← Previous Post
Next Post →

The Tuesday Top 10

Hugh Cavill May 15, 2012 14

No Gravatar

Welcome to the Tuesday Top 10, the soapbox where I air my deluded and one-eyed ramblings on everything rugby.
 

My fiendish plan is starting to come together…

10. This week was a big one for Aussie rugby. With the June tests rapidly approaching the game needed a shot in the arm to get the viewing public fired up. Thankfully both the Rebels and Reds delivered, beating top tier NZ opponents in fine style. With a few big names to come back and what promises to be a free-flowing series against Wales you can just feel the momentum slowly building. Now if only the Tahs could do their bit…

9. Perception is king in the world of the Waratahs. I’ll probably get hounded down for saying this, but the Tahs played well on Friday. Sure they blew it in the end, but the Bulls are a very good side who may just win the competition. The backline played pretty well, and the forwards got on top of the Bulls in most facets of play. The talent is clearly there. So when some posters have suggested sweeping mid-season changes to the playing group, or picking none of them for the Wallabies I tend to stop listening as these aren’t valid comments. It’s hard to pin down the precise issues that cause these repeated failures, but I’d suggest a lot of it comes down to attitude. How do you fix it? God only knows. But the Tahs have had a ‘business as usual’ feel about them for as long as I can remember, and are surely due for a bit of a spring clean at the end of the season (not just the rugby team, but the back office as well). A new coach, given sweeping powers to change the team in the style of Jake White? A man can dream…

8. What about those Rebels ay? Who would have thought? A great performance with every man getting stuck right into his opponent. One thing the past two weeks have shown us is who the real talisman is at the Rebels- Nick Phipps. He has endured a lacklustre start to the year but has been excellent in the past two weeks, and has visibly lifted the performances of those around him. He has arguably the best pass in Australia, and when he is confident he can snipe with the best of them. Sure he is still behind both Genia and White in the Wallaby pecking order, but he will certainly be a handy 3rdstringer if he can keep this form up.

I'll also shout you a razor to take care of… whatever you call that.

7. I will offer one word of caution to Rebels fans. This Crusaders team is not the standard of the side of 2011, or indeed most Crusaders sides this century. They were very lucky to beat the Reds team last week, and were off the boil again this week. With the Reds, Hurricanes and Sharks looming up on the top 6 they are in real danger of missing a finals spot, however their draw in the closing round is not the hardest. In this light their dominance of the All Black training squad was somewhat hard to fathom, especially in the forwards. Luke Romano? Really? Craig Clarke has had a belter of the year leading the table-topping Chiefs, but apparently is still behind his southern counterparts. And we thought Robbie made some weird picks. And how could they overlook Andre Taylor, the form fullback in the competition? Andre check your family tree son, because if there is even a touch of green and gold in there I will shout you the plane fare over…

6. The Force were nothing short of abysmal against the Sharks. No-one had a good game. The backs were appalling, with passes going to ground on almost every play. The forwards were not much better. The Westerners desperately need to salvage some pride in the remaining rounds, not to mention show some form to convince certain openside flankers that it might be worth sticking around. The weather is great in Perth but you can’t have that as your central selling point for potential 2013 players.

5. Sunday was clearly the game of the season from an Aussie perspective. The Reds looked down and out just before half time, and the importance of Ben Lucas’ try on the buzzer cannot be overestimated. Before that point the Chiefs had successfully silenced the 30k plus crowd with a couple of cracking tries, and looked like they could run away with it. But then Kev Horwill took matters into his own hands, taking the tap and charging into the opposition under 7s style. The Reds of the early rounds would not have scored that try. The Reds of 2011 would have. Are the Reds back? They just might be.

4. Much like Phipps to the Rebels, I think I have worked out the Reds talisman. Ant Faingaa. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that their form has picked up since his return. He just oozes enthusiasm and commitment, and it has to rub off on those around him. Once again he was the quiet achiever on Sunday, chalking up a few big hits but plenty of other solid involvements. I am still not sure if he has what it takes to make it in a Wallaby jersey, but while he is there I will be tipping the Reds for the rest of the season.

