Long may it continue.
One doesn't mind the odd statistical injury from time to time but what I fear is another Lemony Snickett series of unfortunate events, too close together.
We were feeling sorry for ourselves as though Huey and the rugby gods had turned down the thumb on us. To lose players who were run on Wallabies in the RWC, or should have been: Palu, Vickerman, Elsom, Mitchell and Barnes - add another, Turner, who was needed at the Super level, plus McCutcheon, the ostensible successor to Waugh, and the reserve hooker Fitzpatrick - and we were thinking about the ladders we had walked under recently.
The Reds weren't so bad off. Sure, their gun player Cooper, was missing, Hynes was gone, and then the twins were out, but nothing they couldn't handle with their well selected stable of fine players. Then came Snickett and the butchering of the Reds' flyhalves.
It may not turn out to be like the massacre of the props when Fast Eddie had to pull players like Big Dog from the local parks, but that will not comfort Link McKenzie.
But I digress - I fear the re-visit of Snickett to the Tahs and especially since the tight-five forwards have been playing so much rugby; hard stuff too. The arrival of the elder Timani has helped the second rowers but either Mumm or Douglas, now with his 2010 mojo back, could have been benched against the Chiefs. Also, THP Ryan came of age against the Sharks and could have started in this game.
One can read coach Foley's thoughts: there is a bye week coming up in Rd.7; so let's do it one more time.
Just don't tell Lemony Snickett.
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