Waratahs vs Lions. Sydney.

[fatprop]

Kafer was interesting as usual last night on the Tahs.

He essentially was still confident they are working towards better rugby but reverted to the easy, lazy stuff due to the fatigue.

We saw last week the Tahs, Chiefs & Brumbies all played pretty shit last week so he may have a point

 

[Aussie D]

True true. I'm no fan of Hickey personally I just don't think he is the bumbling idiot like some other people.

Really the man should be ashamed of himself, he set back the whole "select the best Sydney grade coach to coach the Waratahs" theory back. Now they will all have to do time in Europe first, which is a completely different culture and playing style. Damn shame.

But was he the best coach in Sydney club rugby though? He inherited a great side from John McKee which had one its first premiership the year before and his Eastwood side were no longer title contenders after a host of players had moved on over a period of 5 years. A good coach would have developed players to take their place and adapted his gameplan to suit changes to the rules. Hickey's Eastwood teams only ever played Brumby-league long after it's use-by-date. IMHO there were 4 better coaches in Sydney clubland - Scott Bowen, Brian Melrose, Joe Barakat and John McKee.

 

[the gambler]

None of the Uni coaches? Despite players coming in and out of the team week after week they have still managed to win 85% of games and 5 premierships. If you are going to blame the coaches when things go bad you have to give them credit when things go well.

 

[Ash]

Brumbies may have been very good at recycling, but saying that they didn't go wide in the late 90s/early 00s is wrong. I recall them ripping up many a side by throwing the ball around. They just had the patience to create themselves some space first.

Tahs should win by at least 10 points. Lions midfield is a bit of a mess, much more so than the Tahs. Muir may try to strangle the Tahs offensively, but the Lions attack is very hot and cold. The Tahs aren't as strong defensively as when Les Kiss was running the defense, but they are still pretty effective and should be enough to shut down the Lions. On paper, the Tahs just look stronger all round and the Lions get my pick as the weakest of the SA sides.

In saying that, there's always every possibility they could leave me wanting to throw something at my TV. I'm dreaming of a day when the Tahs create some space and choose not to turn it inside to a forward.

 

[PaarlBok]

Lions midfield is a bit of a mess, much more so than the Tahs.

It will be much better this week. Walla Venter now in his second start with Doppies and a tough . He is a natural 12 but he'll settle in if Muir give him enough change. The Tahs backs havent impress me all season and the place where the Lions can cut them. Its only Rose in the Lion backline that worries me.

Hope the Lions can cut down their silly mistakes. Little stupid handling errors and shite defense from some of the players are costing them. If they go back to the basics and play the percentages we can expect a big upset in this one.

 

[Lee Grant]

The Lions can dish the ball out and make offloads to the cows come home but their main problem is their defence. They were decent enough in Rd.1 against the Stormers but they have averaged 38 missed tackles in the last three games.

As I wrote before: the Tahs will make a mistake getting caught up in the Lions 7s type game and maybe running into each other. With such a poor defence the Lions will be vulnerable to the pick and drive and the backs coming off them on the burst. I wouldn't count on trying to get the outside break on the Lions backs by dishing it out ad nauseam - they are seriously fast.


Lions:
15 Earl Rose,
14 Tonderai Chavhanga,
13 Walter Venter,
12 Doppies la Grange,
11 Wandile Mjekevu,
10 Carlos Spencer,
9 J.P. Joubert;

1 Heinke van der Merwe,
2 Hannes Franklin,
3 Kevin Buys,
4 Franco van der Merwe,
5 Willem Stoltz,
6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain),
7 Derick Minnie,
8 Todd Clever.

Replacements: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 J.C. Janse van Rensburg, 18 Jacques Lombaard, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Wigan Pekeur.


We all know Chavanga who scored 4 tries against the Wallabies IIRR but watch out for the other winger, Mjekevu, also. He can turn out the light and get into bed before it gets dark.

This is their best T5; they rested 3 of them in Canberra. The Tahs guys should best them though. American 8 Clever and skipper 6 Grobbelaar are in great form, in fact I can't remember Baywatch having a bad game. 7 Minnie is good too - it's a form backrow

It will be good to see Carlos again. He is past his prime as a lot of us are but watching him will bring back memories.

I see that scrummie Vermaak is back in the team. I though that he was one of the Lions best players last year but he hasn't played to date IIRR. Watch him - he's like a bagful of snakes. Our midfield had better watch out for la Grange too.

 

[PaarlBok]

Myself a bit surprised to see Hanno straight back on the bench. Thought Coetzee was pretty impressive in all their matches thus far and unlucky to be dropped. Hanno in his own words qouted after this weekend Vodacom game he still have some time to go before he'll be back to S14 level.

