The Waratahs were superb in their win over the Crusaders while the Reds impressed most in defeating the Brumbies by a record score. With the Rebels losing again in South Africa, how does it all relate to our front row play? Let’s take a look.
NSW V CRUSADERS
We heard all the work that had been undertaken to ensure the grass would be removed and repaired to ensure a competitive scrum without the SCG carpet rolling under the scrums feet but was it possible to replace over 3000 square meters of turf in time for NSW to face off against the Crusaders? Well, hats off to the SCG ground staff because they did a superb job of preparing the ground in a game in wet conditions that allowed for an excellent display of scrums throughout the night.
The Waratahs surprised everyone by upsetting the form Super Rugby team, the Crusaders in a dreadful couple of weeks for the Christchurch team with the scores ending 20-12.
The Waratahs front rows consisted of Harry Johnson-Holmes, Damien Fitzpatrick and Sekope Kepu which has been a consistent selection in the first 6 rounds against the Crusaders Harrison Allan, Codie Taylor and Michael Alaalatoa who started in place of Owen Franks who pulled out late with an injury niggle. The first scrum of the game caused some anxiety waiting to see if the ground would hold up against 900kg of force by both teams. The ground held up after an excellent scrum holding firm with a crash ball to Adam Ashley-Cooper, Phipps hits Jed Holloway rampaging through a gap scoring the 1st try of the night within 3 minutes.
The scrums were managed well by both teams with the Waratahs winning 8 scrums to the Crusaders 9 scrum wins and should get a pass for having consistent scrums stay up and allow the ball to be played. It was when the ball got out to the backline that was frustrating as a forward to see an attacking opportunity to run wasted when the backline opted to dribble through a kick for slow ineffective Waratah chasers. The Waratahs consistently handed back possession to the Crusaders and I can’t understand with the so called Wallabies backline why they don’t back themselves to truck it up and establish some phase play. After handing the ball back, the Crusaders had the Waratahs back in their half within the minute resulting in a lineout just outside their 22. The shape around the Waratahs attack also confuses me. Supplying solid set piece at scrum time resulted in the Waratahs retreating because poor passing hasn’t gone to hand or they’ve kicked it away. The Waratahs backline needs to understand that a solid set piece is not always going to be a possibility in all games and should use it when they are lucky enough to be prized with a strong platform, not kick it away.
The Waratahs won 20 lineouts on their throw and with an improved defensive game stealing 2 of the Crusaders throws with the Crusaders winning 10 lineouts for the game. Damien Fitzpatrick had an off night with 1 throw not straight and a few calls were miscommunicated but it’s at the back of the lineout the Waratahs need to watch out for. With Codie Taylor wrapping around on a Crusaders throw, he passes the ball back inside flat to George Bridge who runs in a great try. If you re-watch you can see Fitzpatick in two minds on who to tackle and lets both through without any effect. I would like to see Fitzpatrick committing to one player and sticking the tackle, usually the ball carrier and if they pass putting them on the ground preventing any further support if Bridge ends up being tackled. Fitzpatrick allowed a free pass here and will be looked at by other teams as a potential weakness. This is nothing new this year as all teams are attacking this area but it shouldn’t result in such an easy try.
I thought Hooper had an excellent game with 20 tackles and 10 carries of the ball. Hooper’s chasing of the ball is world class and times the kick chase to perfection. Hooper establishes himself as Mr Reliable with a huge engine and should be congratulated in leading an Australian Team to breaking the 19-game winning streak of the Crusaders.
OUTSTANDING SCRUM
My pick for outstanding scrums was around the 41 minute mark when the Crusaders fed the ball into their scrum. The Crusaders win the race to the middle on the “set” call, getting in good position to apply pressure and creep forward. The Waratahs absorb the pressure with very good body position and all eight re-apply the pressure through the Crusaders. The referee is left with no other decision than to ask the halfback to get it out. This was an outstanding scrum.
SHARKS V REBELS
The Rebels were up against the Sharks for their second game of the South African trip going down 28 to 14 with the Rebels starting front row of Matt Gibbon, Anaru Rangi and Sam Talakai against the Sharks Tendai Mtawarira, Armand van der Merwe and Coenraad Oosthuizen. This would be another great battle for Matt Gibbon against Oosthuizen and Talakai up against the Beast testing themselves against South African opposition.
The Sharks had 10 scrum wins against the Rebels 6 scrum wins and was a tough assignment for Gibbon giving away a number of penalties against his opposite number resulting in easy yards for the Sharks. I admire the selection of Gibbon but I do question why Tetera Faulkner, an established front rower and Wallaby is not starting against a very strong scrum. The difference was clear when he came off the bench and squared up the scrum as the example shows below in the video. With the new pack of Faulkner, Robbie Abel and Pone Fa’amausili, the scrum drove straight through the Sharks and earned a penalty. The Rebels also showed faith in their scrum in the 47th minute when the Rebels got a short arm free kick from an infringement at the scrum. Instead of opting for the lineout they opted to reset the scrum. Considering the penalties that had been awarded against the Rebels, I thought this was brave and Matt Gibbon and the rest of the pack stood up and executed perfect platform for the back line. I thought Pone Fa’amausili coming on for his debut also showed promise as a strong front rower around the ground and was prevalent with strong carries of the ball and one to keep an eye on.
