Waratahs v Stormers, Round 9 2015, Saturday 11 April

[Ruggo]

I will agree that Beale was not the problem but I take great exception to him being named best on ground in what was a bit of a flogging.

Somebody was flogging to give him man of the match..

 

[kiap]

Disagree. It wasn't just a lack of grunt, but grunt was most definitely lacking. Few forwards came from any depth on the ball, too flat-footed and upright. That's a lack of grunt.
Agree 100% about the poor skill level and execution.

They still would have won without those Stormers tries against the run of play from poor handling and dumb turnovers.

Bernard Foley - I'm looking at you.

 

[cyclopath]

They still would have won without those Stormers tries against the run of play from poor handling and dumb turnovers.

Bernard Foley - I'm looking at you.

A lot of the turnovers were the result of aggressive Stormers' defence. Passes were pushed by many (not just Foley) trying to beat the defensive line when they were getting no penetration. Too high risk from many players when they just didn't have the platform to allow it. They should have done better, but the Stormers' defence cannot be under-estimated in these errors. I don't see individuals to blame, but a whole team pretty much. As we've seen with other teams (Reds, Brumbies, Force etc..) the playmakers look poor when the front-foot ball is not being created - they end up too deep, too static with no big bodies getting forward.
I expect better of the Tahs.

 

[drop kick]

It's voted by the fans now. On twitter, or some website. A stupid idea which has yielded predictable results.

A bit like this blog really.
If Beale plays well don 't mention him. If he, along with others backs, doesn't win the game pin the blame on him.
Did you notice where Foley was? Yep as usual when we lose he was AWOL, can 't blame him though. Beale and folau where the only waratahs backs who kept trying all night. Funnily enough they made a few mistakes. Better than taking the night off like foley.

 

[Sully]

I have had a look at the Tahs questionable MOTM and we can completely ignore it. 55c a text for a chance to win a trip for two for the All Blacks test. Someone has obviously thought it was worth the money to rig the vote. I think they should have a real MOTM and not announce a bullshit sms man of the match on the big screen.

 

[Gnostic]

Disagree. It wasn't just a lack of grunt, but grunt was most definitely lacking. Few forwards came from any depth on the ball, too flat-footed and upright. That's a lack of grunt.
Agree 100% about the poor skill level and execution.

I don't know about grunt, but certainly execution. Receiving the ball flat footed, but as I said in earlier post where was the intelligence? Lets just keep bashing into them for 80 minutes. They were double or tripple teaming Skelton all night but did they use him as a dummy to draw defence? Did they kick over the flat defensive line and chase hard? No just bash in again and again. As Folau said in the post match interview, "need to play more smarter" No amount of brawn will make up for the lack of finesse in using that muscle, this isn't school boys where you can get those mismatches that easily.

Very disappointed in how dumb they played on top of how poorly they executed anything.

 

[kiap]

A lot of the turnovers were the result of aggressive Stormers' defence. Passes were pushed by many (not just Foley) trying to beat the defensive line when they were getting no penetration.

Yes, the Stormers defence was good. But the Tah's also showed no patience and threw plenty away on their own without even needing help from the opposition.

I could reel off plenty more Waratah names – all poor – but I won't. Players get praised for doing well but usually only one or two get mentioned in dispatches. Sometimes they get picked out for being poor.

No apologies from me for naming Foley.

 

[Galty]

Devastated. Seriously devastated. The only positives I took out of that we're big t and (correct me if its sky blue glasses clouding my vision) Phipps - a few wayward passes but much snappier service than white.

I was itching for something to happen each time carraro, Beale or foley touched the ball - to amount to nothing. Don't know if it was poor luck or poor play? Anyone else frustrated with the amount of dropped ball by Skelton??

 

[cyclopath]

A bit like this blog really.
If Beale plays well don 't mention him. If he, along with others backs, doesn't win the game pin the blame on him.
Did you notice where Foley was? Yep as usual when we lose he was AWOL, can 't blame him though. Beale and folau where the only waratahs backs who kept trying all night. Funnily enough they made a few mistakes. Better than taking the night off like foley.

There's some good logic. We shouldn't criticise one or two individuals because that's unfair, because they were trying, but we should criticise another individual because it's unfair that we don't criticise him enough, and obviously he wasn't trying. Was that what you meant?
How about we look at the overall failure of the team, which is what it really was. A poor team effort in most facets.

 

[Lindommer]

Watched the match with Hawko, WHO CAME ACROSS FROM ADELAIDE FOR THIS ONE! We were both quite concerned about the sloppy passing during the backs' pre-match warm up, obviously with good reason.

Can't bring myself to contribute anything worth adding to what's already been said.

 

[PaarlBok]

This Stormers win a special tribute to Blou, scrum, forwardd domination & awesome defense plus a bonus point 4 tries. The backline look like the one playing in the CC. Vir jou Blou!!

