Waratahs vs Reds - R3 2014

[RugbyReg]

The crowd on Sunday won't be good for the tah accounts. I assume they get a guaranteed payment from stadiums Australia (or whomever) for this week's game which will help. But they really want to be cracking 20000.

For the reds a win this week could be the difference between a mid to high 20,000 crowd and a 30,000 plus one v the cheetahs.

 

[Crashy]

I think the Tahs get halfabar for each game.

 

[Hawko]

I'm not particularly worried about Skelton or Palu with ball in hand.

Why you might ask!?

I'll answer with rugby cliche's.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall"
"You can't run without your legs"

Couple those two with the fact that the Reds have been honing their grasscutting skills for three years now and, ta daa!!!
Tip is not fussed

Brynard Stander tried the grasscutter and look where he ended up!

 

[Hawko]

by comparison has Cliffy Palu ever been this fit, On watching the replay he had a cracker vs the force

His Wallaby tests last season were even better. He was immense and almost won the JEM while only playing half the games.

 

[BDA]

I will never understand this mentality.

its called home ground advantage. it is a tangible factor in all rugby games. i was simply saying that there is not much between the two teams

 

[tranquility]

Brynard Stander tried the grasscutter and look where he ended up!

Brynard got his head in the wrong position! Watching too much of TPN tapes..

 

[Braveheart81]

See you on Saturday night fellas!

 

[fatprop]

Fat prop Palu bent the line and took players out of the line. Skelton hit it to high and it was almost in slow motion.

Yeah there were a couple where he didn't get it right, but there were also a couple where he did and it needed four units to get him to ground

Then he looked like an Ent being felled by orcs, slow looking but rather hard to stop

 

[rugbysmartarse]

re crowd numbers:

in 2013 the average home crowd for the waratahs was 15,650, and they drew 14,000 v the force. in this context, getting 16,000 to a force game is a pass mark at the least.

the game v the reds at homebush in the last round of last year (after a poor season, and a loss ot the lions a week before) still drew 26,000 people.

the previous year, when the tahs played the reds at Homebush in rd 2 they drew 32,000 people.

you can argue that it's a big stadium and has no atmosphere, but the fact is more punters turn up at homebush than they do at Moore Park.

I would think 30,000 is the bar for this game, and I would expect to see it exceeded

 

[Ash]

I think that Potgieter for Skelton strengthens that Tahs starting side.

Skelton is a big boy and they used him fairly well, but by about the 20 - 25 minute stage I suspect he could be a liability if he can be caught midfield in defence - he is like another prop with his mobility. You can see that he is still a year or two of conidtioning from really being able to play 60 minutes of high speed rugby. And, the Tahs game is high speed for the forwards - against the Force they attacked with big runners wide of the ruck, normally quite a few channels wider. Skelton strikes me as being a big, powerful boy rather than a big, athletic boy.

Poigeter was also like a man amongst boys when he came on.

The Tahs against the Force went wide early and expoited the Force's inability to man up on defence, and their inability to trust each other on defence. The second may not be such as issue for the Reds, but I think the former is. The Brumbies exploited the Reds a few times when the Reds didn't man up, and I expect the Tahs to do the same.

I will be surprised if the Tahs don't put a few tries on the Reds on Saturday by getting around them out wide.

 

[Pete King]

Dennis may miss this weekend with troublesome knee

 

[RugbyReg]

I wonder if they would then move Potgieter to 6 and bring Big Willie back in?

 

[USARugger]

I will be surprised if the Tahs don't put a few tries on the Reds on Saturday by getting around them out wide.

The way the Reds defend the rucks leave them vulnerable on the blind side at times. The Brumbies coaching staff definitely noticed this and it was part of their game plan to overload the short side, put it quickly through hands and then benefit from the fact that it's almost a guaranteed 1-2 man overlap against a team that defends as tightly to the ruck as the Reds do.

 

[Braveheart81]

I wonder if they would then move Potgieter to 6 and bring Big Willie back in?

I don't know that we would. Lock depth is a major issue with Chapman gone. Peterson is the next proper lock in line and he isn't really ready. Holloway is a 6 who can play a bit of lock as well.

If Dennis is out I expect Hoiles would start at 6 and McCutcheon would come onto the bench.

 

[USARugger]

Brynard got his head in the wrong position! Watching too much of TPN tapes..

More like he didn't roll the dice hard enough because that's basically what you're doing with your head when you tackle that way.

 

[Pete King]

I don't know that we would. Lock depth is a major issue with Chapman gone. Peterson is the next proper lock in line and he isn't really ready. Holloway is a 6 who can play a bit of lock as well.

If Dennis is out I expect Hoiles would start at 6 and McCutcheon would come onto the bench.

I think you would be correct as Dennis and Hoiles have been running the lineout

 

[Froggy]

Like others here I agree with Potgeiter starting this one. The Reds will try to move the Tahs forwards around, being a lighter, more mobile pack and the big fella could have been found out. Likwise, coming on with 25 to go he could be a real handfull, particularly with his ability to offload. I think he has great potential, a guy as big as him with such good ball skills, but at this stage I see him as a bench player, or at least only starting against the bigger, less mobile packs (ie the saffas).

I think Robbo was lucky to hold his spot, after last week there must have been a temptation to move Paddy to loose head and play Kepu at tight head. I guess against the Reds Chieka wanted the experience, and Robbo will be looking for a much better game from himself. I also agree that Hoiles will be the likely replacement for Dennis if needed, with Cutch coming onto the bench. Gives Cheika the option of switching Potgeiter to 6 and putting big Willy on if that is the way things are rolling.

I think bread and Lachie will be marking each other won't they? Some serious speed on that side of the park, should be great to watch. I've loved NSW/Qld clashes since I was a kid in the late 60's, can't wait for this one!!

 

[suckerforred]

Who's the ref? (please don't say Glen Jackson)

Or James Leckie....

 

[Ignoto]

His Wallaby tests last season were even better. He was immense and almost won the JEM while only playing half the games.

Maybe that says more about those who played extra games than it does about Palu

 

[suckerforred]

The way the Reds defend the rucks leave them vulnerable on the blind side at times. The Brumbies coaching staff definitely noticed this and it was part of their game plan to overload the short side, put it quickly through hands and then benefit from the fact that it's almost a guaranteed 1-2 man overlap against a team that defends as tightly to the ruck as the Reds do.

Part of me agrees, but the 'last line of defence' that the Reds have this year did well last weekend in keeping out a few Brumbies tries. The guaranteed 1-2 man overlap did not convert to a guaranteed try. If the Tahs are replying on this then they might be a little disapointed.

I am still trying to decide who I tip. Maybe a draw......... crap this is hard....