Reds v Chiefs Round 7 Super 14 2009

[Spook]

I thought 3M was pretty ordinary...but the Chiefs are deadly at the moment. They also wheeled the Reds scrum with ease.

Quades channel was ruthlessly exploited. I had him for the Oz 10 but his defense was bad and Barnes lets himself down as well.

 

[disco]

Gutted to blitzed withing 15 minutes, Higginbotham should have started I didn't like MMM at 6 last night the Chiefs backs just danced around him all night & MMM looked better when moved into the tight.

Cooper has some mental weakness whenever he plays against his province of birth for some reason he always goes to water.

I'm glad Mooney openly admits to dragging players because they have been shit, Blair Conner was playing like a rugby league winger last night, up in the line when the opposition was attacking the other wing his brain fades lead to 3 tries.

Reds defended better in the 2nd half when they stopped commiting defenders to the breakdown, we could have played smarter but ATM the Chiefs are red hot & sometimes you just have to sit back & admire the oppositions class.

McKibben was very good I thought & Digby Ioane never gave up, Daniel Braid was our best last night & Higginbotham has all but wrapped up the 6 jersey for the season.

Mooney now has to make the decision on who starts out of VH, Horwill & MMM next week in Perth.

 

[formeropenside]

I don't mean to highjack the thread, but I think it's significant that the Tahs held the Chiefs to 7 points. They mightn't have hit top gear byt then, but still, it gives the Tahs credibility as the best defensive side in the comp. Now, if they could only score some tries ...

and I think the Chiefs were missing a pile of players out injured that round

 

[Biffo]

The mongrels stayed at home and the dalmations came out to play.

 

[Ash]

I don't mean to highjack the thread, but I think it's significant that the Tahs held the Chiefs to 7 points. They mightn't have hit top gear byt then, but still, it gives the Tahs credibility as the best defensive side in the comp. Now, if they could only score some tries ...

and I think the Chiefs were missing a pile of players out injured that round

The big one is Mils, and Lauaki was out as well I think - and he's in stunning form right now. Donald has also had a complete turn around in form. The Chiefs are a completely different side to what played the Tahs. Of course, that being said, the Tahs would not have let in as many tries as the Reds - but I think they aso would've been comfortable beaten as they can't score enough point to keep up.

 

[TOCC]

I guess some selections by Mooney were pretty naive, trying to get Connor and Davies to look after what is more than likely the All Black wingers was never going to work.

well, there wasnt really any alternatives

 

[spectator]

Precisely..Genia suspended and Vaalu and Hynes both out injured. As it is Mooney had to call up McKibben from the Academy and play Lucas injured, so naivety or necessity...? Perhaps the only other starting combo that might have been worth a go would have been Fetoai at 13 and Digby on one wing, I think that's how it ended anyway.

I actually thought Davies handled his debut well and might nudge in front of Connor now. Admire the latter's heart but I feel he really needs to put on a few kilo's for this level of rugby.

 

[Ash]

Precisely..Genia suspended and Vaalu and Hynes both out injured. As it is Mooney had to call up McKibben from the Academy and play Lucas injured, so naivety or necessity...? Perhaps the only other starting combo that might have been worth a go would have been Fetoai at 13 and Digby on one wing, I think that's how it ended anyway.

I actually thought Davies handled his debut well and might nudge in front of Connor now. Admire the latter's heart but I feel he really needs to put on a few kilo's for this level of rugby.

Connor's bigger problem was position - Chiefs targetted his wing and he got caught out at least 3 times in the first half that led to tries, so he was pulled at half time.

 

[RugbyReg]

I think the selections were fine. Fetoai had a shocker v the Tahs, and didn't deserve to be there. We missed Morgan T more than anything. His constant chat, along with Berrick, would have been crucial with the inexperience outside and inside. As it is now, Berrick is the only one who chat's. That communication at 13 is pretty key and Diggers doesn't seem, to me at least, a natural chatter.

The forwards were the most disapointing. We had it all over them in the maul because they stood all their players out. We should have played it tighter to really bring them in and then fling it.

I thought Ben Daley looked really good again. He does a lot of work. Our kicking was awful and some piss poor handling.

 

[Scotty]

Daley is the next Robinson.

 

[Pfitzy]

I'd back Scotty up on that based on the limited time I've seen him. Daley is a bloody hard worker and a good scrummager, and at such a young age that is a good sign. He and Dan Palmer will be Wallaby props within 4 years.

