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2020 Super Rugby Round 2 - Waratahs v Force

Teh Other Dave

Alan Cameron (40)
Feels like NSW are starting to find their feet, and looked a lot more composed in the second stanza after doing their best imitation of a can of worms in the first 40. They pinned WA in their red zone with astute kicking. They were disruptive in defensive lineouts, knowing the Force were fragile in that department. Hooper was immense.

WA have major issues with kicking and the lineout. It's left them without any real exit strategy, and it meant they didn't put any pressure on NSW in the second half. Their scrum, on the other hand, was dominant. Imagine being able to pull an old head like Holmes off the pine!
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
Feels like NSW are starting to find their feet, and looked a lot more composed in the second stanza after doing their best imitation of a can of worms in the first 40. They pinned WA in their red zone with astute kicking. They were disruptive in defensive lineouts, knowing the Force were fragile in that department. Hooper was immense.

WA have major issues with kicking and the lineout. It's left them without any real exit strategy, and it meant they didn't put any pressure on NSW in the second half. Their scrum, on the other hand, was dominant. Imagine being able to pull an old head like Holmes off the pine!


For three scrums in the 2nd half. Prior to that they were pretty even.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
How was the SCG reorientated? (must admit I didn't look that closely at the background stands).

I thought Maddocks had another reasonable game. Be curious how the attacking structures looked live? seemed to be going really deep and wide in that first half.
The Ladies stand was almost directly behind the field last year but now they’ve rotated it 90 degrees so the Ladies is on about halfway.

As you say, first half we tried to send it wide without moving forward first and the Force were coming up quickly off the line (there was one wrap play where Harrison got crunched) and thwarting it quite easily. In the second half, the Tahs began using some more of those short passes that collected some pay last week. HJH (Harry Johnson-Holmes), Bell and Hooper were also finding a few yards around the ruck.

Maddocks again looked good. I’m a little concerned about Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) on the wing. He’s not quite as fast as I thought he was and often gets bundled into touch or cuts in too early.
 

molman

Peter Johnson (47)
I’m a little concerned about Mark N (Nawaqanitawase) on the wing. He’s not quite as fast as I thought he was and often gets bundled into touch or cuts in too early.

I had big question marks over him earlier this year and was a little annoyed at Fox talking him up so much. Felt like they were setting the kid up to just be a disappointment with so much expectation. He has some positive attributes but he's not a complete footballer. His defensive work is what gives me the jitters. I'd love to have someone like a Kellaway back.
 

hifflepiff

Charlie Fox (21)
I had big question marks over him earlier this year and was a little annoyed at Fox talking him up so much. Felt like they were setting the kid up to just be a disappointment with so much expectation. He has some positive attributes but he's not a complete footballer. His defensive work is what gives me the jitters. I'd love to have someone like a Kellaway back.


I don't think he's looked too bad, he has an incredible vertical jump and a pretty solid step from what I've seen. Plus, while he doesn't have top-top end speed, he's no slouch. He takes quite large strides which makes him look slower on tv.

I think his biggest problems are his defense (which I think are mainly down to his positioning rather than intent, so it's trainable) and his habit of trying to make something out of every play. He needs to learn to take contact a bit more often and work on some leg drive. He could also do with looking for a bit more work.

All in all, he's very young and has a lot of athletic potential, but is probably a year or two off from being where he needs to be.

In a team with more depth he'd probably be coming off the bench, but the Tahs don't have much in the way of outside backs at the moment.
 

Equalizer

Phil Hardcastle (33)
Competitive game. From a WA perspective the most frustrating thing is having to restart like its 2006 again. So much talent lost from our squad over 3 years but still able to put on a good show. The team will be better for the run and will regroup to go again next week.
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
Hurts to say but it was a wise, wise move for Maddocks to leave the Rebels. With DHP, Kellaway, Hodge & Koroibete he was going to struggle for any starting spot let alone fullback. He’s looking much more assured, doesn’t have to create something from nothing on the wing, can take his time and fuck he’s got a good boot.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
I thought btw Simmons had a very good game and given lack of wallaby lock options he must be starting lock with Phillips for this year, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) as bench cover
 

A mutterer

Chilla Wilson (44)
I thought btw Simmons had a very good game and given lack of wallaby lock options he must be starting lock with Phillips for this year, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) as bench cover

one thing i noticed from friday's game was LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) hasnt corrected his body height on runs and is still too upright.
 

