Waratahs 2014

[Crazy Grey]

The Waratahs expect Potgieter to arrive in Sydney late January according to initial reports.

Doesn't leave very much time for adjusting to the waratahs.

 

[Nusadan]

Doesn't leave very much time for adjusting to the waratahs.

It's a long season coming up, and he will be coming off the bench to start with, so think he will have around two months at least to adjust before starting first time, if at all!

 

[Crazy Grey]

Skelton to start early in the season then? I'd also like to see Ryan getting some more game time this season. Always seemed to make an impact.

 

[BPC]

From run on 15 at the Reds, to hopefully maybe one day getting into the matchday 23 for the Tahs???

It's a step up. At least he doesn't need to spend time on bajo lessons anymore.

 

[gel]

It's a step up. At least he doesn't need to spend time on bajo lessons anymore.

We'll see. I think he's a very good player, and hope that someone in the tahs organisation sees it the same way and gives him some serious game time.

What's a bajo?

 

[oztimmay]

What's a bajo?

Banjo?

 

[gel]

Banjo?

Ah, I see.

 

[oztimmay]

Ah, I see.

At first i thought it was some attempt to link queenslander (reds) , banjo and hillbilly/hick into a single entity. Then again I just remind myself that Queensland (maroons) have won 8 straight SOOs against the Blues and perhaps a bit of bitterness is floating to the top.

Could be completely wrong, I'll let the internet decide.

(BTW - as a proud Mexican I will support Victoria and anyone playing NSW at any sport, hence my SOO allegiance lies with the maroons)

 

[Blue]

It's a long season coming up, and he will be coming off the bench to start with, so think he will have around two months at least to adjust before starting first time, if at all!

I suspect he is being viewed as an impact player which is mainly how the Bulls used him.

 

[fatprop]

I suspect he is being viewed as an impact player which is mainly how the Bulls used him.

Yeah, him and Skelton should have some impact sharing 80 minutes

 

[#1 Tah]

From run on 15 at the Reds, to hopefully maybe one day getting into the matchday 23 for the Tahs???

I think that it's also an opportunity to be coached by Michael Chieka as opposed to Richard Graham.

 

[BPC]

At first i thought it was some attempt to link queenslander (reds) , banjo and hillbilly/hick into a single entity. Then again I just remind myself that Queensland (maroons) have won 8 straight SOOs against the Blues and perhaps a bit of bitterness is floating to the top.

Could be completely wrong, I'll let the internet decide.

(BTW - as a proud Mexican I will support Victoria and anyone playing NSW at any sport, hence my SOO allegiance lies with the maroons)

I am sorry to have tweaked your mexican inferiority complex. Hugs all round? Despite their banjo playing, the Reds are my second Super Rugby team. I might hate them when they play the Tahs, but a rivalry that long is almost a friendship eventually. Not like these johnny-come-lately teams.

Anyway, what is this mysterious SOO of which you speak. Surely it must be some fringe or inferior sport to the game they play in heaven.

 

[oztimmay]

I am sorry to have tweaked your mexican inferiority complex. Hugs all round? Despite their banjo playing, the Reds are my second Super Rugby team. I might hate them when they play the Tahs, but a rivalry that long is almost a friendship eventually. Not like these johnny-come-lately teams.

Anyway, what is this mysterious SOO of which you speak. Surely it must be some fringe or inferior sport to the game they play in heaven.

No hug required, but thanks for asking. Who needs a hug when I have the warm memories of the last time the Waratahs played those johnny-come-lately team from down in little old Mexico.

This is only a taste of what happens when the tah's play in Melbourne. That night we witnessed our new weapon - the kick repelling stadium. god knows ow he missed this one.

 

[Lindommer]

I was in the stand directly behind that kick, ot, it hurt like buggery. The missed kicks at the death against the Rebels, Saders and Reds were both very painful and extremely expensive. This is something I sincerely hope Cheika's paid a LOT of attention to.

