Waratahs v Reds Rd 18 Sat 13th June 2015

[Quick Hands]

On a less related note to the game itself, can anyone tell me when our teams stopped wearing their traditional strips for derbies? I didn't really pay attention to it last year because the strips are pretty well traditional for the Tahs and Reds for the past few years anyway, but I do remember the Reds used to wear a proper maroon jersey when playing us or the Brumbies for a long time.

They ought to bring that back, and in fact they reds ought to wear something closer to maroon anyway.


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I believe that the Rebels and Reds would have had some sort of sponsorship deal to wear the "Superman" and "Flash" jerseys this week.

Alas, tradition went out of jerseys of all football codes years ago. For example Arsenal wore yellow jerseys in the FA cup final. Clubs can make a buck from mechandising novelty jerseys, away jerseys etc, etc, etc

I don't like it, but it's just the reality.

 

[Froggy]

I don't accept that Foley played poorly last night.
Yes, there were two shit kicks, but apart from that I thought he had a very strong game.
I also think Cooper was fine, but with back foot ball ad no runners, I don't know how he could have done much more.
I just think the line pushed by some that Foley is not test standard is just garbage, unless Mark Ella was test standard and anyone below that doesn't cut it. For what it's worth I would prefer Cooper at 10 outside Phipps, but the idea that Foley is not test standard is stupid.
In fact, I quite enjoyed the first half of the game. The Tahs execution was off, killing attacking chances and gifting the reds possession, but the defence by both sides was something to behold. The Tahs got back into that mode they had last year, in which they continue to catch the opposition behind the gain line, steadily forcing them back until they're forced to kick.
If you can keep doing that to a side, things will eventually open up, as they did last night

 

[GunnerDownUnder]

I believe that the Rebels and Reds would have had some sort of sponsorship deal to wear the "Superman" and "Flash" jerseys this week.

Alas, tradition went out of jerseys of all football codes years ago. For example Arsenal wore yellow jerseys in the FA cup final. Clubs can make a buck from mechandising novelty jerseys, away jerseys etc, etc, etc


I don't like it, but it's just the reality.

It's traditional for arsenal to win while wearing yellow shirts in cup finals
The first they had to as Liverpool wore red then next final they lost in red home shirt and ever since they have chosen to play in the yellow away shirt if they make the final

 

[Train Without a Station]

I don't accept that Foley played poorly last night.
Yes, there were two shit kicks, but apart from that I thought he had a very strong game.
I also think Cooper was fine, but with back foot ball ad no runners, I don't know how he could have done much more.
I just think the line pushed by some that Foley is not test standard is just garbage, unless Mark Ella was test standard and anyone below that doesn't cut it. For what it's worth I would prefer Cooper at 10 outside Phipps, but the idea that Foley is not test standard is stupid.
In fact, I quite enjoyed the first half of the game. The Tahs execution was off, killing attacking chances and gifting the reds possession, but the defence by both sides was something to behold. The Tahs got back into that mode they had last year, in which they continue to catch the opposition behind the gain line, steadily forcing them back until they're forced to kick.
If you can keep doing that to a side, things will eventually open up, as they did last night

Foley is test standard. Cooper is a superior player in that position. It's a discussion between who is the best, and the 2nd best in my view.

 

[fatprop]

I thought Phipps did rather well considering he was playing on one leg for most of his playing time. It screwed up his pass and his speed around the field

Typos by SwiftKey, errors in tone by me

 

[qwerty51]

I thought Phipps did rather well considering he was playing on one leg for most of his playing time. It screwed up his pass and his speed around the field

Typos by SwiftKey, errors in tone by me

Should've been pulled, don't see how that's an excuse. If he thinks his injury is affecting his performance and making him worse than McKibbin he should tell Cheika to take him off.

 

[Quick Hands]

I don't accept that Foley played poorly last night.
Yes, there were two shit kicks, but apart from that I thought he had a very strong game.
I also think Cooper was fine, but with back foot ball ad no runners, I don't know how he could have done much more.
I just think the line pushed by some that Foley is not test standard is just garbage, unless Mark Ella was test standard and anyone below that doesn't cut it. For what it's worth I would prefer Cooper at 10 outside Phipps, but the idea that Foley is not test standard is stupid.
In fact, I quite enjoyed the first half of the game. The Tahs execution was off, killing attacking chances and gifting the reds possession, but the defence by both sides was something to behold. The Tahs got back into that mode they had last year, in which they continue to catch the opposition behind the gain line, steadily forcing them back until they're forced to kick.
If you can keep doing that to a side, things will eventually open up, as they did last night

Being "not great" doesn't equate to "played poorly"

Both Foley and Cooper are test standard. Neither had their best game last night for various reasons. Hopefully for the Wallabies they'll both be fit and in good form come RWC.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I thought Phipps did rather well considering he was playing on one leg for most of his playing time. It screwed up his pass and his speed around the field

Typos by SwiftKey, errors in tone by me

Have to say @FP that I saw Phipps throw some god-awful passes before he copped his knee injury. Any news on the knee? For the Wallabies sake it can't be a medial cruciate.