 

[RugbyReg]

I'd back Scotty up on that based on the limited time I've seen him. Daley is a bloody hard worker and a good scrummager, and at such a young age that is a good sign. He and Dan Palmer will be Wallaby props within 4 years.

with Robbo overseas?

 

[RugbyReg]

did Kennedy get on the field at all on the weekend?

 

[Pfitzy]

with Robbo overseas?

I didn't say starting props They'll get their chance is what I'm saying.

 

[fatprop]

Daley is doing great, he has Castle this week and a massive test against the Highlanders the following week.

So he has a real good test there.

 

[formeropenside]

I was not that impressed by Houston on the weekend. I'd give him a rest on the bench this weekend and start Higginbotham at 8.

McKibbin looked up to S14 standard.

Both Fainga'a's didn't.

The Reds need to develop an alternate game plan. Mind you, what really killed them against the Chiefs - and what put the game out of reach - was actually 4 penalties, full arms, all kicked.

Blair Connor needs to work on positional play. McLinden is usually a safe pair of hands, but should practice catching a little bit this week to make sure.

 

[Ash]

What killed them was two things for me (in the first half):
1) Quick turn over ball, spread wide, which the Reds scrambling defence was very very poor
2) Poor positioning from the men out wide, with a complete failure in their sliding defence

The Reds dominated the game at the start, and I wondered 20 minutes in that if the Reds had scored first, would the game have been any different? But after that first try the Chiefs exuded confidence. Incidentally, I screamed for offside as I thought the Chiefs player (Latimer) stepped around the ruck, but them's the breaks - the Reds should've done better to protect the ball, and then worked harder to get their defence wide on the turnover.

To make matters worse for the Reds, McLinden had an off day and dropped plenty of ball, and their kicking was poor. Even Barnes was missing tackles. Lots went wrong for the Reds, and the Chiefs were a class above.

Once the Chiefs get some confidence, then are a stunning team to watch. Donald is a real confidence player in particular, as is Lauaki.

For the next game, I'd actually bench Humphries, and move MMM to the second row with Higgenbottham back to the side of the scrum. Horwill and Van are similar players, and I don't think you'd particularly want or need both in the starting side.

Out wide, Reds have a real issue. Who do they pick for the next game? The Chiefs obviously targetted their inexperienced players in the back three. Connor's lack of wing play was obvious. Reds were forced to bring Fetoai to 13 and Ioane to the wring, problem is, Fetoai isn't up to S14 level, as he's shown often this year. The only other option is A. Fainga'a, who is really a 12 and has only been solid off the bench.

I'd persist with Davies, Connor and McLinden, I guess. The Reds don't really have any other options other than moving Ioane back to a wing and hoping for a miracle from whomever plays 13. The Reds could always through Connor in at 13, but as much as he is willing, I think that physically he'd be torn a new one.

The only good news for the Reds is that the Chiefs are a special team out wide. Not many other teams in the comp (if any) could so cruelly expose the Reds out wide like that. Hopefully.

 

[Pfitzy]

Daley is doing great, he has Castle this week and a massive test against the Highlanders the following week.

So he has a real good test there.

Maybe its just that we're spoiled with Robinson fp, but I'd say Castle isn't half the test he could be due to the T4 he plays alongside. Then again the Reds aren't exactly setting the world on fire :nta:

 

[fatprop]

Daley is doing great, he has Castle this week and a massive test against the Highlanders the following week.

So he has a real good test there.

Maybe its just that we're spoiled with Robinson fp, but I'd say Castle isn't half the test he could be due to the T4 he plays alongside. Then again the Reds aren't exactly setting the world on fire :nta:

Castle has at least stabilised their ball, I am still baffled that Mitchell continues to choose converted backrowers as props that get the head stuck up their arse.

In the last two years the Reds have picked up two local THPs from Sydney Uni that are better than the Force incumbents.

 

[Ash]

Castle has at least stabilised their ball, I am still baffled that Mitchell continues to choose converted backrowers as props that get the head stuck up their arse.

In the last two years the Reds have picked up two local THPs from Sydney Uni that are better than the Force incumbents.

Yes, and that baffles me as well - how the Force could not be desperately chasing players like Edwards and Weeks who could've helped their front row.

Also, Freier or Charles last year, when they must've known McIsaac was near to retiring. Although, they did miss out on Moore and maybe were too confident they could get him.

The Force tight 5 recruiting strategy seems a bit bizarre, to say the least.