3. The try of the match on Sunday? There were plenty of crackers, but one clear winner for me- the try scored by Higgers just after half time. Sure, it won’t make any ‘tries of 2012’ youtube compilations, or be spoken about in weeks, months or years to come by enthralled spectators at the game. But it deserves to be. Mike Harris puts in a pinpoint kickoff which was caught on the chalk of the 10m line by Rob Simmons. From there the Reds march it 40m with the purest of rugby tactics- pick and go. It was beautiful in its simplicity, and impossible to stop. Perfectly executed, brilliantly conceived. 7 points on the board before the Chiefs have even had a sniff of the ball. It warms the cockles of a forwards heart…

The worst ever?

2. Is now a good time to revisit the old ‘strength of conferences’ argument? With our teams sitting 11th, 12th and 13that the moment it is still clear that the Aussie conference has the lowest standard. But I don’t think the Kiwis or the Saffers can complain. The competition is still the closest it has ever been with every side capable of a win on its day. Surely we can put to bed the line used in 2011 that the top Aussie sides get a leg-up thanks to ‘easy’ games against the Force and Rebels. There is no such thing as an easy game in 2012.

1. Are the Bulls away jerseys the worst in the history of the Super comp? I’d go further- they are the worst in the history of Southern Hemisphere rugby. They make the notorious 1998 Wallabies jersey look like a classy masterpiece of design. I mean, pink and blue lighnting bolts. I feel like this could be some sort of elaborate practical joke, with the punchline to be revealed after they win the comp. Or lose to the Reds in the final…

 
Did I miss anything?

TAGS »
POSTED IN » Melbourne Rebels, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Super Rugby, Western Force
About the author: Hugh Cavill View all posts by
The artist formerly known as Barbarian, but now using my real name. A pretty average writer and an even worse player. Subbies struggler and Tahs fan. I know I've said it before, but 2013 will be our year. Trust me.

Related »

Waratahs Lineout Woes

Waratahs Lineout Woes

WHERE TO NOW FOR THE ARU?

WHERE TO NOW FOR THE ARU?

What’s the best balance of the Wallaby back three?

What’s the best balance of the Wallaby back three?

ARU: THE APPEARANCE OF PREVIOUSLY UNDISCLOSED EXPENDITURE

ARU: THE APPEARANCE OF PREVIOUSLY UNDISCLOSED EXPENDITURE

Discussion »

  • Homer J

    Bugger Phipps, Mark Gerard’s boot is the rebels talisman. His kicks for touch were BOOOOOOMING!
    Also Cadern Neville had a blinder in the 2nd row for his 2nd start(?). Paired with Pyle they were immense and his offload to Gerard to set up Phipps was gold.

  • Linus

    No mention of the charity jerseys from the Reds or the Tahs’ that look like pyjamas.

    I think you need to look into the research that shows pink calms the opposition into a false sense of security, the 3 times they have worn pink they managed to escape as winners, Brumbies Rebels and Tahs. I think we need as Aussie pink jersey for the McGrath Foundation against the AB’s.

  • ooaahh

    you gotta feel sorry for Fruen also. What’s a guy gotta do to get in.

    • Patrick

      Not being invisible for an entire game against mainly Mitch Inman (who I think plays pretty well but is clearly not world-class!) would be a start.

    • Pie Thrower

      learn to tackle?

  • http://BigFella Big Fella

    Excellent insights and enjoyable to read ‘Barbarian’…..thanks!
    Anyone else noting how our Super Rugby halfback’s performances mirror the performance of their forward packs?
    When each of Genia, Phipps and White play well it’s because of front foot, interference free, quick ball delivered by their pigs.
    It’s tough for any half to play well behind a beaten pack.
    John Hipwell, who I saw play when I was a kid, is one exception that comes to mind. His Wallaby packs were often smashed but he still played well.
    Likewise a lot of the Kiwi Super Rugby halfbacks have been struggling in recent weeks when their packs have been under pressure.
    How good would Farr-Jones, Gregan and Genia been behind last year’s AB pack?

  • johnny-boy

    I agree the Tahs didn’t play that bad but they really suffer from keeping on Mumm and Halangahu. They both really drag the team down, time and time again. And of course Carter is a right plodder at 12. Horne is just OK. Pakalani has a go and leave Kingston on the wing ffs. Only an idiot organisation would trial him at centre against the masters of exploiting weak spots, the Crusaders. It’s funny how Pretorius was lauded as the saviour early in the season, only I suspect because Tah fans suddenly realised how ordinary Burgess was. The concern about Pretorius was that his defence was fragile and now he can’t even hit his man properly with his pass. Why isnt a young Aussie halfback being given a go ?
    Some simple obvious changes and a desire to play at speed with the ball in hand all game and the Tahs would be in the finals, next year. The trouble with expecting changes in the back office or at the top, is that they are guys who are in charge. Unfortunately it usually requires a crisis for such organisations to change, otherwise it will be business as usual, with the same snouts in the trough.

