Some players feed off strong criticism. Most dont. If your a waratah fan that is already negative at the start of the 2010 season- shut you gob. We have no room for washed up rugby legends (come couch potatoe) who believe its their duty to bag out new teams, new coaches and younger players because ”back in their day everything was better”. Get over yourselves.

Reds fans feel free to criticise, you are the opponent – but flag your blog as a reds fan so we can fish out the traitors/ sunday supporters among us.

If you are a waratahs supporter take heed to your title and support! Look with hope on what will be a ripper of a rugby season or choose another code fat boy!

Spiro, no mention of the Stormers? I would think they area likely finals team and will be very dangerous at home.

That’s what I’m wishing for this weekend against Qld anyway. I want to see the Tahs take them on in the forwards & grind them into the dirt. Should be a good game.

However, to clarify for You…generally when we discuss records in ‘super’ rugby we are taking the period from 1996 – the start of professionalism.

But I do admire your ‘research’.

Isn’t this illegal?

“And what exactly are we doing having a shot at the best pack in the comp?”

We’re not. We’re having a shot at some hair-brained scheme. And besides, that is a massive claim about best pack…let’s examine that shall we:

Palu: Maybe 3rd after Spies and Read.
Waugh: Maybe 5th after McCaw, Smith, Brüssow and Pocock.
Mumm: Maybe 5th after Elsom, Smith, Kaino and Thomson
Caldwell & Jowitt: Geez, maybe nowhere. Any number of locks/second rows ahead.
The fuse: Take your pick
TPN: Behind Moore, Smit, Du Plessis, Hore
Robinson: Possibly the best in the comp. Possibly.

Not for my money inthestands.

I don’t see any problem with this dependent on field position and their first planned play.

I think you’ll find Waugh will pack exclusively at openside on every defensive scrum, however, and Cliffy would be at No.8. It is of course on defensive scrums where the release of the flankers is more important.

And what exactly are we doing having a shot at the best pack in the comp? I’m pretty sure Foley gets the final say in the makeup of how the pack will operate, so I’d guarantee this is his call.

HSBC WARATAHS
15. Sosene Anesi* (TBA)
14. Lachie Turner (Eastwood)
13. Tom Carter (Sydney University)
12. Kurtley Beale (Northern Suburbs)
11. Drew Mitchell* (Balmain)
10. Berrick Barnes* (TBA)
9. Luke Burgess (Sydney University)
8. Wycliff Palu (Manly)
7. Phil Waugh [c] (Sydney University)
6. Dean Mumm (Sydney University)
5. Cam Jowitt*^ (Manly)
4. Will Caldwell (Sydney University)
3. Al Baxter (Northern Suburbs)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (Parramatta)
1. Benn Robinson (Eastwood)
Reserves
16. Damien Fitzpatrick (Eastwood)
17. Sekope Kepu (Randwick)
18. Kane Douglas*^ (Southern Districts)
19. Ben Mowen (Randwick)
20. Josh Holmes (Warringah)
21. Daniel Halangahu (Sydney University)
22. Rory Sidey*^ (West Harbour)

Also, Rob Horne is starting in the Junior Tahs vs Brumby Runners match in Canberra on Saturday.

HSBC JUNIOR WARATAHS
15. Adam D’Arcy (Manly)
14. Nemani Nadolo (Manly)
13. Rob Horne (Southern Districts)
12. Tom Azar (Eastern Suburbs)
11. Peter Betham (Sydney University)
10. Ben Seymour (Manly)
9. Brendan McKibbin [vc] (Eastern Suburbs)
8. Locky McCaffrey (Eastwood)
7. Chris Alcock (Gordon)
6. Dave Dennis (Sydney University)
5. Hendrik Roodt (Gordon)
4. Chris Thomson [c] (Warringah)
3. Dan Palmer (Southern Districts)
2. Ben Roberts (Sydney University)
1. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University)
Reserves
16. Sam Roberson (Sydney University)
17. Ofa Fainga’anuku (Eastern Suburbs)
18. Paddy Ryan (Sydney University)
19. Dylan Sigg (Manly)
20. Ben Coridas (Eastwood)
21. Hugh Perrett (Eastwood)
22. Eddie Bredenhann (Sydney University)
23. Harry Bennett (Eastern Suburbs)
24. Alex Rokobaro (Sydney University)
25. Cam Mitchell (Eastwood)
26. Jacob Woodhouse (Sydney University)

‘Their first three sides are three of only four teams (the Blues are the fourth side) that have won a Super rugby title.’

