Reds v. Force Super Rugby Round 6 2012

[RedsHappy]

Reds boys are not doing themselves any favours re the soon to be Wallaby selections;
IMO

Certain:
Horwill
Higgers
Slipper
Genia (but on form should he be)
Digby

Maybe: Gill, Shipperly and Hansen

Reckon Saia, Simmons, Daley, Samo, Robinson, Taps, Ant, Morahan, Davies (for sure) have not been playing well enough (yet) to be seriously considered.

Btw, surely we can agree that Shipps is a better candidate vs Vuna that Deans has been leaking to Growden he'd like to consider for a Wallabies spot. I was incredulous when I read that.

 

[qwerty51]

I haven't seen much kicking ability from Shipperley yet, he's good on his feet but a pairing with Digby might not be so wise. I'd take any winger over Vuna though.

 

[TheBigDog]

Reds boys are not doing themselves any favours re the soon to be Wallaby selections;
IMO

Certain:
Horwill
Higgers
Slipper
Genia (but on form should he be)
Digby

Maybe: Gill, Shipperly and Hansen

Reckon Saia, Simmons, Daley, Samo, Robinson, Taps, Ant, Morahan, Davies (for sure) have not been playing well enough (yet) to be seriously considered.

I can't really fault the consistancy of the entire Reds backrow (Samo and Robinson included imo). All of them have come up with some big plays when needed and up until last game seemed to be controlling the breakdown well.

Also if I were to pick a Wallabies side based on form to date, Horwill makes it in on leadership quality, not general play. He too seems to be lacking some of the go forward which really helped the Reds last year.

 

[Penguin]

If we want a wildly creative suggestion, start with Gill and Beau at 6 and 7, and put Higgers at 13. He's the best centre we have who's never played there. He has all the attributes, and he's a street fighting hard man. And, just a btw, I'll bet money that he was the only Reds' forward that the Bulls would have rated as giving them a match when they were back in the sheds after the game.

If Higgers was our only forward who deserves a mention from last start why would you want to move him into the backs? We need more piggies doing the hard yards to let the backs have some time & space, take out one of the best & that time & space diminishes & Higgers is wasted.

 

[No4918]

If Higgers was our only forward who deserves a mention from last start why would you want to move him into the backs? We need more piggies doing the hard yards to let the backs have some time & space, take out one of the best & that time & space diminishes & Higgers is wasted.

We can't be talking about the same player. The Higgers i know is a seagull that spends too much time on the wing is soft at the breakdown and doesn't do enough in contact

Penguin, i agree but if Higgers is the only forward doing that his efforts are wasted anyway.

 

[tigerland12]

Anyone else having de ja vu from last season? Did we not have a thread that focused on Higginbotham moving to the centers because we had so many injuries, but then called up Caleb Ralph instead.

Link will not move Higginbotham there, period. If a forward does have to move it will be Samo.

 

[suckerforred]

Frisby is actually a pretty good goal kicker, was he on the field when Genia took the conversion? I've seen him down at GPS after training slotting kicks from the sideline, including drop kicks...you're allowed to do that right?

Thank you TBD. I have been mentioning a memory of Frisby kicking for a couple of weeks now, and started to think I had been hallucinating. Surely he is worth a try. Genia obviously is not the kicker we need.

 

[RedsHappy]

Some added data re Sam (and Tim) Lane:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...ck-lane-to-perth/story-e6frg7o6-1226310702961

 

[MrTimms]

Apparently Sanchez kicks well in training. Hard to see the occasion getting the better off him, but it seems to with this task.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

 

[RedsHappy]

Select a kicker who doesn't deliver a good success % on Saturday and kiss the game goodbye.

 

[The Red Baron]

Apparently Sanchez kicks well in training. Hard to see the occasion getting the better off him, but it seems to with this task.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Is that the same as Shaun Marsh hitting the ball well in the nets?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

 

[Scotty]

Apparently Sanchez kicks well in training. Hard to see the occasion getting the better off him, but it seems to with this task.

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It is almost like he doesn't apply enough focus to the job. I can't remember was he pushing them or pulling them? (Guessing they were more pushes - ie to the right?)

 

[RedsHappy]

Is that the same as Shaun Marsh hitting the ball well in the nets?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

Love it! And the answer probably is: yes...from what we have seen so far.

 

[Tangawizi]

If the Reds want to be in serious contention at the end of the year, they simply must find a way to jag a win this weekend.

Won't finish top 2 if they don't.

 

[Scoey]

Just throwing this out there... There's been a lot of comments on the 2012 Reds being a lot 'flatter', less aggressive, and generally mnot as fit as the 2011 Reds. Not sure about the season as a whole, but certainly the weekend was evidence of this.

Would the rather taxing 2011 season be partly to blame for this? Considering, the RWC/3N squad was in training before we'd even played our S15 final, a lot of the boys had a long 3N/RWC campaign, and then the "Spring Tour". I understand, a number of the Reds players got straight back into preseason after the Spring tour and some only having one week off. I'm exhausted even writing that!

Thoughts?

 

[Tangawizi]

Does anyone know when they got to Jo'burg? Looked flat on their feet for the last 20 as if the altitude had gotten to them.

But doesn't really excuse some of the pisspoor attempted tackling.

Hope they come with a better defensive game this week.

 

[Scoey]

If the Reds want to be in serious contention at the end of the year, they simply must find a way to jag a win this weekend.

Won't finish top 2 if they don't.

I just know I'm going to get hammered for this post but... The Crusaders are chronic slow starters but always find their form at the right end of the season. Now I know we're not the Crusaders, they are miles in front of us in terms of successes, but just don't (and I mean all Reds fans, not you Tangawizi!) write us off just yet.

I would always prefer a slow start to the season and a strong finish, than a strong start and a slow finish!

 

[Tangawizi]

I just know I'm going to get hammered for this post but... The Crusaders are chronic slow starters but always find their form at the right end of the season. Now I know we're not the Crusaders, they are miles in front of us in terms of successes, but just don't (and I mean all Reds fans, not you Tangawizi!) write us off just yet.

I would always prefer a slow start to the season and a strong finish, than a strong start and a slow finish!

Slow starts are fine but look at our draw, particularly the 4 weeks after the bye - Stormers, Blues, Crusaders, Chiefs.

Reds need to rediscover some winning form asap, preferably Saturday.

 

[redstragic]

Got to say I am genuinely worried. I am hoping like hell the Reds take their season back and not throw in the towel for the next month whilst waiting for Cooper to come back.

 

[RedsHappy]

Got to say I am genuinely worried. I am hoping like hell the Reds take their season back and not throw in the towel for the next month whilst waiting for Cooper to come back.

I don't think they'll throw in the towel, not Horwill, Link, Genia et al. These guys are relentless fighters.

But what we do need to do is right now get to the bottom of why our skill levels (handling, ball security, breakdown work, defensive work etc) have deteriorated, after 5 Rounds, so regularly and markedly v 2011. Coaching intensity lowered? Hidden 'champions' complacency'? Aging bodies? Hunger gone? The key is Quade? None of us really quite know, and our theories change nothing. The thing is: they have to come to know, and get the remedy right. If they don't, and not work hard, hard, hard on a fix, or fixes, by the Brumbies home game, we're gone for 2012, you can smell it a long way off after Loftus.