Just left the members' Christmas party at the Rugby Club, which was attended by Hodges, Lance, McCutcheon and Skelton. Big Willie's lost a lot of puppy fat, he's a tall bastard and now looks like proper second-rower. Here's hoping.....

 

[Lee Grant]

The missed kicks at the death against the Rebels, Saders and Reds were both very painful and extremely expensive. This is something I sincerely hope Cheika's paid a LOT of attention to.

In 2012 McKibbin had one of the best goal-kicking percentages in the competition but he lapsed last season and in 2014 he will likely be displaced by Phipps anyway.

Barnes has gone, Foley is nothing special and although Beale has returned to the Tahs, his good goal kicking is episodic.

It will be a problem again in 2014, as will be kicking from hand. Also they don't have Drew Mitchell for left-foot kicking anymore.

One of the worst aspects of Tahs' play last year was their exiting from their 22. It was thrilling sometimes to see them run from deep but they were often naive and ran to a fault.

The poorest thing about that Crusaders game in 2013 was not the missed goal kick at the end but their failure to get away from their own red zone after oranges.

The Crusaders played below their standards in that game and Tahs got a good lead, but the Saders knew the visitors were going to run the ball out of their own half and even their own 22 and gave them no space; so the chickens came home to roost in the second half.

It was like watching your own children play in traffic.
.

 

[Lee Grant]

From the Tahs media Unit

WARATAHS ROAD TRIP
The Waratahs will hit the road in preparation for season 2014 with their three pre-season matches locked in-place. The road trip will see the Waratahs kick off their trials on the NSW and Victorian border at Albury, before returning to Sydney’s Allianz Stadium for game two. The Waratahs then head to Newcastle for their final hit out prior to the commencement of the Super Rugby Season.

The Waratahs will take on interstate rivals the Rebels, on the banks of the Murray River in Albury on Saturday 1st February. Next up, is Sir John Kirwan’s Auckland Blues at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, 7th February. The Highlanders in the steel city’s Hunter Stadium on February 14 completes the Waratahs pre-season program.

Despite travelling close to 1500 kilometres NSW coach Michael Cheika is adamant they are not away games and the NSW country can expect more in the future.

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''They are actually home games since they are all in NSW. We will have to wait a couple of seasons for the possibility of taking our Super Rugby matches to the country areas so any chance we can we want to play in front of our country supporters.”​

But it’s not just about playing, during the drive they’ll be doing their best to connect with every community they pass through and more and the coach is ready to shake plenty of hands.

“For me the fans run the game. Power to support the team, passion to drive the team to become better, even though a lot of our country fans are not able to get to the games, there is strong support for rugby in the country and we want to make stronger support for Waratahs in the country.​

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We have done a lot out in the country over the past 12 months and we are going to be doing a lot more with a country blitz for juniors later in the year. The Waratahs want to get to the juniors and young kids following the games, watching us play and getting excited about possibly playing for the Waratahs in the future and as a state representative team it’s really important that they are doing that,”​

The Waratahs will be out to meet and greet as many fans as possible on the way to Albury, and it’s not just the rugby fans the Waratahs are hoping to interact with. The engagement objective is simple, it doesn’t matter what team or code you follow, if you’re from NSW, Cheika says you can support the Waratahs.

“I’ve been a part of strong teams, both as a player & as a coach and those teams have had a strong connection between their fans and the team. Fans are like an extra man for a team. When we travel to the country and players see the support they get it makes them feel a real sense of responsibility to the fans. We are playing for all these people, and that’s the sort of responsibility we want and need to carry.”​

Three months of hard work preparing for the first game doesn’t end on the way to Albury, the Waratahs squad will continue work and train together, with plenty of sessions for the fans to see on route.

With safety a premium, only one car is equipped to deliver and that’s Volvo. They will supply the cars among them will be a XC60, XC90, S60, V40 and V60.

The Waratahs Volvo community drive kicks off on Tuesday and first stop is the Kings School, one of the oldest rugby playing schools in the nation, after that there’s a 4 hour Volvo car event at Eastern Creek.

