. It was hard to see play even when the crusaders scored down our end of the field. Not happy Jan!