this is what kills the Tahs.
Every year is actually different but the Tahs are judged collectively and negatively upon the cradle of underperformance that comes from a decade of high expectations. They are a consistently good side that has been unable to get over the line on a few occasions that they got very close, beaten both times by one of the best provincial sides of all time, but that is irrelevant.
brums fans point to the fact that the Tahs have "so many wallabies" but fail to win, yet as a club they continue to produce these "wallabies", which is when you step back an exceptional feat for any club. why rant the brums producing international players?
this year the Tahs have been crippled by a lack of cohesion and strike power in the back line caused through injury and inconsistent form. Not the front office or some dude in a blazer who refused to allow his team to be associated with the Fleet in the ARC and crippled australian rugby forever in some sort of chicken and the egg argument that doesn't matter cos it never happened.
how will the reds be judged this year if they fail to make the finals? they have wallabies, they have had opportunity, will they say injury? they have a solid case to, i for one would accept it. Will they point at Bryce? if they miss out by a game certainly and again, they may have merit. If the Tahs said any of these excuses would reds fans listen? probably not.
how will the Brumbies be judged, it really doesn't matter what they do from here as what they have done so far has been beyond expectation. due to the fact that no one expected anything of them. if they make the finals this year and don't next year is it an inherit flaw in there culture? is pointing to a championship won over a decade ago still grounds for being a better run club than another?
as a truly ardent Tahs supporter, people will read this and believe it is full of excuses, thats fine, but as a tahs supporter I'm disappointed about this year. Not because i believe there is inherit flaw in the system, but due to the fact the tahs have lacked the strike power at crucial times to put points on the board when it counts.
Im happy with the way the forwards are playing, yet i believe with the youth on the bench we sometimes miss out on leadership in the last 20 minutes.
I'm happy that Kingston and Foley have stepped up this year. i see two players with long term futures and possible wallaby jerseys down the line.
I'm sad that we have been robbed of Drew and Turner for so long, they have been missed and the difference for mine in at least a few of losses. Injuries happen though and like australia against samoa the Tahs depth has been found out to be lacking out wide.
if the system at the Tahs is broken, players have no passion and this is a poor year, we have lost 5 games by less than 7, so all i can say is, if this is rock bottom, its a pretty damn good foundation.