Day one ends in Wollongong.

Wednesday morning, school visits are top priority, after that it’s off to the Bradman Museum followed by a get together with the locals at Bowral Oval.

Thursday the Waratahs continue to motor south for a day in Goulburn.
Saturday in Albury, it’s all about preparation for the game and hundreds are expected to turn up for the Captain’s run at the Albury Sports Ground the day before the game. Not the physical contact they are used to, but just as important says Cheika.

“A lot of the lads come from the country areas, so we’ll be making some stops along the way, to renew our links with the rural community of NSW. Some of those places have probably felt some connection to the Brumbies in the past but if it’s in NSW, we would love the people to want to support their state’s team.”​

The Rebels are the current holders of the Weary Dunlop Shield after a 2 point win over the Waratahs in 2013. Adding to the rivalry Kurtley Beale and Nick Phipps will take on former teammates while assistant coach Nathan Grey will coach against his former club for the first time after spending three seasons with the Rebels

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“It will be great, a good challenge and fun to see all the Rebels players but also be a bit weird to see them on the other side of the of the fence. I am really looking forward to the game and it will be great for the Waratahs to finally have their first hit out after a long pre season.”​

In the Waratahs second pre-season trial they face the Blues and Waratahs assistant coach and former All Black Daryl Gibson believes it could be a promoters dream, with a convert Benji Marshall making his first foray into senior rugby and he could be facing up to Kurtley Beale.

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“Watching Benji transition from league to union will be interesting especially given the very successful debut season by Israel Folau. ”​

Assisting Marshall’s transformation is a young and exciting backline that has a mix of experience with Ma Nonu plus exciting youngsters Charlie Piutau, Francis Saili and Frank Halai as well as last season’s leading try scorer in Super Rugby, Frank Halai.

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There’s a lot at stake in the final trial against the Highlanders at Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium. Forget where the Highlanders finished 2013 ,they’ll be brutal at the breakdown, and out to boost their confidence before game one knowing a win against the Waratahs would certainly do that. For the Waratahs, it’s the last chance to impress the coach and show team mates they want a spot in the opening game against the Western Force.​

“We will learn a bit about ourselves against the Highlanders, they are a contact based team and that will test us in different ways.” claims Gibson.​

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Newcastle is also firmly entrenched in the history of the game in NSW. Four years after the NSWRU was founded in 1884, came the formation of the Newcastle Rugby Union, known as the Northern Branch. Newcastle Rugby has supplied 25 Wallabies, taking a game to Hunter Stadium is simply a matter of honouring tradition.

“If they weren’t there to support and watch us there would be no professional game, if you play rugby in a full stadium compared to an empty stadium the game is just not as good, it is that simple.​

Three top quality trials before the Waratahs open their 2014 Super Rugby campaign against the Western Force at Allianz Stadium on February 23rd.

The Waratahs who were on the Wallabies Spring tour against the four nations England Ireland Scotland and Wales plus a match against Italy return to training with the NSW squad mid January.
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[mjw]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...ulugia-signs-for-clermont-20131217-2zi18.html

I don't remember Ulugia being capped three times for the Wallabies. Anyone remember that?

 

[RugbyReg]

he most definitely wasn't. played some Aussie A games though.

 

[RugbyReg]

perhaps they think they are signing Huia Edmonds?

 

[suckerforred]

From the Tahs media Unit

WARATAHS ROAD TRIP
...

The Waratahs will take on interstate rivals the Rebels, on the banks of the Murray River in Albury on Saturday 1st February. ....

Despite travelling close to 1500 kilometres NSW coach Michael Cheika is adamant they are not away games and the NSW country can expect more in the future.

​

​

''They are actually home games since they are all in NSW. We will have to wait a couple of seasons for the possibility of taking our Super Rugby matches to the country areas so any chance we can we want to play in front of our country supporters.”​

.....
.

I wonder if they were playing the Brums in Albury if it could still be regardsed as a home game for the Tahs?