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SuperRugby Waratahs V Crusaders, Rd 10 2012

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Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
I was doing some work on the Injury Wiki last night and I noticed that the Crusaders are expected to have Maitland and McCaw back which will mean that they will have all their players available, as far as we know.

I know all teams have injuries, and some of them a lot, so no correspondence is needed on the matter but I had a whimsical thought: what if their two best wingers were out for the season, instead of ours etc etc, yarda, yarda.

What if these guys were out for the game and our injured guys were healthy come Sunday:

15. Dagg (Foley)
14. Maitland (Mitchell)
11. Guilford (Turner)

7. McCaw/Todd (McCutcheon/Alcock)
5. S. Whitelock (Vickerman)

17. O. Franks (Ryan)

Folks may say that they would win anyway and they could be right - but so good are they it is the type of break the Tahs would need to win, but instead it is the other way around.

Just whimsy; don't take it too seriously.

PS - I didn't list Horne and Freuen: whimsy can never excuse stupidity.
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Joe Mac

Arch Winning (36)
I understand what you are saying LG but I dont think the equivalent Tah's players are as critical to their success.

If we were down Barnes, TPN, Fat Cat, Palu then a comparison to Dagg, McCaw, O Franks would be reasonable.

I still think that largely, all our game winners (except Mitchell) are on the park and the replacements for the injured are capable enough to contain the opposition...

Some call me blindly optimistic... They may be right
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
I'm still trying to work out how Paddy Ryan did such a serious injury to his foot. It just seems like a hard area to damage.

Often injuries to feet are caused by large men stepping on them, but since this is ligament mischief that doesn't answer.

I spend a bit of time watching scrums with binoculars and often one sees the back leg and foot street stretched out with a lot of weight borne on the ball of one foot momentarily. I imagine that all kinds of ligaments are under stress at the time.

Or maybe he stubbed his toe.
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topo

Cyril Towers (30)
Paddy's injury happened at a breakdown at about the 70 min mark. He had his feet wide as he was reaching over a rebels player trying to pilfer. He got cleaned out awkwardly and his right foot was stuck under some players so all his weight came down through it.
 
L

laps

Guest
If this game were 4 weeks ago, I'd say the Tahs have a chance.

Unfortunately, it isn't 4 weeks ago, and the Tahs do not stand a chance. Crusaders found form 3 weeks ago against the Bulls, and were unlucky not to win with a questionable call from the ref. The Crusaders will win this, it's just a matter of whether or not the Tahs can grab a bonus point for finishing within 7.

Tahs have been toilet in the backs. They played well for the first 30 seconds last week, then went to sleep. Home field advantage obviously means nothing to the Tahs either.

Crusaders are coming to Australia to play a side that just finished a game against the Rebels with 3 tries a piece *giggle*
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
It's official - the Oz and NZ Sevens team will play at 3pm - before the Crusaders game later in the afternoon.

Before it was only provisional.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
At least we're unlikely to have Jonathan Kaplan again. Although credit to him. It was one of his better performances refereeing a Tahs game.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
He is "ours" again this weekend, oh joy!


Sa.jpg
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Boo... I hadn't seen the Round 10 appointments yet. I didn't think they came out until later today.

How do we get Kaplan twice in a row?

There goes our chances of being competitive.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
At least we're unlikely to have Jonathan Kaplan again. Although credit to him. It was one of his better performances refereeing a Tahs game.

It might have been one of his better performances against the Tahs but I still felt that the Rebels got the rub of the green. We just have such low expectations that we think that he was better than he usually is. I am still waiting for the day when some other franchise comes out absolutely filthy on him against us but it won't happen this week. He has reffed us six or seven times vs the Crusaders and it has never once been pretty, just several variations of ugly.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
There is one chance. If Kaplan gets an early injury then Joubert comes on. Now, where's that Kaplan voodoo doll I had stashed?
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
I understand what you are saying LG but I dont think the equivalent Tah's players are as critical to their success.

If we were down Barnes, TPN, Fat Cat, Palu then a comparison to Dagg, McCaw, O Franks would be reasonable.

I still think that largely, all our game winners (except Mitchell) are on the park and the replacements for the injured are capable enough to contain the opposition...

Some call me blindly optimistic... They may be right

Please explain how Barnes, on this year's form, can be classed as a game winner.
 

Hawko

Tony Shaw (54)
Parachuting in from Brisbane for a moment....geez, surveying this thread I don't think I've ever seen Tahs' posters so downcast and pessimistic re their team's prospects vs a top side. You have a much better 2012 forwards pack than the Reds' 2010 and 2011 ones that ended up being part of a team that beat the Cru 3 times in a row, twice in 2011, and IIRC both Carter and McCaw played in the latter 2 of those games.

The Cru are at one of their worst overall w-l positions at this stage in the comp for many a year. If the Tahs - with the benefit of a home game - can just play at the peak of their 2012 performances for the majority of the game, why can't you stand a good chance of victory?

You don't seem to have built great confidence in Foley, 9 Rounds in.

We're downcast with good reason:
  1. The Crusaders have hit a purple patch in the last three games and have no injuries except McCaws long term foot injury. That makes it as tough as it gets. I'd rather play the Stormers at Cape Town or the Bulls at Loftus than an injury free, in form Crusaders.
  2. We've just lost four players from last week's team - Ryan (for the season), Alcock, Foley, Horne. Vickerman, McCutcheon, Mitchell and Turner are already gone for the season and Elsom can only play 20 minutes. This year Reds fans should understand and have some sympathy with our injury plight.
  3. We are not playing well at all and are having major difficulties beating the bottom teams. As someone else posted succintly "the backs are toilet". The forwards are doing some things really well but others, like running onto the pass at pace, are not happening.
  4. Great confidence in Foley? The jury is still out, he's in his first season as head coach and is making the usual first-season mistake head coaches do by being conservative. He's got a conditional pass at this stage. The really disappointing one has been Gaffney. He was brought in to teach the backs and forwards the attacking running rugby system. Either they are slow learners or he's forgotten how to teach. My fear is that it will appear in round 17 when its all too late.
  5. We have Kaplan as referee and if you study his games against us in the past you'll know we have to be at least 10 points better than the Saders to have any chance.
Downcast yes, but still not without hope.
 
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