So how does a team that contested the final only two years ago, and only just missed the semi’s last year suddenly look quite so bereft of any hope whatsoever in a regular game of footy? That’s the question I keep coming back to when looking forward to this weekend’s match up.
Let’s start with the easy bit. Will the Tahs beat the Bulls on Saturday (Sun 4am AEDT)? No. The Tahs haven’t won in Pretoria since 2002, and haven’t beaten them anywhere since 2005. They pulled a rabbit out of the hat in Brisbane, got smashed last week at sea level in Cape Town, and this weekend will find it no easier at altitude.
Losing in Pretoria is nothing to be surprised or ashamed about, no side’s won there since 2006. What’s confounding is that I can’t even fantasize up a way the Tahs can win. Perhaps if it had been the 2009 Tah pack I could have seen them muscling up a tight game.
But that pack appears to have vanished. There are still Wallaby front and back rows there and 7 out of 8 names are the same, so why have all guts seem to have fallen out? Was it as simple as losing Dean Mumm? Can filling the second row with more back rowers possibly fix it? If the idea is to play quick pick and go’s around the ruck, someone needs to re-programme Burgess and Holmes pronto.
Do they play a kicking game? Doesn’t sound too clever vs Steyne and Matfield, and with the New Ruck Interpretations (NRI’s), hoofing the ball to the oppo seems a good way to lose (see Cape Town last week).
So, as Kafe suggests on the video at the bottom, spreading it wide sounds like the last best option. Perhaps that’s the reason for the fast locks, go wide fast and try to get around the Bulls, use the gas in Tuner, Anesi and Mitchell. Only one problem (apart from the glacial pill from the ruck); the Tahs midfield. How many years does Hickey need to figure this conundrum out? In the latest iteration he’s re-shuffled 10 and 12, but overlooked the Bermuda Triangle at 13. I won’t be holding my breath.
So there you have it, I’m outta ideas, and will have to be very genuinely gobsmacked for the Tahs to get out of this one. In fact, at this stage I’d settle for solid performance.
Gagger says: Bulls by 10
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7kK9FIOGBo[/youtube]
Bulls 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp. Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Deon Stegmann, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 22 John Mametsa/Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Waratahs 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Tom Carter, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Ben Mowen, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dave Dennis, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson. Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Locky McCaffrey, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Kurtley Beale, 22 Rob Horne.
