Waratahs v British & Irish Lions - Saturday, 5 July @ SFS

[molman]

Explain how that was a B grade lions team? and what even is a B grade lions team?

 

[TSR]

I don’t understand comments like this.

You obviously watch enough rugby to know the quality of the players on the field last night. What’s the logic writing a comment like this? All it does is make you seem ignorant or a troll.

My impression of your posts have been that your are more knowledgeable than that, but these comparisons between the BIL playing players who may be perceived to be their second stringers vs the Tahs doing the same are just odd.

 

[Wilson]

Farrell suggesting the pitch was watered before the game is gold for the theatre of the tour, but man it makes it look like he must be feeling a bit more pressure behind the scenes than has been obvious from the outside. Not sure it does much for the "no-excuse culture" he likes to instill in his teams either.

 

[TSR]

It was a really odd comment which just left him a bit open to ridicule. Not much in if really but after the week of quite a bit of questioning re bringing Owen in, and then the performance last night he’s not had his finest week.

 

[molman]

Scrums.

In the Tahs v Lions game last night Tupou got reasonably dusted by Schoeman, but at times it looks like a bit was going on. First scrum (~5min) after reset Tupou gets ping for not keeping up, but from the poor angle we get on TV it looks like both fold. What's Williams seeing to call one or the other?

The third scrum (~10mins), Schoeman is clearly pushing up and not straight. Honestly both aren’t pushing squarely. Why is he (Schoeman) rewarded there? Tupuo changes his bind, is that what Williams is calling on? Looked like that should have been a reset to me.

Fifth scrum (~22mins), overhead view shows how much Schoeman kicks out. I mean Tupou isn't exactly the squarest, never has been, but Schoeman is on a sizable angle.

Curious what people thought of Tupou and his efforts at scrum time?

I know I've said it before, but this is an area the broadcasters need to do better with. Give us a view of both sides on the scrum (1/2 the time you don't get to see what they were calling on), with the overhead (if available) or usual pulled out shot (if not available). And get an ex-referee/scrum coach onto the broadcast crew to talk thought it. I feel like we could make a better spectacle out of scrums if some effort was put into their presentation to the public.

 

[molman]

I'd be buying a bunch of those plastic watering cans and giving them to kids to run around the field with them before the game if I was the Brumbies (though I hear there is a chance of rain anyway). Heck, I'd do it before every game now to take the piss

 

[upthereds#!]

I thought Amatosero was huge and Tupou was harshly done by which rocked his confidence.

 

[Derpus]

On the first scrum it seemed that Tupou popped Schoeman but it just got called a reset. Figured from their Williams was favouring the Lions scrum.

 

[BDA]

Well played from the tahs! Really enjoyed the game. Two big take aways for me are:
1. there does seem to be a bit of a gap between the lions best side and the rest and i think (fingers crossed) we should see the same with our best 23 when we see them take the field against them
2. Gamble really showed what a traditional hard over the ball 7 can do to stifle the lions...that very positive given that we've got two of the best in mcrieght and tizano

 

[Heavyd]

I thought Amatosero was huge and Tupou was harshly done by which rocked his confidence.

Was going to post something about Amatosero as I just finished the replay after being there last night. He pulled off 3 massive hits in the first half, was busy at the breakdown and definitely had his best game in a Waratahs jersey to date. Other to impress was Tom Lambert. Plenty of big carries and excellent defense.

 

[TSR]

I thought Tupou looked a bit unlucky - but because he sets up on the angle he is always at risk of getting called. I believe on the second penalty he was called for dropping his bind. Like you say, the camera angle makes it hard to judge.

Sadly we aren’t seeing the Tupou of old who powered through opposition looseheads and who I think won a lot of the 50/50 calls because he was so physically dominant.

He did show a nice flash of his old self in attack in the lead up to Lancaster's try but we’d kill for him to get back to even 80% of his best. A THP showing good draw and pass skills is a nice addition but a long way down on the list of things I want to see from him.

 

[Pfitzy]

Refs don't know everything about scrums and they are never going to know all the tricks - it's impossible to watch every part of the scrum do its shit.

 

[TSR]

One of the great ironies of rugby is listening to the ref tell the front row how to scrum.

It’s even worse during the game when your half back starts giving the front rowers pointers.

 

[Heavyd]

PS. I dont recall Kellaway touching the ball. I could be wrong but he was invisible for a guy trying to play his way back into a Wallaby jersey.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Too busy making 17 tackles.

 

[Aussie D]

I know I've said it before, but this is an area the broadcasters need to do better with. Give us a view of both sides on the scrum (1/2 the time you don't get to see what they were calling on), with the overhead (if available) or usual pulled out shot (if not available). And get an ex-referee/scrum coach onto the broadcast crew to talk thought it. I feel like we could make a better spectacle out of scrums if some effort was put into their presentation to the public.

Would love to see that as well as a recently retired referee. Sick of having ex-players who behave more like cheerleaders than analysts.

 

[Drew]

Im pretty guttered he left, I was seriously hoping he would become the Brumbies 10.. I thought he had all the skill set to be a brilliant 10, which has translated to being a brilliant winger/fullback as well.

He will be one of the starting wingers verse the Wallabies.

It’s the same situation with a lot of young promising players, particularly backs. They’re told to bide their time and they might get a chance in a while. Meanwhile NRL and overseas options are just too good to refuse. And yes, he can play. At the field last night he didn’t seem to play too well (haven’t watched the replay). But the Tahs stifled their ball movement out the back, which limited his time, space and opportunities. Hopefully a blueprint the Brumbies and Wallabies can use.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Would love to see that as well as a recently retired referee. Sick of having ex-players who behave more like cheerleaders than analysts.

Half the battle would be won if commentators would just stop talking over the ref as they explained their decisions (and broadcasters turned the mikes up a bit)

 

[Drew]

Farrell suggesting the pitch was watered before the game is gold for the theatre of the tour, but man it makes it look like he must be feeling a bit more pressure behind the scenes than has been obvious from the outside. Not sure it does much for the "no-excuse culture" he likes to instill in his teams either.

And it doesn’t rain in the UK? It’s probably a comment he wish he could take back

 

[Dan54]

Suspect he said as joke, well he was grinning anyway. But to be honest the generally they have fields over there with really good playing surfaces , why we see so much open play from there these days. Allianz does seem not a flash surface, but hey both teams were on it.