Waratahs vs Chiefs - 2011R07

[Ash]

TPN was at a standstill because he could barely walk. He should've been subbed early in the second half.

Waratahs have chip kick fever and it is damn annoying.

Wasn't a great game to watch.

 

[minorbird]

special note to phil waugh: if your injured, sure go off the field> but it is UNACCEPTABLE for the captain to not finish the game> he has been doing this for the last few years (remember beau robinson) and if hes not fit enough to finish the game hes not fit enough to captain

Not sure I understand the logic here. If he tore his hammy you'd expect him to go the full 80 minutes? His captaincy was sorely missed the moment he left the field, and the Tahs performance seemed to go downhill from there.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I'm sick the the Tahs lack of killer instinct. When you have the opposition on the back foot you go for the throat. Late in the 1st half they had that opportunity but chose a penalty kick instead. Beale missed it. In fact when I think about there really isn't an Aus team that has that ruthless streak.

 

[minorbird]

For mine, the biggest problem with the Tahs (hard to isolate just one, I know) is their decision-making. Throwing low percentage passes where the smart option would be going to ground for the quick recycle. Kicking away possession whilst in the opposition half. Infuriating stuff to watch.

 

[qwerty51]

Call me biased but the Tahs could have won that by 30. They created soooooo many opportunities but just can't finish them. Watch out when they do.

TPN is officially the best player in the world.

 

[minorbird]

I suppose the fact that the Tahs have won two on the trot despite playing well below their best is a positive. Unfortunately, this may speak more to the quality of their opposition these past two weeks.

 

[cyclopath]

Call me biased but the Tahs could have won that by 30. They created soooooo many opportunities but just can't finish them. Watch out when they do.

TPN is officially the best player in the world.

You're biased. I actually don't think they could have. They had a lot of ball, but after the first 30 minutes looked pretty clueless as to what to do with it. The poor grubbers, chips and so on are a sign that they really are struggling for ideas. TPN did a lot of good stuff, but overplayed it at times, to his body's detriment. You cannot fault his commitment, but he just HAS to learn a little bit of self-preservation. Bloody good player.
I liked the effort of Mitchell, Carter, Beale (mostly) and Pakalani in the backs, and Kepu, Mowen and Palu (for about 40 of his 60 minutes).

 

[jay-c]

Not sure I understand the logic here. If he tore his hammy you'd expect him to go the full 80 minutes? His captaincy was sorely missed the moment he left the field, and the Tahs performance seemed to go downhill from there.

havnt you noticed waugh never finishes the game?
havnt you noticed the tahs performances always going downhill?
a team who plans to take their captain off at 60 mins every week is a team who has a flawed game plan
the last 20 mins is when you need your captain on the field and hes never there-

 

[fatprop]

Waugh hurt his calf, how do you plan for that?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

For mine, the biggest problem with the Tahs (hard to isolate just one, I know) is their decision-making. Throwing low percentage passes where the smart option would be going to ground for the quick recycle. Kicking away possession whilst in the opposition half. Infuriating stuff to watch.

Your point sort of ties in with mine. Completely on the money by the way.

 

[minorbird]

havnt you noticed waugh never finishes the game?
havnt you noticed the tahs performances always going downhill?
a team who plans to take their captain off at 60 mins every week is a team who has a flawed game plan
the last 20 mins is when you need your captain on the field and hes never there-

I'd rather have most of the game with Waugh at captain than have the alternative: have someone else captaining for the full 80 and the Tahs performing like they did against the Cheetahs.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Was posting updates on twitter, but my final score was blown tries: 4, scored tries: 2

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Also, we need a better vc. Our current one is just a touch lazy, and while I really like the guy, I don't think he's the right captain when Waugh goes off. Maybe burgess would be a better choice?

 

[qwerty51]

I think Barnes or Baxter would be the next best.

 

[Richo]

Seems to me that a major problem for the Tahs is a lack of patience. Once we hit half a dozen phases, it seems like scoring immediately becomes an imperative when retaining possession and momentum would be a better option. Very frustrating that we seem not to be able to take a hit and recycle at the right time.

 

[cyclopath]

Also, we need a better vc. Our current one is just a touch lazy, and while I really like the guy, I don't think he's the right captain when Waugh goes off. Maybe burgess would be a better choice?

I don't think Burgo's brain can concentrate on what he is about to do next, and lead the team at the same time.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Seems to me that a major problem for the Tahs is a lack of patience. Once we hit half a dozen phases, it seems like scoring immediately becomes an imperative when retaining possession and momentum would be a better option. Very frustrating that we seem not to be able to take a hit and recycle at the right time.

One observation I've noticed is that I don't think the loosies are "fit" enough or the tight 5 are covering enough ground to retain possession for long periods and guys like Burgess and Mitchell grubber kick the ball away as a result.

 

[minorbird]

I just don't think the Waratahs backrow is mobile enough. The Chiefs backrow, whilst being smaller in stature, ran their opposition off their feet. Whilst the extra time spent in the gym has certaintly paid dividends in tight, as a consequence whenever the opposition team has stringed a number of phases together, the defensive line is stretched and teams who recycle possession quickly have exploited that.

 

[Richo]

I just don't think the Waratahs backrow is mobile enough. The Chiefs backrow, whilst being smaller in stature, ran their opposition off their feet. Whilst the extra time spent in the gym has certaintly paid dividends in tight, as a consequence whenever the opposition team has stringed a number of phases together, the defensive line is stretched and teams who recycle possession quickly have exploited that.

Agreed. The Chiefs were able to get the ball out wide and the defense on the back foot with terrifying ease and that all started with work in the centre of the field, moving fast past the loosies.

 

[barbarian]

A few observations from the press box:

1. TPN should have been subbed at the 50 minute mark. How he won the ground MOTM is totally beyond me, he was an absolute passenger. Stood at wing in defence, which was one reason the Chiefs made easy yards around the fringes. He was limping most of the game, and the fact that he could still have a few great touches and go the distance is a credit to him, but Hickey should have pulled him. In the presser he said it was becasue TPN is such an inspirational figure.

2. Our tight five was bitched in the second half (except in the scrum). Like the Cheetahs game we just couldn't make yards around the ruck, especially in the opposition 22. TPN not being fit had a bit to do with this, but our supposed 'enforcers' like Mowen, Mumm and Kepu were left wanting in this regard. What I wouldn't give for Nathan Sharpe. Not to mention the plethora of missed tackles.

3. Our defensive alignment was bad. If the Chiefs had half a brain they would have exploited it a lot more than they did. Frequently we had 4 or 5 guys marking 1 or 2 on the blindside. Too many heads watching the ruck, not enough focus on what was happening in front of them. Leadership was badly lacking here, especially in the last 20.

4. Mitchell and Pakalani were our best. Afa looks much more confident in contact, while Drew was all class. On the other hand, Lachie Turner was very quiet, as he has been most of the season. Hickey said he was playing with an infected elbow so maybe that was the reason.