To clarify for everyone;
Super rugby (as it is termed) was started in 1993 as the Super 10. It ran for 3 years.
Winners of these were;
1993 – Lions (played as Traansvaal then; played Auckland in the final)
1994 – QLD (played Sharks in the final)
1995 – QLD (played Lions in final)
In 1996 the comp was expanded, and Auckland were the first champs.

So there have been six super rugby winners;
Crusaders, Brumbies, Bulls, Blues, QLD and Lions.

And much like your historic research, your current research is also shabby.
Brumbies will walk over NSW.

Please tell me the coach of the team I support didn’t say that. Or at least that his scrum coach Michael Foley doesn’t subscribe to such nonsense.

At eight “you are not pushing”?? No wonder Australian scrums have been such a laughing stock if the 8 is told not to bother pushing. The ‘Tahs finally get a dominant scrum and the coach wants to depower it.

Who is supposed to maintain the shape of the scrum and control the wheeling tendency if the bloke at the back is just leaning on the scrum, Jone Tawake style?

“On the side of the scrum your first job is to push.” Does anyone at the ‘Tahs know the first thing about biomechanics and the application of force? On the side you are pushing with one shoulder from a body position where you cannot possibly deliver effective force straight ahead. Compare that to the 8 where both shoulders are engaged and the natural force direction is through the centre line of the scrum. Think barbell squat.

What Hickey seems to be trying to say is that ‘Sometimes you actually get away from eight [quicker than] on the side of the scrum”. But even if this were true, the only way that Waugh could get to the ball carrier quicker from 8 than from 7 is if he is defending behind the advantage line.

Tom Carter has always been a very good defender, probably one of the better defenders at 12 in Australia, and maybe even in the S14 last year.

In saying “..but I was really surprised how much trouble he had in defence, given that was one of his strong points at 12.” I was purely talking about defending at 13 in the trial. The Fainifo break was the obvious one, but there were several other points in the game when confronted by an advancing line, that Carter seemed to take the wrong option. How much of that was to do with Halangahu standing at 12? A fair bit I suspect.

What I didn’t say in the comment, which in hindsight would have made the full point of my comments clearer, was that even the better defenders can have trouble to adjusting to a new position.

Also, just to finish, I wasn’t actually comparing Carter defending at 12 to the four Wallabies whose defensive troubles you’ve highlighted – I was talking there only in terms of attack, that’s also why I said that I feel that Carter’s natural attacking game is better suited to 13, as is Mortlock, Cross, T.Smith, and Ashley-Cooper. In terms of defence, Carter is well ahead of all four, as your stats highlight.

I think Carter could be a very handy 13, but obviously, like all positional moves, it will take him time to get used to it. I’m certainly not suggesting he can’t play 13, nor do I consider him a weak defender. Just wanted to clarify..

Hope that’s intelligent enough for you too, John…

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/waratahs-to-try-phil-waugh-at-no-8/story-e6frg7mf-1225828490353

Surely Hickey cannot be serious having “hands like feet” Phil Waugh playing number 8 at times off the scrum! This is ridiculous and is trying to be too clever.

And PHB, I’ll assume you’ve got tongue firmly in cheek…

While I am always optimistic about qld’s ability to beat nsw, and think they will push them all the way this weekend, the only sure thing going into the match is that burgess’s passing is going to give the reds plenty of time to put a couple of hits on barnes. And I am looking forward to that.

Now they are a team of leaders and champions the sum of their parts may be less than they appear.