  • Lee Enfield

    The main problem for the Tah’s is their execution. Their backline passing is inaccurate, they would struggle to hit the side of a barn at 5m. Too many times, the ball is passed too high, too low or behind the man. It kills all their forward momentum and gives the opposition time to shift across in defence. Barnes is probably the most guilty and should not be in the Wallabies run on 15, bench spot at best.

    The other problem is the kicks for the sake of kicking. Too many times the Tahs kick the ball away aimlessly. Kicking has its purpose, but too many times the Tahs kicks fail to find touch and either get returned with interest or they allow the opposition to regain possesion with good field position from which to build pressure with. Once the Tah’s are under pressure, the opposition can surely rely on Mumm to give away a penalty, and bang, easy 3 points.

    The Tahs also kick too many balls which are not contested or contestable. If they are going to kick it and not find touch, at least kick so that it can be contested and put pressure on the opposition to try and force a mistake or regain the ball yourself. Once again Barnes is the main culprit, not sure if he is playing to the coaches plan or is it just him. All I know, I was a Barnes fan, but I think it is time for the Tah’s to secure the services of another 10, and move Barnes out to 12 or right on out of the squad. If I was the Tahs, I would make a play for Cooper, as I think current stock of No 10′s are below par. But as I am Reds fan, keep Barnes and Hangers, they’re tops.

    My Missus just loves the Bulls pink strip, that was the most exciting thing on Friday night for her, that and the No 5 for the bulls with his harry high pants.

    • Patrick

      Deeply ironic that they let go Beale – of course he was actually pretty average at 5/8 as a Tah, I blame the Tahs more than I blame Berrick!

      How do you become a champion 5/8? Play for the Tahs at 5/8/FB and then get the hell outta dodge ;)

      I feel sorry for Barbarian, his evident passion and love of the game would be far better spent on the Rebels :)

  • le roo

    Phipps had by far his best game this season, but he is still a long way of international standard for mine. If he has the best pass (read service) in Australia, then we are in trouble.

    Sure he throws the occasional good long flat pass when the pack is going forward, but his consistency is still not there. There were a few during the game that missed the mark, the ball that Gerrard had to jump for under huge pressure for a clearing kick in-goal towards the end of the match is a case in point. A good half back should consistently be able retrieve the ball from the pile-up and hit the mark (no pun intended) without a big wind-up / shuffle regardless of whether his pack is dominating, cause lets face it, whoever wears the gold No. 9 this year cannot expect a whole lot of forward dominance against the Boks and the Blacks.

    Regardless, so long as Phipps is enjoying boxing day festivities with the Deans family on Balmoral beach, and three halfbacks are more important than two openside breakaways, he’ll be in the Wallabies squad.

  • allsport

    agree le roo, the pass across his own try line in the 1st half that hit no-one lead to a turnover & eventually a try by the Crusaders, Wallaby unacceptable IMO also has no kicking game unlike Genia & White

  • Athilnaur

    Weirdly, the ‘magenta’ bulls away shirts are growing on me, it’s a sharp design, just a pretty full on colour.

  • Brax

    Most astute Reds supporters and a smattering of Brumbies supporters have been singing the praises of Ant Faingaa for a while now. He brings a lot to the table for the team without standing out as a star,his organisation of the defensive line, his big hits resulting in turn overs & his straight & hard running style are priceless, yet he’s still pillaged as the most over rated player in Australia by a lot of commenters. The jury is still out as to his abilities translating to the international arena, but I’m very happy he’s committed to the Reds cause for at least the next couple of seasons. Great to see a Tah man get on board!

    Also totally agree on Higgers try as the try of the game, it was awesome work & the pick & drive and the rolling maul are big strengths for this Reds side going forward.

  • the realist

    a good write up! can’t disagree with anything which annoys me. I’ll even let the faingaa bit slide mainly because it doesn’t commit to his inclusion in the wallaby team it only eludes to it. I’m happy with that and I agree he is a good player for the reds.

    no I can’t help myslef…. Faingaa is just not good enough to be a contributing player at the next level. He is too limited in attack. Horne or AAC are the better options at 13 and McCabe and Tapuia (if fit) the better options at 12. End of.

Close