 

[mst]

Either the people who voted weren't watching the game, or were Stormers fans or are just plain barking mad.

Now I get why the wife was giggling and texting during the game! Now it makes sense her comment about how easy the big screens are to read, and something about how to entertain yourself for $5.50.......the girls on twitter having fun........

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Cheika summed it up at halftime.
Brumbies summed it up a year ago.
Inside shoulder pressured forces the tahs across field - Beale and if being naturally prone to that anyway.
Stormers happy to use the 16th defender to round up the feeble attempts to go round them.
A big bopper needs to offer himself as an inside option when they find themselves being shepherded across field.

 

[Dan54]

Can't disagree with the comments that the Tahs would of been disappointed that no one thought to try and change pattern of play when they realised what they were doing wasn't working ie; trying to outmuscle the Stormers. But I will say again this week how good I think Burgher is, a huge heart, and type of player who just works away making hits and carting the ball up etc, I imagine he would be the type of player who would find it difficult to walk for a day or 2 after any match!

 

[KOB1987]

A bit like this blog really.
If Beale plays well don 't mention him. If he, along with others backs, doesn't win the game pin the blame on him.
Did you notice where Foley was? Yep as usual when we lose he was AWOL, can 't blame him though. Beale and folau where the only waratahs backs who kept trying all night. Funnily enough they made a few mistakes. Better than taking the night off like foley.

That's about right. I don't agree that Beale was anywhere near MOTM but that conversation on here is always going to degenerate into giving him a pasting. He was far from our worst. FWIW he scored about the same as Fekitoa in the Fantasy Draft game.

For the record the MOTM would be between de Allende and Etzebeth for mine.

 

[Quick Hands]

Cheika summed it up at halftime.
Brumbies summed it up a year ago.
Inside shoulder pressured forces the tahs across field - Beale and if being naturally prone to that anyway.
Stormers happy to use the 16th defender to round up the feeble attempts to go round them.
A big bopper needs to offer himself as an inside option when they find themselves being shepherded across field.

As I've said before (many times) about KB (Kurtley Beale), most recently on 16 Feb on the main Waratahs thread. If those 3 circumstances don't exist, he's a passenger, or worse.

He can only play effectively at 12 if (a)the forwards are going forward, (b)the ball comes out quickly and (c)he is confronted with a broken defensive line.

 

[Quick Hands]

That's about right. I don't agree that Beale was anywhere near MOTM but that conversation on here is always going to degenerate into giving him a pasting. He was far from our worst. FWIW he scored about the same as Fekitoa in the Fantasy Draft game.

For the record the MOTM would be between de Allende and Etzebeth for mine.

In fairness, the MOTM voting at the ground is only for Waratah players, which would have been a difficult exercise last night. The eventual MOTM says more about the process than it does about the rugby.

 

[Quick Hands]

Cheika summed it up at halftime.
Brumbies summed it up a year ago.
Inside shoulder pressured forces the tahs across field - Beale and if being naturally prone to that anyway.
Stormers happy to use the 16th defender to round up the feeble attempts to go round them.
A big bopper needs to offer himself as an inside option when they find themselves being shepherded across field.

It's not the first time that the Waratahs structures have gone to pieces when confronted with a flat, rushing defensive line. On the evidence of last night, they seem unable to react to it effectively. Our response is what one normally sees at school or junior level - crab sideways, shuffle the ball on to someone else and push passes in contact in the hope that someone else can make a break.

That was probably the worst game I've seen Foley play, and this is where the selection of Beale at 12 has a cumulative effect. A 5/8 confronted with a rushing defence like that needs a Nathan Grey or a Tom Carter to crash it up, pull in 2 or 3 defenders and still get the ball back. We don't have that option and so Foley is under even more pressure.

Something of a rethink is required after a game like that.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

It's not the first time that the Waratahs structures have gone to pieces when confronted with a flat, rushing defensive line. On the evidence of last night, they seem unable to react to it effectively. Our response is what one normally sees at school or junior level - crab sideways, shuffle the ball on to someone else and push passes in contact in the hope that someone else can make a break.

That was probably the worst game I've seen Foley play, and this is where the selection of Beale at 12 has a cumulative effect. A 5/8 confronted with a rushing defence like that needs a Nathan Grey or a Tom Carter to crash it up, pull in 2 or 3 defenders and still get the ball back. We don't have that option and so Foley is under even more pressure.

Something of a rethink is required after a game like that.

Cheika nailed it though - he must have mentioned it to them at half time because he told Gregan (?) this was the issue.
For me that's a worry because it suggests that the Tahs do not have any great capacity to go to a plan B - or even a Plan A 1.5.

 

[KOB1987]

Plan B should be to use Horne at 12 in attack as well as defence.