The Reds can play, the Tahs refuse to

 
LeftArmSpinner Roar Guru

By LeftArmSpinner, 15 Feb 2010 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru

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The Reds won most aspects of the game Saturday night, except the final scoreboard. Tries (3-2); conversions (2/3-2/4); line breaks (5-3); offloads (11-3); runs (73-70); successful tackle percentage (86%-65%); missed tackles (11-36).

The Reds played rugby. The Waratahs didn’t until the final 5 minutes.

But the Reds conceded more penalties, 15-10, and turned the ball over, 19-16.

The Reds, despite a very poor crowd, played aggressive, combative rugby. They played as if they understood the importance of the game and treated it with respect that it deserved. They told their supporters, and only their “core” supporters remain now, that it was the start of a new era and that they would give everything they had on the field playing attacking rugby.

They delivered. Genia, Ioane and Cooper played attacking rugby. Davies supported them. Horwill was back to his very best.

The Reds will win other games in the 2010 Super 14 season and might even surprise a few more highly fancied teams.

The Waratahs also told us that they would play attacking rugby. They didn’t. I can only imagine that Wisemantel and Hickey have pulled the 2009 playbook off the shelf thinking it is the 2010 edition.

The 2009 playbook was unique in that it only contained two plays: 1. Kick; 2. If in doubt about play 1, kick it harder.

We remaining Waratahs supporters (and it is public knowledge that I am seriously considering moving my support to the Rebels) were told ad infinitum that this year’s team would play attractive, ball in hand rugby.

Waugh, and Wisemantel and Hickey failed to mention that they would only play it for the last 4 minutes of the game. For the other 76 minutes, they would disrespect the crowd, their supporters, the rugby community and themselves with inexplicably unimaginative, unentertaining, boring, ineffective rugby.

The scoreboard told us that it didn’t even qualify as the infamous “winning ugly” rugby promised in 2009.

Burgess had a belated return to form. His passes were crisp and accurate. He rediscovered his running game from the scrum base as well as his exaggerated dummy. I am very pleased that something he learned from his father and uncle is still part of his arsenal in the professional game.

Burgess and Genia will keep each other honest in their chase for the Wallabies 9 jersey. Both are excellent half backs.

The Waratahs mid field was poor. There was no attempt to use the basic principles of ball in hand backline play until the final few minutes. Same tactics as 2009, same coaches as 2009, different players.

I can only deduce that the responsibility for the playing strategy lies with the Waratahs coaches.

Barnes, Beale and Carter were never in the game. Barnes was completely outplayed and more importantly, out-thought by Cooper. Barnes’ only saving grace is that he will be available for selection while Cooper may be in the “Big House”.

Beale did not influence the game at all other than a clever kick into space for the flying Lochie Turner. Turner should be begging the Melbourne Rebels to sign him.

I am a fan of Carter and his passionate style of play. I know he is not the fastest 13 in rugby. But, he looked slower than usual, even against Tuinui.

At 13, at with the running game now adopted by the other Super 14 teams, he could be exposed by a quicker man. We should have read between the lines with the selection of Carter at 13. The Waratahs had no intention of playing attacking rugby.

Drew Mitchell, now on his third Super 14 team, slotted comfortably into the Waratahs kicking game. He is a gifted but lazy footballer. Kicking suits his work ethic. He got lucky, very lucky with one kick in the first half. The others were poor in concept and execution. Anesi tried to run the ball back but had to do it on his own.

The Waratahs need to be aware that the new interpretation of the breakdown is working. The New Zealand teams have embraced it and are running it where ever possible.

Halangahu performed when he joined the fray. He is an intelligent footballer. He is a quarter back style of play maker. He gets the big picture of a game and plans accordingly, directing and empowering others to get the job done.

This is a warning to the Waratahs:

Embrace the running game NOW or prepare to be overrun, overwhelmed and outscored by teams such as the Crusaders, the Highlanders, the Brumbies, the Force, the Blues and the Hurricanes.

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