The Rebels really pushed the pace with their lineouts catching the Sharks out a couple of times. I thought this was clever as the Rebels coach Dave Wessels has been saying how fit this team is so seeing him implement a fast lineout was a good option in applying attacking pressure to the Sharks but unfortunately looked like they ran out of puff later in the game. The Rebels won 14 lineouts with the Sharks winning 10 lineouts and both teams winning one against the throw. The Rebels defensive work was also worth mentioning getting numbers in their air to upset the Sharks but resulted in a number of penalties for jumping across the gap.
Matt Phillips had a stand out game with the 10 runs made and was a work horse around the ground again as was Luke Jones with 9 runs in the game. It was unfortunate the Rebels couldn’t notch up a win in South Africa but the Rebels were outplayed by a better Sharks outfit.
OUTSTANDING SCRUM
The outstanding scrum was in the 49th minute. Despite Matt Gibbon having some difficulties throughout the game, the below scrum was an excellent example of what he and the Rebels are capable off. With the referee looking straight down the middle of the scrum, Oosthuizens binding under the arm of Gibbons pulling him down should have resulted in a penalty. Gibbon does drives in on an angle but then straightens out and straight through Oosthuizen with the referee allowing half back to sweep the ball out.
REDS V BRUMBIES
What an exciting game for the front rowers of the Reds and the Brumbies to stamp their authority on their opposite number and I was really looking forward to the match up between James Slipper starting at loosehead and Taniela Tupou, the Reds tighthead prop. The Reds starting front row was Feao Fotuaika, Alex Mafi and Taniela Tupou up against the Brumbies James Slipper, Folau Fainga’a and Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin. The Brumbies had established themselves with a strong scrum, safe lineout and try scoring maul in the first 5 rounds but the Reds simply nullified the Brumbies strengths in this game winning 36 to 14.
The Reds had 6 scrum wins in this game compared to the Brumbies 2 scrum wins but within the Reds penalty count of 9 and 1 free kick were a number of scrum collapses from Tupou on the tighthead side against Slipper. I’m going to reserve my judgement in saying that Slipper was the dominant prop in the scrum with the resulting penalties as these penalties from collapsing, hinging or early shoves was just a circumstance of the set up and pressure upon the set call with sweaty bodies on a hot Brisbane afternoon but it can be costly to give this amount of penalties away. On the other side was another good battle with LLM and Fotuaika maintaining their height in the scrum without one or the other getting the better of each other. Fotuaika had a busy game around the park and lasted a lot longer than I was expecting right up to 60 minutes in the heat improving each game he plays. Alex Mafi had his best game this year matching my no.1 pick for Wallabies Hooker in Fainga’a in an off game, with some solid defence and a great run up the middle of the field after a turnover at a ruck. Mafis throwing also contributed to the Reds 22 lineout wins with no balls thrown in crooked. Brandon Paenga-Amosa also made an impact contributing to the lineouts, scrums, a try and a nice pass out wide that set up Kerevi to draw in two defenders, offload to Daugunu, passing to Hegarty resulting in a try.
I thought Slipper was excellent today with ball in hand and again shows his capabilities around the ground being involved four strong ball carries over the gain line in the first passage of play that resulted in 27 phases of attack and 27 phases of defence without any infringements. Why couldn’t the rest of the game live up to the opening passage? Slipper was extremely busy around the field enforcing tackles and getting turnover’s when the opportunity presents. Matching Slipper was Tupou that carried the ball well but had the most amount of turnovers in the game with a total of 4. We called for it last week to have Tupou run of Samu Kerevis hip and this week we watched it with Kerevi piercing the first line of defence offloads to Tupou. There was another handling error resulting from the run but shows the capabilities of Tupou in space.
The Reds defended the Brumbies Lineout exceptionally well tonight reading the options and matching jumpers in the air winning 3 lineouts against the throw. It looked like the Brumbies were flustered when the calls made didn’t go to plan. The Reds won 22 lineouts against the Brumbies 13 with one Brumbies throw not straight. The Reds also contained the Brumbies rolling maul which has supplied 5 points in every game they’ve played. The Brumbies need to simplify and persist with the calls when all doesn’t go to plan as they seemed to be changing all over the shop when a throw didn’t hit their man resulting in some confusion.
The Reds Izack Rodda, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto & Scott Higginbotham had great games with Higginbotham scoring his 39th try establishing himself as the highest try scorer for a forward in Super Rugby. Higginbotham can find the try line and this has to be considered when selecting the extended Wallabies squad. Salakaia-Loto had most runs in the game with 10 and a much improved game from the previous weeks and Izack Rodda with 9 runs was also busy around the ground and was exceptional in defending the Brumbies lineouts.
The Reds really fronted up to the Brumbies in all areas except the scrum in my opinion and got their much deserved second win of the year with another Australian Derby to look forward to against the Rebels in Round 7.
OUTSTANDING SCRUM
In the 2nd half with changes made to the Reds, Ruan Smith, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Feao Fotuaika earned a penalty by driving through the Brumbies pack. Fotuaika drives straight through his opposite number with Sio keeping Smith in check, however the damage is done and the Reds manage to get the positive forward movement and solidified the Reds dominance in this game.
PROPS TO YOU
James Slipper established himself again as a player ticking all the boxes. Very strong in the scrum, very good with ball in hand which was evident again in this game, has the ability to tackle and make them stick, can turnover a ball choosing his moments with precision, executing his job. This week’s Props to You goes to James Slipper.
