Waratahs vs Chiefs - 2011R07

[qwerty51]

I was looking forward to Douglas reaching the same heights as his brother in consecutive games played

 

[Hawko]

Side announced:

Lachie Turner, Atieli Pakalani, Ryan Cross, Tom Carter, Drew Mitchell, Kurtley Beale, Luke Burgess, Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh (capt), Ben Mowen, Pat O'Connor, Dean Mumm, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson.
Res: Damien Fitzpatrick, Paddy Ryan, Dave Dennis, Sitaleki Timani, Pat McCutcheon, Brendan McKibbin, Daniel Halangahu

Presumably Douglas is injured, anyone know the story? Surprised to see O'Connor brought in instead of Timani.

Presumably because he's going overseas next year, though why I can't imagine. He's 25, finally starting to break through in Super rugby and if he stayed he'd be a post WC contender if he doesn't turn out for Tonga this time. Had a rough trot at the Brumbies behind some ordinary people but things are on the up. But I guess 5 years on Japanese money sets your family up for a pretty reasonable life.

If as BB suggests he's being rested because the Chiefs tight five aren't so good then why isn't Ryan getting a start? If he goes bad he can be subbed and if he goes well Fat Cat gets more rehab time.

I may be wrong but I think Timani is a loose head lock and O'Connor a tight head and Douglas the tight head is out. Wouldn't surprise me if he's been dropped, his workrate hasn't been so high this year.

 

[The Mayor of Perth]

Backline?

We have Beale and Turner in new positions and I think Cross and Pakalani aren't up to S15 standard. Has Halagahu played a game since his debacle against the Crusaders?

Bit worried considering the class of Chiefs backs.

And no cover on the bench save for 9.

 

[Lee Grant]

Doesn't say Douglas is injured, I am thinking he has been rested this week. Not a bad idea, Chiefs tight five aren't that crash hot and still a long way to go this season.

Players will be rested more this year but possibly it's a rocket up his bum at the same time. Nothing wrong with that.

I think that O'Connor is quite steady Eddie ordinary - a Hockings or a Hand, and I would have said a Campbell before last weekend.

Am quite disappointed that Sitaleki Timani is going offshore as reported above when he seemed to be getting past the tits for hands stage. I hope his young brother stays though. Lopeti's's played well for the Junior Tahs and is like a Ita Vaea at that level. He will be a very good 8 in a year or two.

Good to see Ryan on the bench. No doubt that Kepu will disappear after 30 minutes and come back on when Fat Cat or Ryan (depending on how Paddy goes) get the ritual Baxter leg cramps in the 2nd half.

It may seem an odd 5/2 split but the versatility of Beale and to a lesser extent, Cross, makes it a feasible arrangement. But I hope that Hickey makes full use of the energy of 5 forwards on the bench. Bench use has not been his strongest point.

 

[Bullrush]

I was just watching the Stephen Larkham tribute video done here and the interesting comment made by one of the commentators was along the lines of "I was one the people skeptical about moving Australia's form full-back"

As an AB supporter I hope history will not repeat......

 

[Gagger]

Interesting comment from Bob Dwyer from the Wallabies post on the blog:

Fly-half is a semi-restricted position. (Scrum-half is a restricted position.) The role of both positions, to varying degrees, is to set the attack in motion and to provide opportunities for those around them – generally on the outside. The guys who play, and have played, the fly-half role best, are those that are individually capable of plenty, but are, for the most part, happy to play a more understated role – Carter, Lynagh, Ella, for example. Their individual ability keeps the defensive flanker honest – perhaps even lulling him into a false sense of security – thus making space for others and looking for a second touch (viz. Michael Lynagh’s last minute try in Dublin in 1991.) Some are such very good individual attacking players that they are not psychologically/emotionally suited to a semi-restricted role – e.g. Cooper, Beale. We will know more about Beale after Friday night and I was impressed, along with most others, with Cooper last season, but I remember how easily Lewis Moody shut him out in the England games. A great fly-half would have welcomed the flanker pressure and given the opportunity to those outside of him. I remember some years back, when an opposing coach praised his open-side to me after the match, remarking “how many times he had tackled Mark (Ella).” “Yes, I agreed, but never with the ball!”
Re Mortlock. We are beginning to see again, just how effective he can be – watch this space. On his passing; Tim Horan was not a great passer either, but he had other qualities.

