Week 8 - Waratahs vs Force - Saturday 15 April @ 7:35pm

[Micheal]

This isn't a direct response to your post but the topic has changed so I'm just using yours to go back to this subject.

In the interest of the paying public (the people who generate the revenue for the code) WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) need to make the laws less complicated, not more. The maul laws should be in unison with the other laws of the game, and the onus be on the coaches and players to work within said laws. It makes no sense that in theory the whole team can obstruct the defenders, and that the bloke with the ball can't be tackled.

I know it doesn't suit the home nations to do that, but from the perspective of a random viewer the maul laws are complicated, ridiculous, boring, and make people watch Love Island or some other shit on at the same time.

My Dad - a lifelong rugby fan in his 60s - barely watches anymore, and when he does he inevitably always ends up grumpy as he laments 'the rules are so complicated' when a whistle is blown and there is a different outcome to what would have been expected 5-10 years ago.

I feel his pain. Scrums and mauls are a lottery and are always changing.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

My Dad - a lifelong rugby fan in his 60s - barely watches anymore, and when he does he inevitably always ends up grumpy as he laments 'the rules are so complicated' when a whistle is blown and there is a different outcome to what would have been expected 5-10 years ago.

I feel his pain. Scrums and mauls are a lottery and are always changing.

I work with half a dozen blokes that played in their youth and watched everything once upon a time but they don’t even watch the Tahs anymore let alone the prospect of going to a game. It is a draw back of Stan that a lot of Pubs won’t ever have it on even for casual viewing.

 

[Shiggins]

Robertson is a current Wallaby squad member, Horton and Anstee have both been in Wallaby squads previously I believe. The Force have a number of good players on the injured list, as do most of the Aussie teams. Reds and Tahs have more injured stars than available-for selection Wallaby players I would think.

The Tahs won the game through their forwards field play, allowing their backs to be unleashed. The Force backs didn't seem to get the same opportunities because the forwards were back-pedalling most of the game. A couple off the Force injured list would have helped a lot in this regard.

Cron will get results with this squad, but he needs another 12 months with them and a few more juniors coming through. They will get competitive, they just were not competitive tonight.

It helps when the tahs take out the force 10 in the first couple of minutes and don't even get penalised for it. Swinton will miss a few games for it but should have been sorted during the game. Force had no chance without a 10. We already using our 3rd choice 10.

I don't disagree with anything you said mate.

 

[Slim 293]

You'd hope so because if they manage to convict him on that one only it's peak WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) farcical.

It looks bad from that angle alone…

At the least it’s late with no arms - they just need to determine the height of impact.

 

[7137]

It helps when the tahs take out the force 10 in the first couple of minutes and don't even get penalised for it. Swinton will miss a few games for it but should have been sorted during the game. Force had no chance without a 10. We already using our 3rd choice 10.

I don't disagree with anything you said mate.

Force targeted out TH Prop with 2 illegal shots in 10 seconds early in the game which I think affected our set piece. He’s usually much more solid. Not to mention the illegal hits on Jorgenson. Taking him high in the air.
Swinton should have got a yellow I think. But so should have Medrano, Robertson and Tiatia if we want to be balanced.

 

[qwerty51]

It looks bad from that angle alone…

At the least it’s late with no arms - they just need to determine the height of impact.

Everyone agrees it looks bad but that angle alone isn’t convicting anyone of anything. Late and shoulder aren’t red cards.

 

[Hawko]

It helps when the tahs take out the force 10 in the first couple of minutes and don't even get penalised for it. Swinton will miss a few games for it but should have been sorted during the game. Force had no chance without a 10. We already using our 3rd choice 10.

I don't disagree with anything you said mate.

Your best 10 plays at 12. Time for Cron to bite the bullet and give the experienced Stewart a go. If you haven't got a 12 just pick your biggest, fastest bruiser and let him loose. Stewart can kick-pass to 11/14 and his pass is good enough to reach 13 & 15 quickly.
You know it makes sense!

 

[Slim 293]

Sure but they don't have a close up camera feed on every player, it was off the ball after the ball had been kicked. All the camera operators would've likely moved to another area of the game (the ball in the air, the kick reception etc.)

There’s multiple cameras along the sideline, and they’re not all gathered in a huddle shooting the same thing…

 

[Slim 293]

Everyone agrees it looks bad but that angle alone isn’t convicting anyone of anything. Late and shoulder aren’t red cards.

But the contact looks high from that angle, and Strachan immediately came off for an HIA which certainly asks more questions of what the hell the TMO was doing?

Unless there’s another angle to clear him, Swinton is gone for at least six weeks.

 

[RebelYell]

I work with half a dozen blokes that played in their youth and watched everything once upon a time but they don’t even watch the Tahs anymore let alone the prospect of going to a game. It is a draw back of Stan that a lot of Pubs won’t ever have it on even for casual viewing.