 

[Hawko]

Without wanting the discussion to descend into acrimony, which the Cooper/Foley controversy often does, I see that the two 9/10 pairs have developed very differently since 2010. They play entirely differently: Phipps clears quickly to the playmaker, Foley or Beale, while Genia often acts as playmaker himself and only releases to Cooper when he calls for it.

I argue that the Phipps/Foley system is superior but that's because my roots are in the Randwick rugby way of playing. Lots of teams down the years, very successful teams, have played with the Genia/Cooper system and have won world cups doing so. There are, of course, many variations on the Genia/Cooper system - there is no one set way.

The Phipps/Foley system fits into the Tah gameplan. When the Reds had one back in 2011/12 Genia/Cooper fitted that gameplan. To say one combination of players is more effective than another without understanding the gameplan that underlies it is to me a nonsense. I would argue du Preez/Steyn is probably the most recent successful example of the Genia/Cooper system and for all the problems with SA rugby, those two were very, very successful.

If the Wallabies are to play Cheikaball, a variation on the successful Randwick method, then this gameplan will require fast clearance by the halfback to one or two playmakers. For this reason I would choose Phipps and White as the test halves and hold Genia in reserve. The halfback as playmaker is so ingrained into his system that he struggles to do anything else.

But for me Cooper appears to have the abilities and instincts to play like Foley does and perhaps with even more effectiveness. He is such a mercurial 10 that I believe he can quickly adapt to the "Foley" system and make it his own. I want to see Phipps/Cooper start in at least one of the RC matches to see how this combination can work. I also want to see a White/Foley combination to come on at 55-60 to see how that pairing goes.

Which is all a long way from the subject of this thread, but the game on Saturday, for me, clearly illustrated the differences in gameplan and combinations between the two teams. Whether one was more effective than the other because of its own intrinsic properties or whether the real difference were in the two packs providing a platform I'll leave you to judge.

 

[HFTH]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but results over the last 1-2 weeks have really worked in the Waratahs favour and I'm not talking about their last 2 five point wins. Getting excited about the tahs chances has historically been dangerous but they have a genuine shot at defending their title. Cutting straight to the point, tahs are likely to play the stormers in semi in Sydney - reasonable chance. Then if the highlanders or Chiefs can upset the Hurricanes, the tahs will have a home grand Final. I appreciate beating the Hurricanes is a big if but its mostly likely achieved by another NZ side.

 

[Marcelo]

Jeez I dunno. There were dozens like that last night. Sally Fitzgibbons was around somewhere too, looking hot to trot

Yeaaaaahhhh, Do u know these girls? I need their names and emails

 

[fatprop]

Have to say @FP that I saw Phipps throw some god-awful passes before he copped his knee injury. Any news on the knee? For the Wallabies sake it can't be a medial cruciate.

Apparently it was a cork, not a knee

 

[fatprop]

Have to say @FP that I saw Phipps throw some god-awful passes before he copped his knee injury.

The Reds were throwing great pressure at him and the Tahs pigs were not doing enough to protect him

And then he was wounded, in hindsight taking him off earlier may have been prudent, but corks can sometimes be run out/become less of an issue until he cools down

 

[Braveheart81]

I thought Tatafu had a really good return from his extended break.

Certainly our scrum could have been stronger but it was more stable than the last couple of weeks with Roach. Lineouts were reasonable and he got around the park and made some strong tackles.

Was definitely a relief that he got through 60 odd minutes seemingly unscathed.

 

[ShtinaTina]

Yeaaaaahhhh, Do u know these girls? I need their names and emails

wow

 

[Pfitzy]

Yeah its all a little bit stalky up in here.

 

[ShtinaTina]

That and a bit worrisome

 

[Marcelo]

Yeah its all a little bit stalky up in here.

That and a bit worrisome

You are so jealous of their girls. Give the information to their rugby mates

 

[Pfitzy]

OK Casanova, put the rohypnol down and step away...

 

[Dismal Pillock]

as a brief aside, yesterday a Japanese student at the dolly bird college told me a popular name for Japanese babies these days is "Roofie", after some cartoon character. wft. I thought about explaining roofie to her but then thoughgt better of it, divulging my massive array of chemical alliance tryst manoeuvres in such a broad daylight setting yeah right