The Lions bad defenders are Carlos and Rose. Hell a 15 being dummyed by a hooker is just piss poor. But you never know, this two can click very easily agaist a team like the Tahs and produce some magic to get that speedy wingers in the open.

 

[Blue]

The Lions front row got the arse against the Brimboys but the have picked their better TH this week.

They need to get a lot better.

 

[Pfitzy]

Scott Bowen, Brian Melrose,

Would take either though Melrose is a spiky bugger.

 

[PhucNgo]

Myself a bit surprised to see Hanno straight back on the bench. Thought Coetzee was pretty impressive in all their matches thus far and unlucky to be dropped. Hanno in his own words qouted after this weekend Vodacom game he still have some time to go before he'll be back to S14 level.

The Lions bad defenders are Carlos and Rose. Hell a 15 being dummyed by a hooker is just piss poor. But you never know, this two can click very easily agaist a team like the Tahs and produce some magic to get that speedy wingers in the open.

Agreed. Fantastic pass off the ground and quick to spot and exploit an opening on the fringes. Far more impressive that the run-on in games against the Hurricanes and Brumbies. What's Muir thinking here by leaving him out?

 

[rsea]

The Tahs are incapable of executing a game plan and end up playing the whatever "brand" of rugby the opposition sucks them into

Based on the above, tonight we'll see the ball shifted wider by the Tahs but it won't be pretty. They still don't have any cohesion out wide and set plays seem almost beyond them.

Having said all this the Tahs have enough talent to scrape through despite playing to the oppositions strengths.

Tahs by 5

 

[PhucNgo]

The Tahs are incapable of executing a game plan and end up playing the whatever "brand" of rugby the opposition sucks them into

Based on the above, tonight we'll see the ball shifted wider by the Tahs but it won't be pretty. They still don't have any cohesion out wide and set plays seem almost beyond them.

Having said all this the Tahs have enough talent to scrape through despite playing to the oppositions strengths.

Tahs by 5

And Doppies La Grunge will knock 'em down like ninepins. (BTW great name that, sounds like he comes from Seattle in the '90s.)

 

[PaarlBok]

Myself a bit surprised to see Hanno straight back on the bench. Thought Coetzee was pretty impressive in all their matches thus far and unlucky to be dropped. Hanno in his own words qouted after this weekend Vodacom game he still have some time to go before he'll be back to S14 level.

The Lions bad defenders are Carlos and Rose. Hell a 15 being dummyed by a hooker is just piss poor. But you never know, this two can click very easily agaist a team like the Tahs and produce some magic to get that speedy wingers in the open.

Agreed. Fantastic pass off the ground and quick to spot and exploit an opening on the fringes. Far more impressive that the run-on in games against the Hurricanes and Brumbies. What's Muir thinking here by leaving him out?

Vermaak obvious more experiense then Coetzee. The Lions now have three goodies scrummies, so good on them. By the way your Doppies man also played 9 for a long time before switching to 12. Watch Walter Venter on defense, he have a killer tackle in him.

 

[Aussie D]

None of the Uni coaches? Despite players coming in and out of the team week after week they have still managed to win 85% of games and 5 premierships. If you are going to blame the coaches when things go bad you have to give them credit when things go well.

If you are referring to my post Gambler I didn't include the uni coaches as they seem to change them frequently. If Rob Egerton were to come out of retirement I'd be happy to see him get the nod, or Bill Millard or even Ross Reynolds.

 

[louie]

21-5 tahs after 27min.

looks like a training game for the tahs. even when trying to playing running stuff they lookng boring.

this is really depressing after watching the cheifs saders game. that was rugby at it's best

 

[PaarlBok]

Wont someone just stop this massacre. Lions are pathetic now! :angryfire:

Congrats to the Tahs and their supporters, its a bloody kafferpak!

 

[Pfitzy]

Yeah not too good by the Lions Oom - they look like they've got the makings but lack attitude.

 

[PaarlBok]

Carlos Spencer is wasting of breathe Boet and Rose not far behind him. De...vokken....fence , next week the Saders will knock them a ton if they dont get it right.

 

[rsea]

The Tahs are incapable of executing a game plan and end up playing the whatever "brand" of rugby the opposition sucks them into

Based on the above, tonight we'll see the ball shifted wider by the Tahs but it won't be pretty. They still don't have any cohesion out wide and set plays seem almost beyond them.

Having said all this the Tahs have enough talent to scrape through despite playing to the oppositions strengths.

Tahs by 5

I'd like to officially eat my words :lmao:
Great result for the Tahs!

 

[Hawko]

Finally rugby breaks out. Lot still wrong but the power running was immense. I'm a happy man tonight.