Waratahs vs Reds - Round 1 - 2012R01

[humanbeast]

Mcibbin is a qlder, and him and shipperly both play/played for brothers so maybe it was planned

 

[TOCC]

the Reds taking a field goal at 72min baffled me as well, even though it was a gimme goal, they still needed a try to win, or another field goal to draw...The smarter option would have been to kick for the corner, take the line-out and push for a try that way.

I guess i wasn't privy to the Reds plan of the 82nd minute try though

 

[Gnostic]

Congratulations Reds. My friend Redshappy will be overjoyed not only because he can rejoice in his Reds victory over my Tahs (again) but because his assertion that a high percentage kicker is essential to lasting consistant success at the highest levels of the game, and you can't get much better than Harris' 100%.

As for the Tahs, the first half was the same old crap from the Tahs, the same as every year previous, poor execution and woeful kicking, with equally poor chase on too many occassions. This improved marginally in the second half but the fatal flaw was there at the end, and it wasn't the kick which was pretty good but the poor chase (only one player (Kingston) in any position to defend the receiver and then the terribly staggered defensive line that led to the try.

Again we see the Tahs have a truly great pack with very little behind. Halangahu with his ineffectual boot and average game will not win the competition for the Tahs, in fact I will go so far as to say that with him at 10 they will be very lucky to make the semis. In the absence of Barnes I would suggest Foley start at 10. Up against any side that will hold the Tahs pack in check (Crusaders, Sharks, Bulls and I will say even the Brumbies this year) they will struggle

As for the Reds, there is plenty to work on but I think they are in a far better place than the Tahs and have much greater depth everywhere except 9.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

How long is Barnes out because they will struggle to control the game with hangers


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[No4918]

Well...... thank fuck!!!

Will post thoughts after i've had a chance to watch it.

 

[TOCC]

As a Reds fan im just happy to get the first round out of the way, especially a first round match vs the Waratahs..

Waratahs were poor in the first half, they improved in the second half and could feel cheated for losing in the 82min, but that's the reality of the game.

Reds, disjointed in the backline and i think the forwards were rather average at clearing out at the rucks, subsequently the Tahs were allowed to slow down a lot of ball.

For the Reds, very similar to there first round match vs the Force in 2011.

 

[FairWeatherAussie]

The thing with that kick at the end is that it seems to be common practice. The commentators are talking about he needed to kick it out, but why give the ball back to the opposition at all with a minute to go. The Highlanders did the same thing in the previous game, kicking into the corner which gave possession back to the Chiefs. The fact is that the team with the ball controls what time the game finishes.

But anyway, go you beauties the Reds!

 

[AlexH]

Harris' ball service was woeful.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

As a Reds fan im just happy to get the first round out of the way, especially a first round match vs the Waratahs..

Waratahs were poor in the first half, they improved in the second half and could feel cheated for losing in the 82min, but that's the reality of the game.

Reds, disjointed in the backline and i think the forwards were rather average at clearing out at the rucks, subsequently the Tahs were allowed to slow down a lot of ball.

For the Reds, very similar to there first round match vs the Force in 2011.

Theyre only playing with 7 pigs
I swear there was a passage of play where higginbotham must have lined up at scrum time on the wing to be where he was when the ball came his way


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[Newter]

Theyre only playing with 7 pigs
I swear there was a passage of play where higginbotham must have lined up at scrum time on the wing to be where he was when the ball came his way


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Higginbotham was badly out of position a few times. Very rusty. The try to Wycliff Palu wouldn't have happened if Higgers had done his job and covered the ball at the ruck properly. He overran it.

Pretty shite game overall. Dean Mumm is still garbage. If he's too lazy to come through the gate then he should just be dropped. Gave up at least two penalties with his in from the side sloppiness.

Positives for the Tahs were Rob Horne's outstanding defence and some nice touches by Tom Kingston, but it was just a poorly organised performance. Reds looked much better across the park.

 

[humanbeast]

Higginbotham was badly out of position a few times. Very rusty. The try to Wycliff Palu wouldn't have happened if Higgers had done his job and covered the ball at the ruck properly. He overran it.

Pretty shite game overall. Dean Mumm is still garbage. If he's too lazy to come through the gate then he should just be dropped. Gave up at least two penalties with his in from the side sloppiness.

Positives for the Tahs were Rob Horne's outstanding defence and some nice touches by Tom Kingston, but it was just a poorly organised performance. Reds looked much better across the park.

Couldn't agree more in regards to mumm, the 21 who came on looked good though

 

[Bowside]

Harris needs to work on his catch and pass as it was woeful and really stifled the reds backline. His kicking won us the match but I would still take quade over him anyday.

Palu looked good and higginbotham was immense at the lineout. Both great athletes and they if they are in the wallabies backrow I have much more confidence in it.

Promising signs for the tahs and defiantly something to work from there.

Reds dodged a bullet big time. It was more like dodging a rocket to be honest. But alas I have no sympathy for the waratahs and manner in which we won just made the victory sweeter.

 

[Ruggo]

Just happy to get out with the win. Feel sorry for Tah fans as losing like that is a hard pill to swallow.

 

[aussie1st]

Service to the backline was crap for the Reds, quite a few bounce passes which stalled any momentum. Also the breakdown work was sloppy, Tahs dominated that area and were always slowing down the Reds ball. A few forward passes and handling errors topped it off for the Reds.

Tahs looked alright in the the Reds 22, definitely looked more stable with ball in hand and got good go forward.

 

[Scoey]

A few comments about Harris's poor service. Being a forward all my life I very rarely comment on backs skills an abilities because... well... I know little of what they do. But can I ask, can we put some of that down to the amount of pressure he's been recieving, stepping out in Quade's shoes? I mean, last year at 12 I thought he was fantastic, but tonight, yes he did look a bit stiff.

I tell you what but, if we had a kicker like him last season, I wouldn't have stressed as much as I did. How long has it been since we've had someone who you can count on to just step up and nail it (most of the time)?

 

[Schadenfreude]

I would think this weeks training is going to be pretty rough at Ballymore.

Should be plenty of mongrel from the home team next week.

 

[Reddy!]

Onya Reds. No sympathy for the cocky Waratahs who kicked the ball back to the Reds with 20secs left on the clock. This is the kind of game the Reds would have lost 4 years ago. Not any more mate!

 

[Bowside]

A few comments about Harris's poor service. Being a forward all my life I very rarely comment on backs skills an abilities because... well... I know little of what they do. But can I ask, can we put some of that down to the amount of pressure he's been recieving, stepping out in Quade's shoes? I mean, last year at 12 I thought he was fantastic, but tonight, yes he did look a bit stiff.

I tell you what but, if we had a kicker like him last season, I wouldn't have stressed as much as I did. How long has it been since we've had someone who you can count on to just step up and nail it (most of the time)?

I think harris is a 12 playing 10.

 

[Braveheart81]

Bitterly disappointed.

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

I'm shattered.

 

[Scoey]

I think harris is a 12 playing 10.

I thought I read that most of his time with North Harbour in NZ was at flyhalf but I could be easily wrong. I would understand if it was the pressure that got to him, but in saying that, you would think that the first part of his game to suffer would be goal kicking!

I felt tonight we got outmuscled a bit in the forwards, and out backs got next to no clean ball. But than again, as with the Canberra win last season, who knows what we might've been able to do, had we been able to string some phases together in the NSW half without them giving away penalties. Seems they were happy to give us 3 points whenever we got in thier half.

At the end of the day, it was a very typical, first game of the season.

Edit - but I'm stoked we got the chocolates!!!