Tonight against the Crusaders, I saw, yet again, the Waratahs play like the Australian version of the England rugby team: grinding forward play and tactics solely reliant on the kick for field possession, followed by impassioned defence.
It is compounded by the ignorance of basic attacking play (use 15 players, support the ball carrier, run on to the ball, exploit mismatches).
This is a blatantly flawed strategy that has failed throughout the past four seasons, in both regular season and finals games.
Change is now mandatory.
The Waratahs’ strategy has consistently ignored:
1. positions 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. In addition, it also ignores a significant component (attack) of the roles of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
2. 5 points for a try.
3. Bonus points for 4 tries.
4. The ELVs.
5. The natural instinct – and positive energy it brings – around which rugby is built: grab the ball and run with it. See instinctive, junior rugby, Touch rugby and Sevens.
6. That the fastest object on the field is the ball.
7. The cultural heritage of Sydney, NSW and Australian teams over many decades.
The good news is that season 2008 is not over yet. The solution is:
1. “Uncouple” Link.
2. Abandon the current strategy.
3. Name Todd Louden as temporary (performance based) head coach for the upcoming four home games.
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DT said | March 22nd 2008 @ 5:07am | Report comment
Yeah, except England occasionally win something.
As LeftArmSpinner says, they’re just so horribly, horribly conservative under MacKenzie, and he never learns. When they finally did have a go, they looked a lot better, just like in the final in Christchurch a few years ago, but why wait until the 70th minute?
Execution was poor, to say the least.
I’d have readily accepted a loss to a talented and in form team like the Crusaders if the Tahs had attempted to play some rugby. They didn’t.
Sack MacKenzie now, and put us out of our misery. Let the backs coach take over.
Dexter William said | March 22nd 2008 @ 6:52am | Report comment
Agree with you 100%. Funny but you are spot on with McKenzie’s adoption of the England strategy.
If you look at the Waratah team, player for player they should stack up very well against any team in the S14. Yes we lost, but can’t we see some attractive Rugby? Time and again, McKenzie is playing a “not to lose” game.
Beale on paper should be playing some very exciting rugby, but he is a wasted talent under McKenzie. Sticking with BS (Shehan) and AF (Friar) is plain dumb. Yes BS played a hand in setting up the try, but in general he is so predictable. He is either bashing forward like a back rower or doing that box kick of his when the ruck is going backwards. His passing at best is average and predictable. He is strong and he defends well, but half backs needs to be smart which he is not. AF is a great player, but he is no where as good as Polo Tau. Put the small and fast hooker in as an impact player later in the game when the other big forwards are tiring.
Where is Burgess? I thought he is the best half back out of the 3. It also begs the question of why McKensie kept BS and brought in Valentine when he could have Holmes. Bad coach and/or manager?
Ben Jacobs as centre just has got no punch up in the middle. He runs into defenders head on, and never make any breaks or get over the advantage line. Zero contribution in attack – almost overwhelmed by the game. Same for fat man Dunning. He asked for the ball, but can never get over the advantage line (which he should being a prop). This is partly because the second and third phases start flat footed time and again. McKensie needs to organise angles for ball carriers to run at, not give the recycled ball to someone loitering at the back of the ruck who receives the ball flat footed. BS if he is clever and capable could have organised and direct phased attack better. As a half back he seldom go the other way with the pass. A good back needs to organise the recycling and direction of the forward moving ruck.
Phil Waugh is too much of a company man to McKenzie to make hard decisions on the field. His strenght is now a major weakness. He can’t get his team to gel together as I am sure many is playing according to instructions that they have very little conviction for. Also he lacks control over the team’s composure. Why weren’t the line-out advantage being used more in that game? Turner did not find touch with a penalty – somewhat rushed into it. Captain needs to set the pace and settle it down accordingly.
If I were Elsom, I won’t want to play this silly bashing and defending game. There is just no fun playing for McKenzie. Guess what? Going to England to play this silly strategy pays more – so why not.
John Mitchell would have been the perfect coach for the Waratahs. He knows what he has got in asset and use them correctly. At the least we will see some entertaining rugby where we are trying to win games – and not trying not to lose them. Get another NZ coach.
RightArmSpinner said | March 22nd 2008 @ 6:53am | Report comment
I can only agree with my fellow Spinner. The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. He’s got to go NOW.
Yikes said | March 22nd 2008 @ 7:34am | Report comment
I am one of the Tahs’ greatest supporters. I hate to admit it, but I agree with many of the comments above.