Finsbury Girl

Trevor Allan (34)
Hunt showed his value for smart footballer with nice exploitation of 50/22 rule - expect hunt to start next week.


I agree, surely he has played his way into the starting side. Was very good indeed.

I liked the way the tahs played in that second half. A different team from last week that's for sure.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Was good to be back at some live sport last night!

The Tahs were awful in the first half and would have been happy scoring before the break to only trail by 7.

Discipline was again an issue for the Tahs and much of the first half issues were a result of dumb penalties.

At the ground it was very apparent that the Tahs were winning the collisions in defence in the first half between the forwards but then weren't using their forwards to run the ball in tight. Late in the half and for much of the second half the forwards run much more and I think that is where they really got on top.

Late in the game there was a charge down where the Force passed back into the in goal and then the kick was charged down and went dead. It was given a 22 drop out. I am not entirely sure whether the Tahs player was in goal or in the field of play when they charged it down but I thought the result was strange. Initially thought it should have been a 5m scrum to the Tahs but then thought it should have at least been a goal line drop out.

Will review the recording and see if I can understand what happened better.
 

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
I think you'll find the Tahs got the rub of the green on 28 kicks (a better name for 50-22 and vice versa :)).

To his credit, Gardner phoned Sampson to apologise.

<edit> I see you've edited your post.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Would be interested to see the penalty count for the second half , and overall if someone has it. Seemed that the penalties were heavily in the Tahs favour at least after half time.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think you'll find the Tahs got the rub of the green on 28 kicks (a better name for 50-22 and vice versa :)).

To his credit, Gardner phoned Sampson to apologise.

<edit> I see you've edited your post.


I just watched and the first one went out on the full so clearly not a 22/50. From where we were sitting it looked like it bounced in the field of play.

They definitely got Hunt's first one wrong. Shouldn't have been a 50/22 as the play started inside the Force half.

Late in the game there was a charge down where the Force passed back into the in goal and then the kick was charged down and went dead. It was given a 22 drop out. I am not entirely sure whether the Tahs player was in goal or in the field of play when they charged it down but I thought the result was strange. Initially thought it should have been a 5m scrum to the Tahs but then thought it should have at least been a goal line drop out.


Still don't quite get this. Force kicked from within the field of play and was charged down sending the ball into the in goal. Force grounded it and it was awarded a 22 with Gardner saying it was a charge down.

I take it the law variation only applies when a kick causes the ball to enter the in goal.

If it was passed back then charged down and goes dead it's an attacking 5m scrum isn't it? But if the kick takes place in the field of play and is charged down it is considered that the ball wasn't sent into the in goal by the kicking team but by the charge down and is a 22?
 

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
I just watched and the first one went out on the full so clearly not a 22/50. From where we were sitting it looked like it bounced in the field of play.

They definitely got Hunt's first one wrong. Shouldn't have been a 50/22 as the play started inside the Force half.
What about the second one?
 

Silverado

Dick Tooth (41)
Would be interested to see the penalty count for the second half , and overall if someone has it. Seemed that the penalties were heavily in the Tahs favour at least after half time.
According to Fox, penalties conceeded was 6-4 to the Waratahs at half time and full time 12-10 the Tahs. There were also 2 free kicks conceded by the Tahs, one in each half
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
FWIW the ‘experts’ at the ground included Hanigan as one of the three candidates for Waratahs’ MOTM (alongside Ramm and Hooper). Not sure who the experts were or what they saw but I thought Maddocks at least was far ahead of Hanigan.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
FWIW the ‘experts’ at the ground included Hanigan as one of the three candidates for Waratahs’ MOTM (alongside Ramm and Hooper). Not sure who the experts were or what they saw but I thought Maddocks at least was far ahead of Hanigan.
Hanigan did a lot of "work". That's his thing. To the casual viewing, flashy always gets eyeballs more than work, but that might be why he got some votes (they'd have had stats on work-rate at hand). But I thought Staniforth, for example, probably had more impact.
Personally I look at impact on a match - how did they change the game. Hooper just did a shitload of work (impact), hard to say Ramm had a huge impact but was good in his role; Hanigan solid but not flashy (not huge impact I reckon). I actually thought, value for time-wise, Hunt was in the top 3 for the Tahs. Big impact for the time on field (irrespective of potentially dodgy 50/22 calls!).
 
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