 

[darkhorse]

If, as Barbarian suggests, Douglas is being rested because the Chiefs tight five is not strong then why not start Ryan and see how he goes. If he's OK then Fat Cat gets more rehab time, if he goes bad he can be subbed early.

I misread that. Its very likely Douglas is being rested.

As far as the notion that if your resting one player you should rest others, you only have to look at the tahs v cheetahs to see the results of resting to many players.

 

[Larno]

I'd be concerned that Benny R and Taf aren't both 100% yet. Especially Taf, one buggered knee ligament and his season's over.

 

[Lee Grant]

Agree - and not to the point but do you think that Pienaar deserves a bonus this year?

 

[Larno]

Agree - and not to the point but do you think that Pienaar deserves a bonus this year?

I'd happily give the man my right nut if he asked for it. I've never known a signing to have such a huge impact on a team's fortunes in my life, regardless of Muller and Wannenburg's contributions this year. Brilliant brilliant player.

 

[Hawko]

Austin's analysis highlighted that the Tah work at the breakdown has been poor in the last two matches. In the first two matches the Tahs were very physical but didn't seem to get that much reward for it (the Reds half time score had me really worried). I didn't notice it then but maybe the effectiveness of the breakdown work was not what it should have been despite the obvious physicality.

So this week I want to see some real improvement here - especially players being cleaned out effectively and close support of the ball carrier. On reflection, our season would be looking a whole lot different if we had done these two things better.

Have posts nos 29 & 30 come across from another thread. This is a big digression, even for Lee.

 

[fatprop]

Tahs re-sign Palu, Mumm - and put faith in new forwards for Chiefs
Jamie Pandaram
March 31, 2011

THE Waratahs continue to re-sign their biggest names but will again rely on the unknowns against the Chiefs tomorrow night.

Wallabies Wycliff Palu and Dean Mumm each extended their contracts by one year yesterday, joining fellow internationals Berrick Barnes, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Drew Mitchell, Lachie Turner and Rob Horne. But a week after Sitaleki Timani scored the match-winning try against the Brumbies, NSW will hope new lock Pat O'Connor and debutant prop Paddy Ryan can make similar impacts at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Kane Douglas was surprisingly dropped from the squad altogether, and Queensland-born O'Connor will play his first match for NSW.


The 26-year-old spent the previous four years at the Western Force but back-to-back ACL injuries limited his contribution to just eight games.

Palu admitted he was spooked by the Japan earthquake when rejecting an offer to move there next year.

''They are things that you take in when you look at it, and it definitely did,'' said Palu, who added that his young family needed stability. ''I had a little boy six months ago, so I just didn't want to pack him up and move somewhere else.

''Seeing everyone else re-sign, I got the feeling that we've got something special here. This Waratahs squad has been together for a while now, the feeling for me is we're pretty close to where we want to be.''

Vice-captain Mumm said that while the ARU had offered them only one-year deals as it sought to overhaul the contracting system, he was pleased to stay.

''I suppose Cliff and I are getting a little bit older, they're looking to put us on one-year deals, but that suits me perfectly at the moment,'' Mumm said. ''I feel a positive movement going on within Australian rugby, I'm very happy at the Waratahs, you have a look at the people that have been re-signing … everyone is very happy here.

''From a Wallaby point of view, I feel the team can do something special not only this year but next year, I'm not quite ready to give that up.''

Mumm will partner O'Connor in the second row, and the new kid is familiar with many of the Chiefs, having played against a few in the ITM Cup for Northland last season.

''I probably didn't have enough Super rugby under my belt even when I was in Perth, I needed to go somewhere and play some quality footy and the NPC was a good place for me to go and do that,'' O'Connor said. ''As it turns out it's worked in my favour a little bit.''

