The Waratahs are on their first overseas mission of the year and need to beat an in-form Highlanders outfit to keep their season on track.
The Highlanders are two from two after beating both the Chiefs and Crusaders and have been a bit of a surprise packet in the early rounds. Whether they can keep it up remains to be seen and the Tahs should present them with a fairly formidable challenge.
If the Tahs manage to lose it could well be now that the wheels start to fall off. Serious finals contenders can only afford to drop a couple of games all season and if that couple are in the first few rounds, getting through the rest of the season undeafeated seems very unlikely once injuries and travel build up. One out of three is just plain bad and, well, two out of three ain’t.
Bryce Lawrence is officiating this one and, if nothing else, at least we’re getting used to him. How the game plays out will depend a lot on his interpretations at ruck time and you would think the Tahs would be used to him too and be able to adapt.
The Teams
Waratahs: 15. Bernard Foley, 14. Tom Kingston, 13. Rob Horne, 12. Berrick Barnes, 11. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 10. Daniel Halangahu (capt), 9. Sarel Pretorius; 8. Tevita Metuisela, 7. Pat McCutcheon, 6. Dave Dennis, 5. Kane Douglas, 4. Dean Mumm, 3. Sekope Kepu, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. Benn Robinson.
Res: 16. John Ulugia, 17. Paddy Ryan, 18. Lopeti Timani, 19. Jono Jenkins, 20. Brendan McKibbin, 21. Tom Carter, 22. Brackin Karuaria-Henry.
The big selection change is Tom Carter on the bench for Berrick Barnes after his two try game against the Rebels AND an appearance on the G&GR Podslam! Pat McCutcheon has returned to the starting line-up and John Ulugia is in as well after Damien Fitzpatrick’s season-ending ACL injury last week.
EDIT: Cliffy Palu has now withdrawn from the game with ‘some lower leg tightness’ and will be replaced by Manly’s Tevita Metuisela.
Highlanders: 15. Colin Slade, 14. Kade Poki, 13. Tamati Ellison, 12. Phil Burleigh, 11. Hosea Gear, 10. Lima Sopoaga, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Nasi Manu, 7. John Hardie, 6. Adam Thomson, 5. Nick Crosswell, 4. Josh Bekhuis, 3. Chris King, 2. Andrew Hore, 1. Jamie Mackintosh (capt).
Res: 16. Jason Rutledge, 17. Bronson Murray, 18. Culum Retallick, 19. James Haskell, 20. Jimmy Cowan, 21. Kurt Baker, 22. Buxton Popoali’i.
The Details
Kick off 5:35pm AEDT from Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin. Saturday will be cloudy in Dunedin with rain predicted some time on Saturday night.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence
Assistant Ref 1:Vinny Munro
Assistant Ref 2: Garratt Williamson
TMO: Kane McBride
The Match-up
TPN and Andrew Hore. The Tahs are more than likely to come out on the wrong end of this one but it will be a very good gauge of where Tatafu is at. He has looked a fair bit better in 2012 so far than he did at the end of last year (and hasn’t even been injured yet?!).
Hore will be a big step up from the first two rounds in a forward pack that’s not shabby either and while I don’t expect TPN to outshine his opposite, if he makes a decent account of himself and stays in one piece I’lll be pretty happy.
The Game-Breaker
The key to this match is going to be whether the Tahs can hold onto the pill and get it quickly out to their re-jigged backline. If the Tahs pack allow the Highlanders to slow, spoil and steal their ball they’re in for a long night and a certain loss. If they show some breakdown nous of their own and play like a (not the) New Zealand team, the game could be theirs for the taking.
The Fearless Prediction
It’ll be close but it’s still early in the season and my optimism hasn’t yet been destroyed by inevitable failure, so Tahs by 3.
Oh, and a penalty try to the Waratahs because James Haskell is English (actually keen on seeing how he goes apart from that).
