With some big matches you wonder whether you should make the time to get to the ground or clear the social diary – finals footy and all that. Not when it comes to the Tahs v Clan (Highlanders) this Saturday. Guaranteed.
I’ll start top-line – how does six tries in a match sound? The Tahs and Highlanders are both averaging more than three tries per match over the season and are 4th and 3rd respectively for points scored. Stock up the beer tray early because there’s gonna be action aplenty (especially around half time).
Now, big points scoring isn’t necessarily thrilling – poor defence isn’t great viewing. But the thing with the Waratahs and Highlanders is that while their defences aren’t bad, their attacks are electrifying.
In Waisake Naholo you have the competition’s leading try scorer and maker of clean breaks. In Israel Folau you have the most prolific offloader and second best beater of defenders (Naholo is third). The two of them have run more metres than anyone else. With Ben Smith, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Patrick Osborne and Bernard Foley out there, it’s not as if these guys are on their own either.
But it’s not just down to individuals. What should make this contest so fascinating is that in this match we have two opposite extremes of playing styles coming together in a glorious fusion.
The ying and the yang.
Look at just about any of the stats below and it will tell the story of how the Waratahs love to keep ball in hand, forcing the opposition to make tackle upon tackle until they crack. The Highlanders plan is to give the ball to the opposition as much as possible (only the Sharks have kicked more), backing themselves to force a turnover at the breakdown and then carve it from there. In other words the two game-plans feed each other’s attacking strengths.
There’s no set recipe for who should win out of this pattern. In fact, over the last six match-ups, wins have gone with home ground advantage at three apiece. If the Highlanders can disrupt the Tahs breakdown, they should get the upper hand. If the Waratahs get their roll on, they should grind down the clan.
Either way, it’ll be a cracker.
Thanks to Opta for the stats