Ryan, a Tamworth product, spent a year living in Ireland before returning to the game through Sydney University.

Mumm's brother Greg, who was head coach of the first-grade side, pulled Ryan from the Colts and soon he had rushed his way into the Waratahs' wider training squad.

He has no fears about packing down against the grizzled Chiefs front row. ''It's a big focus for me, that's one of the best things about being at the Waratahs, you're under [assistant coach] Michael Foley, he's obviously very knowledgeable when it comes to scrums,'' Ryan said. ''I don't think I'd be picked if I wasn't ready to scrummage.''

Members of the Waratahs side visited the Cerebral Palsy Alliance's centre in Allambie Heights yesterday, and will raise funds for the organisation by auctioning special jerseys worn by the players in tomorrow's match. Last year they raised more than $94,000.

 

[Elfster]

This is going to be an interesting game, and a lot is going to depend on which Chief's team turns up. Those backs have the ability to really put the points on if they are on song.

The Chiefs have cost me dearly in my tipping competitions, but then again I don't think I have picked the first played each week yet. If NSW play smart and to their strengths they should get through.

 

[waratahjesus]

the charity auction for jerseys is up at http://www.waratahs.com.au/ im on tom carters for cost, hopefully it comes through for me.
for those on big bucks its a very worthy cause.

 

[fatprop]

Pat O'Connor named in Waratahs side for match against Chiefs

Jon Geddes
From: The Daily Telegraph
March 31, 2011 12:00AM


A FORWARD who has played eight Super Rugby games in five years has been elevated into the Waratahs side for tomorrow's clash with the Chiefs at the SFS.

The dogged persistence of Pat O'Connor was rewarded when he was yesterday named to replace Kane Douglas in the second-row.

It has been an amazing fightback from O'Connor who previously played six games for the Force in 2006 and another two in 2009 after back-to-back knee injuries.

In a bid to resurrect his career he played with Northland in New Zealand's ITM Cup provincial competition last year.

From there he made the Wallabies' training squad and was signed by NSW.

"When I was in Perth I probably didn't have enough Super Rugby under my belt so I needed to go somewhere and play some quality footy," he said. "I learnt to back my skills and I certainly got confidence out of that- and it's something that I take into Friday night and hopefully going forward from there."

O'Connor said the fact he had played against quite a few members of the Chiefs' pack last year would be a help tomorrow.

Douglas has dropped out of the 22-man squad with coach Chris Hickey saying it was hoped a physical break would help him regain form.

Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and prop Benn Robinson return to the pack while Al Baxter and Berrick Barnes are out injured.

 

[Ash]

Didn't think that Douglas had necessarily been the worse of the second rows for the Tahs so far, but then he is not the vice-captain/captain when Waugh is out either.

 

[Hawko]

Didn't think that Douglas had necessarily been the worse of the second rows for the Tahs so far, but then he is not the vice-captain/captain when Waugh is out either.

What I have noticed is that Mumm has been hitting a few more rucks than Douglas. Mumm does have a pretty good engine, which means he can go from one ruck to the next very quickly. Whether he's better when he gets there is another question. Austin's video was not a good look.

 

[Ruggo]

Re Douglas - is it his attitutude or is he carrying a bit too much weight. His profile lists him as 122kg which I am not saying is excessive but I don't see dropping a few kg's hurting him. Maybe he could still have impact at around 115-117kg but gain a bit of mobility back.

 

[Scarfman]

the charity auction for jerseys is up at http://www.waratahs.com.au/ im on tom carters for cost, hopefully it comes through for me.
for those on big bucks its a very worthy cause.

Please click on WJ's link. See Phil and Drew? Looks like 2 players 1 cup.

 

[fatprop]

Didn't think that Douglas had necessarily been the worse of the second rows for the Tahs so far, but then he is not the vice-captain/captain when Waugh is out either.

Douglas has missed a load of tackles this year (9) while only making 27, Mumm has missed (1) while making 51.

He ain't doing enough and he is making mistakes.