Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Waratahs 60 Fiji Warriors 0
The visitors tried their best and were tough at the start of both halves, but they didn't have the fitness of the Tahs, nor the amount of time training together that the Tahs had had. The biggest cheer of the night was when they made a break in the 2nd half and threatened to score, but they were called back for a FP.
In trial matches involving an amateur team playing a professional team it is hard to assess the performance of the professional players. After the Tahs took too long to find their feet after the opening whistle and a nearly completely different Tahs team did the same in the 2nd half, they created so many chances that it became unstructured ice cream rugby.
It wasn't a perfect vehicle to prepare for the S14 but at least the rust that was loosened against the Reds should be well and truly reamed out for their trial against the Brumbies next week.
Coach Hickey would not have been pleased that many movements broke down because low percentage options were made at contact or because the ball was otherwise turned over, but he would have been happy that some of his thoroughbreds did some good work after their spell.
Scummies - Burgess/Su'a - LB threw a few crook passes including simple popped ones, but then started doing his thing. Su'a had a terrific game in the 2nd half for a 3rd stringer who is not one of the 33 contracted S14 players.
Flyhalves - Halangahu didn't get great ball in the 1st half but regardless, he didn't compare with the dynamic Beale in the second. Kurtley's running with the ball in both hands and offloading before the tackle was terrific and it looks like he's getting off to a good start to the season - and with no hint of being over-weight compared to last year.
Midfield - Tahu at 13 had a superb first half and the Fijians barely knew how to stop him any time he had the pill. He threw a bad no look pass which blew a try once, but was nevertheless the best player of the first half. Had the runners next to him ran better lines when he had the pill at moments of difference he would have been deemed sensational.
Carter played 12 in the 1st half and looked just solid except one time he came flying along the touchline to take a pass for a try. Geez, he looked quick. I had to look up who it was. But he didn't compare with Robbie Horne playing 12 and doing Tim Horan impersonations in the 2nd.
Outside backs - Tuqiri started out dropping pill and looking out of touch. He had later lapses too but came out with a pass mark. SNK came on to play wing after half time, when I checked out where guys were playing, and was the best player in the 2nd half IMO. He made his supports look good repeatedly with timely passes.
Turner played well at fullback but the jury is still out about his goal kicking. He missed his first one to convert Tahu's try not too far from the right upright and I fear that Beale will retain the gig.
Forwards
As for the forwards: it's probably best to say that the regulars were better than the Wannabies across the board.
Both Tahs scrums were superior and a special mention must go to Dan Palmer, reserve Tahs THP. His future will be defined by his scrummaging ability but he looked so handy a couple of times around the park in the 2nd half, that I had to look up his number.
TPN and Freier had terrific games of their respective types except that TPN threw a couple of crook throws at the start of the game.
Unfortunately the two new Tahs locks who teamed in the 2nd half, Thomson and Douglas, spent most of the time sucking in seagulls. They didn't look up to the pace of the game and the comparison with the activity of Caldwell and Mumm in the 1st half was unfavourable.
The comparison of Mowen and Fava was interesting as they may be rivals for the 6 spot. Mowen played 6 and did a couple of good things including a long run that set up a try wheras Fava played 8 and did some good hard things but seems to have lost pace. On that performance: Mowen is probably ahead to play 6 if Mumm plays lock.
There are some bowlers who hit the bat hard and some runners who hit the tackle hard. Fava hits hard but Mowen is a Hoiles type: a runner and linker. The Tahs need a bruiser who can back up Palu and a hard scrapper who can replace Elsom and make a few breaks away from the ruck.
With Mowen and Fava, they have neither.
Summary
Nobody new jumped out of the pack to say: I wasn't a regular in the starting team last year but I demand a spot. Nor were there a lot of demands to be in the 22.
The visitors tried their best and were tough at the start of both halves, but they didn't have the fitness of the Tahs, nor the amount of time training together that the Tahs had had. The biggest cheer of the night was when they made a break in the 2nd half and threatened to score, but they were called back for a FP.
In trial matches involving an amateur team playing a professional team it is hard to assess the performance of the professional players. After the Tahs took too long to find their feet after the opening whistle and a nearly completely different Tahs team did the same in the 2nd half, they created so many chances that it became unstructured ice cream rugby.
It wasn't a perfect vehicle to prepare for the S14 but at least the rust that was loosened against the Reds should be well and truly reamed out for their trial against the Brumbies next week.
Coach Hickey would not have been pleased that many movements broke down because low percentage options were made at contact or because the ball was otherwise turned over, but he would have been happy that some of his thoroughbreds did some good work after their spell.
Scummies - Burgess/Su'a - LB threw a few crook passes including simple popped ones, but then started doing his thing. Su'a had a terrific game in the 2nd half for a 3rd stringer who is not one of the 33 contracted S14 players.
Flyhalves - Halangahu didn't get great ball in the 1st half but regardless, he didn't compare with the dynamic Beale in the second. Kurtley's running with the ball in both hands and offloading before the tackle was terrific and it looks like he's getting off to a good start to the season - and with no hint of being over-weight compared to last year.
Midfield - Tahu at 13 had a superb first half and the Fijians barely knew how to stop him any time he had the pill. He threw a bad no look pass which blew a try once, but was nevertheless the best player of the first half. Had the runners next to him ran better lines when he had the pill at moments of difference he would have been deemed sensational.
Carter played 12 in the 1st half and looked just solid except one time he came flying along the touchline to take a pass for a try. Geez, he looked quick. I had to look up who it was. But he didn't compare with Robbie Horne playing 12 and doing Tim Horan impersonations in the 2nd.
Outside backs - Tuqiri started out dropping pill and looking out of touch. He had later lapses too but came out with a pass mark. SNK came on to play wing after half time, when I checked out where guys were playing, and was the best player in the 2nd half IMO. He made his supports look good repeatedly with timely passes.
Turner played well at fullback but the jury is still out about his goal kicking. He missed his first one to convert Tahu's try not too far from the right upright and I fear that Beale will retain the gig.
Forwards
As for the forwards: it's probably best to say that the regulars were better than the Wannabies across the board.
Both Tahs scrums were superior and a special mention must go to Dan Palmer, reserve Tahs THP. His future will be defined by his scrummaging ability but he looked so handy a couple of times around the park in the 2nd half, that I had to look up his number.
TPN and Freier had terrific games of their respective types except that TPN threw a couple of crook throws at the start of the game.
Unfortunately the two new Tahs locks who teamed in the 2nd half, Thomson and Douglas, spent most of the time sucking in seagulls. They didn't look up to the pace of the game and the comparison with the activity of Caldwell and Mumm in the 1st half was unfavourable.
The comparison of Mowen and Fava was interesting as they may be rivals for the 6 spot. Mowen played 6 and did a couple of good things including a long run that set up a try wheras Fava played 8 and did some good hard things but seems to have lost pace. On that performance: Mowen is probably ahead to play 6 if Mumm plays lock.
There are some bowlers who hit the bat hard and some runners who hit the tackle hard. Fava hits hard but Mowen is a Hoiles type: a runner and linker. The Tahs need a bruiser who can back up Palu and a hard scrapper who can replace Elsom and make a few breaks away from the ruck.
With Mowen and Fava, they have neither.
Summary
Nobody new jumped out of the pack to say: I wasn't a regular in the starting team last year but I demand a spot. Nor were there a lot of demands to be in the 22.
