Tahs v Bulls, round 10 2014

[Richo]

The miracle balls are a real problem. Too many attempts at long cut-outs to flying wingers. No one on the team has a zippy enough long pass for that, and as a result the outside man has to slow or reach up and then gets smashed -- if the pass isn't forward or out of reach.

Foley is the worst culprit, but he's not alone.

 

[wamberal]

The Tahs are getting poor value from the halves. Their entire attack seems to rely on Kurtley making space and Folau finishing it off. When one is off the attack looks clueless.

Foley and Phipps need to do more with the ball.

They're not capable of it.

 

[wamberal]

Your second last sentence is interesting @Blue.

Conversely the NSW Blues Loig team has failed to live up to the hype for a decade, and yet the Loigies still turn up in droves for the ritual humiliation called State of Origin.

Just as rugby fans turn up for the ritual humiliation called the Bledisloe Cup.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

@Wamberal, Touché.

The numbers of rusted on for the Bled seem to be in the decline. That has to be worrying.

 

[boyo]

JackPot was immense last night (so was Hooper).

His enthusiasm is infectious.

 

[wamberal]

@Wamberal, Touché.

The numbers of rusted on for the Bled seem to be in the decline. That has to be worrying.

We all know that the numbers will improve when we start winning. Or should I say "if" we start winning, because frankly I just do not see any immediate prospects of that happy day (or night).

 

[A mutterer]

we definitely won ugly last night - it was if we picked up the ugly stick in one of the rucks and then started channelling jerry lewis at his best slapstick, because we certainly smacked ourselves upside the head with it along the way. repeatedly.

i said before the game that beale needs some bench time, and if he isnt injured needs to sit the next one out. foley looks underdone (or underconfident?) with beale next to him. i'd like to see horne get a run next to foley so we get more direct action in the backline.

the sideways running, it's a dead set tactical giveaway we are looking to put folau into space. our attack is too lateral, and we aren't mixing it up enough. the rush defense still seems to be our weakness.

up front hoops and pot were fantastic - again.

 

[Quick Hands]

IMO Cheika needs to pick Foley or Beale - last night again proved he can't have both.

I'd also bench Dennis and bring in Hoiles with Hooper as captain.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

IMO Cheika needs to pick Foley or Beale - last night again proved he can't have both.

I'd also bench Dennis and bring in Hoiles with Hooper as captain.

Agree with the first bit.
I'm not a fan of size for size's sake but Hoiles is too small to play 8 and Potgeiter is first or second pick.

 

[The Incredible Plan]

Serfontein was absolutely immense. 50 cap + Springbok.

Agree. Geez he was hitting the line hard. Seems to have got bigger without losing his pace.


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[Hawko]

Agree with the first bit.
I'm not a fan of size for size's sake but Hoiles is too small to play 8 and Potgeiter is first or second pick.

Cliffy should be back this week, so that's the size issue fixed. But perhaps a game on the bench for Dave and Kurtley would allow them a break and us to try out a few things. I certainly didn't think Horne played badly at 12 last night.

We're going to Eden Park to play the Blues. Eden Park is an Australian graveyard, but the Blues are not looking so good at the moment and may have to play Mr Marshall at 10 on Friday. Rob Horne running hard at Benji could be something to look forward to.

On last night's performance I thought Cam Crawford is starting to get back to his best; though he didn't get much real opportunity to shine he was defensively quite solid.

 

[Quick Hands]

Palu, Potgeiter and Hooper in the back row with Skelton and Douglas is an impressive back 5 forwards. Can't see how we could pick Dennis ahead of anyone there. (We probably will though)

This could be the year to break the Eden Park curse.

 

[wamberal]

If Cheika picks Dennis ahead of Palu or Potgeiter he is an idiot. I don't think he is an idiot, so I am confident that Dennis will be non-playing captain for the rest of the Soup.

 

[Dave Beat]

IMO Cheika needs to pick Foley or Beale - last night again proved he can't have both.

I'd also bench Dennis and bring in Hoiles with Hooper as captain.

Thinking the same but Palu at 8 - when is he back?
Looked like Hoops was leading last night.

 

[Richo]

It would be a big call to bench the captain, but he's easily the weak link in the pack at the moment.

 

[Tomikin]

Beale has been gun shy in attack since his mauling from Matt To'omua.

I actually thought that but never said it.. Matty T and Patty McCabe put Kirtley off... at the time before that night it was a master stroke Beale at 12..

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[Quick Hands]

It would be a big call to bench the captain, but he's easily the weak link in the pack at the moment.

It would be a hard call by the coach, but a correct one if he can't hold his place in the run on 15. The most successful teams pick the team first and then the captain, which is why I'm against this modern trend to name a captain for the season - it sets you up for the situation that Cheika is about to face.

Assuming that Palu is fit, there's just no way you could pick Dennis ahead of Palu, Potgeiter or Hooper. BTW I'm not even sure that Dennis is the best captain either.

 

[Quick Hands]

The Foley/Beale combination as dual 1st receivers not working - it can only work if the 12 is prepared to take a back seat and allow the 10 to run the game and have the 12 only overcall in rare situations or if the 10 is tackled.

The Waratahs also have the half back problem - neither of their 1st choice options are that competent at this level, so having two first receivers further confuses two already weak halves who have a history of poor options (particularly Phipps). This has been found out in the past 2 weeks against opponents who employed flat, rushing defences (bordering on offside).

Go back a year and the Waratahs didn't have these issues. Just as you can only have one coach, you can only have one backline general at 1st receiver.

Add to that the mess at the tackle last night which further slowed the play down. It took me back 10 or 15 years. There were some tackles in the last 20 minutes where there would have been 5 or 6 players from either team, all on the ground, all wrestling for the ball.

No time, no space for very much at all.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think SA depth is not looking great this year. We can put out a 23 that can win the Rugby Champs but lose a few more key players and we are in deep shit.

Besides the Shorks playing Jakeball, your attacking prowess is shallow as fuck.

They absolutely killed us at the breakdown and with 70% of possession in the first half could not do shit.

Actually they were doing shit quite well - every time they pushed a pass. They were carving off good metres with the ball in hand but just pushing a pass here and there stymied it all. Too much offloading in traffic.

Our lineout was a lot better than I was expecting too. I counted one not straight, and one picked off, though there might have been another error. Shame that those turnovers occurred in good field position.

Other commented on Dean Greyling's flying elbow but there has been no news about that

Which is fucking bullshit because that bearded fuck has form in the flying elbows department and should sit down for about four weeks on the crime, plus two for prior. Plus one because he's a fluffybunny.

 

[Dave Beat]

The Foley/Beale combination as dual 1st receivers not working - it can only work if the 12 is prepared to take a back seat and allow the 10 to run the game and have the 12 only overcall in rare situations or if the 10 is tackled.

The Waratahs also have the half back problem - neither of their 1st choice options are that competent at this level, so having two first receivers further confuses two already weak halves who have a history of poor options (particularly Phipps). This has been found out in the past 2 weeks against opponents who employed flat, rushing defences (bordering on offside).

Go back a year and the Waratahs didn't have these issues. Just as you can only have one coach, you can only have one backline general at 1st receiver.

Add to that the mess at the tackle last night which further slowed the play down. It took me back 10 or 15 years. There were some tackles in the last 20 minutes where there would have been 5 or 6 players from either team, all on the ground, all wrestling for the ball.

No time, no space for very much at all.

I didn't see the backs bend the line, quick ball and run the right angle off the shoulder. Beale doesn't bend the line, Horne danced when he ran and never had space on the outside. That space needs to be created.