One of the things I used to love about my time living in Sydney was going to a pub on a Friday night and being able to see AFL, NRL, Super Rugby and A-League on four tvs at the same time, loosely folloiwng all and honing in on whichever seemed the best contest.

 

[Braveheart81]

But the contact looks high from that angle, and Strachan immediately came off for an HIA which certainly asks more questions of what the hell the TMO was doing?

Unless there’s another angle to clear him, Swinton is gone for at least six weeks.

It was strange that it wasn't reviewed at the time. Watching it from the ground though it didn't look like overly solid contact and most people in the crowd were certainly of the view that Strachan was trying to milk it.

They'll presumably need a camera zoomed in a lot more to provide anything definitive (but they should have that). There's also the potential that the head impact was with the ground rather than Swinton's shoulder (which would be lucky for Swinton).

It was just dumb from Swinton. He wasn't really late to the contest. He could have absolutely flattened Strachan with a legal tackle and it would have been fine.

 

[Boof1050]

One of the things I used to love about my time living in Sydney was going to a pub on a Friday night and being able to see AFL, NRL, Super Rugby and A-League on four tvs at the same time, loosely folloiwng all and honing in on whichever seemed the best contest.

All the while having a punt on the dogs and trots!

 

[molman]

I feel like this discussion about Swinton is becoming a bit circular. When's the the judiciary scheduled for? We'll know how bad it was when we see what punishment they dole out.

 

[Braveheart81]

I feel like this discussion about Swinton is becoming a bit circular. When's the the judiciary scheduled for? We'll know how bad it was when we see what punishment they dole out.

The Case is to be considered in the first instance by the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee which will take place on Monday 17 August, 6pm(AEST), 8pm(NZST) via video-conference.

All SANZAAR disciplinary matters are in the first instance referred to the Foul Play Review Committee to provide the option of expediting the judicial process.

For a matter to be dispensed with at this hearing, the person appearing must plead guilty and accept the penalty offered by the Foul Play Review Committee.

 

[Boof1050]

17 August?? Obviously a typo??

 

[Braveheart81]

17 August?? Obviously a typo??

I just copied and pasted.

Hopefully the Waratahs unpaid legal intern can use this technicality to push it back to 2026 which is the next time there is an Monday August 17.

 

[Boof1050]

Everyone agrees it looks bad but that angle alone isn’t convicting anyone of anything. Late and shoulder aren’t red cards.

Going by that angle also Strachan might be lucky not to get cited for trying to rearrange Swintons shoulder with his chin!

 

[farva]

Exactly this and I just get the feeling that constantly propping up the outside backs with the British lads is not going to help at all. No consistency in the last 2 years.
The excuse of being dropped out of the competition,for not having any sort of consistency is now becoming very long in the tooth.

Why is it long in the tooth?
In 2017, the Force had built a strong team with a good third locals, and a number of players having started with the Force, local and interstate alike, that had been built to challenging for Wallaby spots - think Philips, Coleman, DHP, RHP, Hardwick, Rangi, Louwrens, Ruru, Naisarani, McCalman, Apenisa, Rona etc. This was the result of 10 years of building, getting young players and developing them, building pathways to allow development, etc.
All of that was lost in one hit when they were cut. It was hugely negative to the Force. All of those guys mentioned were lost.
They were allowed back in the comp in 2020 but had no time for recruitment, and confirmed for a longer term future for the 2021 season. This is their third year with certainty of future. It takes years to develop a player and the Force have some very good players on their roster who are in development (Pugh, Callan, Pasitoa, Anstee, etc, Pearce, Luke Callan, etc in the academy). But they are still a few years off peak. They have a few out and out Wallaby’s (Faainga, Robertson, Rodda) but if you want an established Wallaby you need to pay over market rates or pick up someone who is frustrated with their current set up. Without salary cap relief the Force will not be able to get sufficient established Wallaby’s to be competitive, they will need to wait for the younger guys to develop sufficiently. That’s still a few years away.
Cutting the Force not only stuffed them there and then but it killed the team for years to come. They are still suffering from it.
So it’s not long in the tooth. It’s the reality of things.

 

[farva]

I’ve gotta admit I don’t have much to do with the local scene. But I’m pretty sure it’s stayed pretty stagnant.
Borders being locked down last year certainly hasn’t helped the cause with a lot of expats heading back home for work.
As for attracting kids to come over from AFL to possibly play local and for the Force? I don’t think there’s too much of that happening either.

The quality has lifted substantially. They are now producing guys regularly who are super rugby quality. That wasn’t happening 10 years ago.
booting the Force though did mean a number of the top tier lads who lifted the quality, who were looking to break into a pro spot (think guys like Rangi) left and the quality fell. That is being rebuilt and the top teams there might be competitive with Shute Shield teams minus their Wallaby players.

 

[Waleed Aly]

Great game from Donaldson