Waratahs 2011 post mortem

[Lee Grant]

While I don't disagree with what you say, FP, it is not true that KB (Kurtley Beale) played fullback at school. He was always a 10, although he often "did a Quade" and went to fullback in defence. This was mainly to take advantage of his counter attack rather than hide his weak defence. But he always had 10 on his back.

Correct: he routinely went to fullback on defence. At first it was to protect him as a skinny 15 year old to get him out of the high traffic area but then we saw the serendipity of his playing there. The Joeys forwards then were blue heelers and they turned over a lot of ball so KB (Kurtley Beale) did some of his best moves from the back on turnover ball as we saw in the UTube piece that dobbie posted.

In his 2nd and 3rd year he grew and became one of the bigger backs so defence wasn't a problem. He often stopped opponents and ripped the ball out of their arms. When he started in Super rugby it would have been wise to get a flyhalf, who had barely turned 18, defending at fullback, and I am surprised that if Link wanted to start Beale before his time, he did not do so, and pick a squad and matchday 22s to make it work.

Can't say that I saw him as a Super Rugby fullback then but my brother-in-law did. I didn't think he would have so much success against professional defences as he did against schoolboys, but I am glad that I have been proven wrong week after week - though my B-I-L has a smirk on his face every time I see him.

fatprop

Yeah - when Beale and Cooper came on the scene Beale was the starting flyhalf and Cooper a bench player. When Cooper got on the park Beale would drop back to fullback and Turner replaced Stapleton on the wing.

The following year Beale started at 10 and Cooper at 12.

 

[Bullrush]

Ah! That explains why you are such an admirer of our QC (Quade Cooper) :lmao:.

Hahahaha...nice I don't think there's any kiwi I want to see get absolutely rolled more than QC (Quade Cooper). Not even Stephen Dona.......hmmmmm....I'm not so sure now....lol

Thanks a lot, Bullrush. Now I've remembered how good the ARC was, and how promising the Rams were.

Years of therapy, down the gurgler...

The step up from club rugby comps like Shute Shield etc to Super Rugby must be pretty big. I know guys who have played 1st grade NPC back home and even the step up from there to Super Rugby can be too much for some guys.

 

[Hawko]

In the review of 2011 Tahs performances we did learn some other things I think:

1. We learnt that Tom Carter can play OK at 13. This is exactly contrary to what we learnt last year, expands our options for next year and adds to our backline flexibility considerably.
2. That Kane Douglas might still be a keeper. His last two outings showed glimpses of the form that had us drooling last year.
3. That Fitzpatrick needs to dramatically improve his strength in the off-season to improve his scrummaging so he can back up TPN seamlessly.
4. That Ulugia, while unlikely to ever challenge for an Australian jumper, is a good solid back up at Super level and worth keeping.
5. That Bernard Foley might be our next champion 10. He's been learning good skills in sevens and in his cameo injected some real spark into the backline.
6. There are significant doubts about both McCutcheon and Alcock as Waugh's replacement. One or other of these two has to make a significant step up. Alcock has to learn how to tackle and McCutcheon needs to get some consistency and improve his fetching.
7. Paddy Ryan looks to be able to step into the Fuse's boots over the next couple of years. We should still try to get Palmer back - in the long term he could be Australia's Carl Hayman. But Ryan, although VERY green, looked the goods.
8. Sita Timani finally showed he can catch a rugby ball, he just needed time and belief in his ability. His brother Lopeti is in the accademy and seems to have inherited Sita's youthful clumsiness. But he seems to have some of Sita's good qualities too, so we need to be patient and give him every chance to develop.
9. Greg Peterson should have been a star at U-20's this year and wasn't. Can we give him to Dan Vickerman to develop if he's going to be the star he looked like being a year ago.

Some other things we still don't know (not necessarily the player's fault either):

• Can McKibbin make the step up to Super level?
• Will Locky McCaffrey come good and boost our backrow strength?
• Will Tilse ever break through as a LHP?
• Can Bennetts step up along with Kingston as the next young Tah centres?
• Will Horne prove to be too brittle to be the centre everyone thinks he could be?

 

[DPK]

1. That Bernard Foley might be our next champion 10. He's been learning good skills in sevens and in his cameo injected some real spark into the backline.

I don't think we can say that. Sure he looked sparky, but he's played less footy for the Tahs than Cam Jowitt.

 

[Hawko]

I don't think we can say that. Sure he looked sparky, but he's played less footy for the Tahs than Cam Jowitt.

The operative word in my quote was "might". I have watched several seven's tournaments this year and I think he's got a really good skillset. Could operate at 10 or 12 I think.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Good post hawko. I thought tilse played very well the few chances he got.

 

[qwerty51]

Have the Tahs had their awards night?

 

[topo]

Have the Tahs had their awards night?

15 July.