Waratahs v Highlanders - Super Rugby R4 2016

[Scrubber2050]

Had ankle surgery in November didn't he after the world cup? Quick google suggests 3 months recovery which suggests he mIght be still recovering form and fitness from that

Yeah maybe right.

Would think that a player as important as this bloke would not be allowed to play unless 100% fit

Time will tell

 

[boyo]

KB (Kurtley Beale) spent a lot of time crabbing rather than straightening up the attack, and some of his passing was iffy.
He left too many points out on the field.
He is not a 10..

 

[galumay]

KB (Kurtley Beale) spent a lot of time crabbing rather than straightening up the attack, and some of his passing was iffy.
He left too many points out on the field.
He is not a 10..

Jeez, I reckon thats pretty harsh, i think he has been playing his best rugby this year, he has done a pretty good job covering Foley. Sure we miss the options having both Foley & Beale provide, but thats not Beale's fault!

Its always going to test a 10 playing with against a side with the sort of rush defence the Highlanders have.

He did have a poor night with the boot, I am sure he will be keen to lift his % as well.

 

[Quick Hands]

Almost a great comeback.

Whoever thought that the Tahs could go into a season of Super Rugby with the peroxide beanpole and Tilse at TH should be fired. A complete failure of judgement. Seriously. No excuses.

As is not having a specialist 10 as a back-up to Foley. Beale is capable of the odd good game as a 10 at the professional level, but it's been shown time and time again that he can't run a game week in week out - and that is what is required of the position.

 

[Quick Hands]

Jeez, I reckon thats pretty harsh, i think he has been playing his best rugby this year, he has done a pretty good job covering Foley. Sure we miss the options having both Foley & Beale provide, but thats not Beale's fault!

Its always going to test a 10 playing with against a side with the sort of rush defence the Highlanders have.

He did have a poor night with the boot, I am sure he will be keen to lift his % as well.

No, you're 100% correct, it's not Beale's fault - it's the fault of those who put the squad together without a specialist back-up at 10.

 

[Hawko]

No, you're 100% correct, it's not Beale's fault - it's the fault of those who put the squad together without a specialist back-up at 10.

We bought a specialist back-up for 10, he did his AC and is out for the season. People have such short memories.

 

[Quick Hands]

We bought a specialist back-up for 10, he did his AC and is out for the season. People have such short memories.

If you are referring to Bryce Hegarty, not even the Waratah's coach describes him as a specialist 10. People usually accuse me of having too long a memory.

Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, utility Bryce Hegarty and centre Rob Horne were all injured in the Waratahs 17-point defeat to the Brumbies in the nation's capital on Friday,

"It's a real shame," Gibson said. "He filled that utility role for us and his versatility put a lot of pressure on the squad."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/waratahs/waratahs-lose-bryce-hegarty-for-season-with-acl-injury-and-tatafu-polotanau-for-up-to-two-months-20160305-gnbec6.html#ixzz43KESW7fP
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook

 

[teach]

Quite pleased with how the boys went, considering they were without so many starters and first choice reserves, and losing the Hooker early on.
Unavailable due to injury: Waisake Naholo (leg), Marty Banks (knee), Fumiaki Tanaka (calf), Tei Walden (concussion), Joe Wheeler (concussion), Dan Pryor (concussion), Josh Hohneck (head cut), Luke Whitelock (knee), Patrick Osborne (Hip)
I know the bench has been criticised for not having an impact, but so many of the normal bench were starting. No excuses for going to sleep in second half, but to be fair, it would have been hard to maintain intensity when it seemed they were scoring at will. Good on the Waratahs for not waving the white flag and getting stuck in.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Have to add how tough would it be for someone like Elliott Dixon, geez you would think he would be an international player almost anywhere else in the world, he was huge again last night.........

A lot has been made of the Clan having no AB's in a pack that punches well above its apparent weight. If anyone's gonna change that in the next 12-18 months, it'll be Dixon for sure. He's got plenty of competition, obviously, but you'd have to think that given an opportunity he'd go better than alright.

 

[I like to watch]

Folau is so much better when Beale was more the roving second playmaker, as in 2014/5 and he had better lines and angles to run. The key that is missing is Foley, as the whole attacking balance is off at the moment. Beale is, and has always been, better as that second role, whether it be strictly at 12 on attack, or floating in from wing or 15.