We simply kicked the ball back to them (to the Crusaders of all teams!) most of the game. How was this a winning strategy? You simply can’t beat the Crusaders like that – because while you might survive for a while (and we did with what was sensational defence for 60 mins) the weight of possession take a toll and the amount of tackling you do tire you out.
Our attack was lifeless with no flair or imagination, and our counter-attack was non-existant. Even the kicking was poor – kicks that could go out on the full did not; kicks that could not go out on the full did. Beale had a bad game. No exploitation of our greatest weapon, the lineout.
This was a very, very disappointing game. Maybe we will practice some attack against the Cheetahs and remember how to do it…
Ben C said | March 22nd 2008 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Actually I think McKenzie is falling into the same trap as Eddie Jones, ironically enough. His conservative style is not really similar to the English game but rather the swarming defence and attempt to constantly move from phase to phase that was instituted by MacQueen. Alas, McKenzie hasn’t realised (even with the example of Jones’ downfall) that what worked for MacQueen 9 years ago is no longer going to trouble quality teams like the Crusaders who have evolved since then.
Also McKenzie has managed to weaken one of the strength’s of MacQueen’s play which was ball-in-hand, admittedly from phase to phase rather than playing with width, and introduce more aimless kicking.
I think McKenzie ought to be quickly contacting O’Neill to see if the High Performance Manager job is still available because I bet the NSWRU Board will not be rushing to renew his contract at the end of this season. Particularly as L’Estrange made a special effort to go to Christchurch to watch the game.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 22nd 2008 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Ben,
Last night was always going to be an excellent benchmark for the Waratahs progress, particularly given the dry conditions. How many times did the Tahs:
1. Run the ball through the hands of the backs, particularly from set play? Not once.
2. Pass the ball to a teammate at full speed? Rarely.
3. Support the ball carrier? Rarely.
4. Kick it with attacking intent? Rarely.
At all levels of rugby, you must DO these things to win a game, particularly against good opposition. By comparison, the Crusaders did all of these things.
The Crusaders kicked high balls sufficiently behind the defensive line and then supported with on side numbers to contest the catch.
My conclusion is:
Link chose the strategy and succeeded in getting a very strong team to play to this strategy. Over multiple seasons, it has been proven to be the wrong strategy at Super 14 level and now demonstrably inferior and out of step with national coach’s strategy.
ROB said | March 22nd 2008 @ 10:45am | Report comment
This is not a facetious question. Could someone try to draw with words the reason why Lote was deemed to be offside under the new laws when making the tackle?
Yarra Yarra said | March 22nd 2008 @ 11:42am | Report comment
The Waratahs coach is applying negative rugby league coaching tactics of one dimensional no risk play. Putting rugby league tactics into rugby will always produce a stagnant mess. When will his love affair with league end? Perhaps he can move over to the Dragons when Brownie gets the chop.
Craig said | March 22nd 2008 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
Here here. I could not agree with you more. The Tahs are the dumbest team in the comp. The team they have should trouble anyone.
Can anyone explain why a team would receive the ball in there 22 therefore getting the option to kick it out on the full if they like. They don’t and instead drive it up until the ball is only JUST outside the 22. THEN pass it back in a kick it in field to allow the counter.
The Tahs are IDIOTS!!! Beale is the most over rated player of all time. He is easily the worst starting 5/8 of Aussie S14 sides. If he’s wants to play league, I say GO PLEASE GO. Your useless kicking and wandering across field prior to passing, thus setting up teammates for big hits will not be missed. You can make good money missing tackles and being smashed by Sonny-Bill and co. If I was Turned I would get out of that team quick before all his flair and attacking mentality is sucked from his body.
No wonder Rocky wants a year off. He must be ageing 10 years a season playing in this mess.
Get T Louden in now and let the healing commence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROB said | March 22nd 2008 @ 5:47pm | Report comment
Craig I understand your frustration. I ended up flicking to watch the mungos. I think Beale has potential but he is one of those players who needs to be brought along slowly. Probably since the Ellas, in recent history coaches/selectors feel that they have to unearth the next super star. Beale got so many raves as a schoolboy, promoted by one of the Ellas, but as a rugby fraternity we don’t have the courage to question those with status. I think this is one of the faults of the NSW system–whether it be MCKenzie or his cronies at the Academy–they invest time, money, media reports into particular players but if things don’t work out with those players they don’t have the courage to say that they got it wrong and wasted all of those resources. There are a lot of egos at play here and I don’t think it is the players. Given that Rugby money is being spent lets open up the books for all to see. (and I dont mean the player salaries).