Swapping Foley & Horwitz is a massive upgrade,but I don't think the forwards are having the same impact as last year.
So I don't expect the same holes to be there this year.

 

[Brumby Runner]

We bought a specialist back-up for 10, he did his AC and is out for the season. People have such short memories.

Wasn't Jonno lance on the books last year? Who let him go? And for Hegarty who probably is a better No 15 than No 10.

 

[qwerty51]

Wasn't Jonno lance on the books last year? Who let him go? And for Hegarty who probably is a better No 15 than No 10.

What do you mean let go? He was a bench/outside 23 player at the Tahs and left to go to a starting position.

 

[Braveheart81]

Some strange comments here.

1. I don't think the scoreline flattered the Waratahs. The huge Highlanders lead was built off hopeless mistakes from the Tahs. The first try was a one on one miss. The second was a dropped ball followed by missed tackles resulting in a try. The third was also straight off a dumb turnover from memory. The try after half time was Guildford making a meal of a high ball and getting beaten in the air by a flanker.

The Tahs then launched a great comeback against a flagging Highlanders team. The first half was punctuated by some shocking mistakes by the Tahs that the Highlanders took full toll of. General play was pretty even.

2. I don't understand the criticism of Beale. Which teams have a better backup 10 than the Tahs do? He had four clean breaks which was the most of anyone in the match and was instrumental in most of the chances the Tahs created. His goalkicking needs to be better.

Any teams that have a specialist back up 10 do so because that player can't get a better contract elsewhere. Most teams backup 10 is a starting player in a different position because they are a better player than a guy who is a specialist 10 who can't get a starting role for another team.

 

[I like to watch]

That is a strange take out from the game.
4 tries from hopeless mistakes?
How does that make it any better?
They were all forced errors,it's not like the Tahs were attacking and the Landers scored them all against the run of play.
Quite simply the Tahs couldn't compete in the first 1/2.
It wasn't until the Landers cleared the bench after assessing the game was won,did the Tahs look anything but outclassed.
It was an exciting end to the game, and probably gives supporters false confidence.
The 2014 Tahs,would blast this lot off the park.

 

[Brumby Runner]

What do you mean let go? He was a bench/outside 23 player at the Tahs and left to go to a starting position.

And his form at the Force clearly shows whomever left him out of the match day squad at the Tahs probably made a mistake. What I'm saying is simply imo Lance is a better backup 10 than Hegarty.

 

[I like to watch]

Lance 2015 version is better.
The 2014 version,not so much.
I saw him play a few SS games in 2014,where he didn't shine.
2015 Lance would have dominated that grade.
Just shows how important confidence is.

 

[qwerty51]

They're not on the same team. This makes no sense. Lance was not a better player than Beale and Foley, he didn't start at the Tahs. He left to go be a starting player at the Force. It's pretty simple.

 

[Pfitzy]

And his form at the Force clearly shows whomever left him out of the match day squad at the Tahs probably made a mistake. What I'm saying is simply imo Lance is a better backup 10 than Hegarty.

But if your match day squad contained Foley and Beale, and Foley never got injured, how the fuck are you supposed to find that out???

EDIT: Far simpler to figure out that if To'omua is playing 12 for the Wallabies, then he should play there for the Brumbies. Right?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Big structural issues in the Tahs. Selected/starting backrow way off the pace. Dennis can no longer play 6 and Palu is passed it at this level.
Clan showed how susceptible Beale is to inside shoulder pressure - but who isnt?

 

[Brumby Runner]

One last reply and then I'll bow out of this debate. IMO, only mine granted and everyone else is entitled to their own, Lance is and was a better prospect at 10 and 15 (probably also 12) than Hegarty. If a versatile backup was needed, I'd have thought he would be better value to keep rather than bring in Hegarty.

The only reason I put in my two bob's worth, is that, again imo, the Tahs have let a few better credentialed player go in comparison to some they've stuck with, particularly in the front row. For example, Sio is streets ahead of either Ryan or Tilse at LHP, and Mike Ala'alatoa would probably be better value than Ta'avao. And then they seem to want to persist with players beyond their use by date like Cliff Palu, maybe even TPN given his injury history. Just think the swap of Hegarty for Lance is another such instance.

Anyway, that's it for me and I'm sure most of you will be glad to hear that.

Back to the Brumbies' thread where we're having our own share of problems as well.