Tahs in four, but they won’t be at season end
Roar Pro
By Tah Time, 21 Mar 2010 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- NSW Waratahs, Rugby Union, Super Rugby, Western Force
The result of the game against the Force has seen the Tahs move into fourth place. As a fan of the team this should be great news. What this round has shown us is that this is the most open super season we have all seen for a very long time, but things don’t look good.
The Bulls have only just won at home against the Canes and have done so without scoring many points. The Crusaders beat the Lions but not by as much as many other teams have.
The performance against the Force, the bottom ranked team of the competition, highlights the problems faced by the Tahs. Let’s be honest, it was a car crash, you could not look away but took no pleasure from watching. No attack, no backline, no enthusiasm, no urgency – they were very lucky to get a very ugly win – and too ugly to draw any fans to the next game.
Sadly, this fourth place will be the “highwater mark” of the Tahs’ year.
An evaluation of what is needed to win, what has happened and an estimate of what will happen leads to this conclusion.
What is the easiest way to win the super competition?
The answer is really quite simple:
- Win games.
- Win bonus points.
- Get a home semi.
- Get a home final.
- Win the final.
The Tahs have so far won games – four out of six. Ranking 4th in the comp and that’s okay.
The problem lies with who they have played and the bonus points. The Tahs have two bonus points. Ranking 3rd in the comp but equal with six other teams- only six teams have scored less. They have played three of the four bottom ranked teams. Basically you need to score two tries every half, and the Tahs just can not do this – not even against the weakest teams.
The struggle to score one try against the bottom team is just unexplainable. With the slightest confrontation the team resorts to the “field position” game plan, but with no attack field position leads to little.
Next week the Tahs have the Blues, the crowd will be no more than 15,000 and the Tahs will not get more than one point from the game.
The week after the Tahs play the Cheetahs – aside from the Highlanders this is the easiest game left but by now the crowd will be less than 12,000 and the Tahs will see somewhere between one to four points.
They then have the Crusaders, a bye and the Brumbies. If the Tahs can get four points from these three rounds, it would be surprising.
By then the season is as good as over.
The way the game needs to be played this year is so far away from the way the Tahs have set their game plan that they now cannot step up to.
Now is the time to make some changes for the future.
Firstly, Mr Hickey should be given the chance to consider his employment options for next year.
They should then pick a back line that can create opportunities.
If we start now they may be ready for next year.
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The Crowd Says (16) | Page 1 of Comments
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Nashi said | March 21st 2010 @ 7:48am | Report comment
I share your concerns. The only caveat I would offer is that the Force/Tahs games are always very very close and never produce scintillating rugby. To be honest it was exactly the kind of game I expected. A thrashing by the Reds hardened the force up and the Tahs went back into their shells. They badly missed Palu and some players just had off nights, particularly Barnes. Hodgson had a blinder too so they never got quick ball which they had in spades against the Lions. For all I was looking forward to see Horne on the field he didn’t make an impact but Carter was rubbish again so the first half was wasted.
I think the game against the Blues will be a better indication of where the Tahs really are in terms of the rest of the pack. But I look forward to that game with some trepidation…..
John allyne said | March 21st 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
How come Carter was rubbish he didnt see the ball, defence was good ,must be moved to i c with Barnes at 5/8 he does run straight ,you must have apersonal dislike to carter
Epi said | March 21st 2010 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
He wouldn’t be Robinson Crusoe there then would he?
Ora said | March 21st 2010 @ 7:58am | Report comment
The Tahs were shown up against a better performing team. Anyone which seemed to be everyone took way to much out of the thrashing the dished out to the Lions last week and who once again showed why the shouldn’t even be in the Super 14 last night against a Crusaders outfit with 6 changes to the starting lineup.
i don’t know what it is with the tahs but it’s rare that they play as a team but very common that they play as individuals.
Once again the most over rated team in this entire competition.
I was gutted for the Force they were impressive when you take into account the issues with injury they have had to deal with this season to date. I was cheering them on nearly as passionately as i would my own team.
Rickety Knees said | March 21st 2010 @ 8:02am | Report comment
TT – like you I took no comfort out of last nights game. The Tahs still look poorly coached. TPN still struggles to throw the ball in accurately which makes our lineout a 50/50 proposition. The Tahs were static and seemed to lack any enthusiasm – their grinding one out play was just ugly. Barnes was jittery. Burgess continued to run across field and predicably all inside runners were hammered. Anesi is one dimensional – a good hard straight runner more suited to wing play – he seems to lack imagination in attack. The Tahs really missed the go forward of Palu. The Ref – as in the games wth the Reds and the Sharks saved the Tahs last night. Lady luck may not be so benevolent in the future.
Spiro opined during the week that Anesi be replaced by Beale, Carter by Horne and Burgess be replaced by Holmes – nothing has changed.
Harry said | March 21st 2010 @ 8:11am | Report comment
Tahs were very lucky to get away with that, I Ithought the ref was terrible all evening long and a few times in the last 5 minutes let NSW get away with killing the ball and even gave them penalties, when a card would have been the correct ruling.
Can the Tahs lift agaist the Blues this weekend? Having the under-appreciated Palu back is key, otherwise, as we saw last night, its just a collection of good club players, poorly coached. Maybe they should all play in their Sydney Uni and Randwick jerseys …
drewster said | March 21st 2010 @ 9:44am | Report comment
You reckon the Tahs have problems, Try being a Force supporter! Damn near breaks your heart!
Peter K said | March 21st 2010 @ 11:35am | Report comment
At this stage I see Qld as the only Aussie team to make the semis. Both Tahs and Brumbies are lacking that extra spark, they are both grinding out wins and lack attacking penetration.
I agree the litmus test will be next week but for both teams. ACT against Chiefs and NSW against Auckland.
For Tahs last night only TPN and Mitchell had good games. TPN was exhausted from making all the hard yards without Palu. They really missed Palu.
Hodgson or Brown or Higgbottom will be on the bench for the Wallabies. Waugh is no chance IMO.
The biggest weakness for the Wallabies will be the lcoks, no one has stood out, we will really miss Horwill. At this stage we could easily have Sharpe and Chisholm as our locks which shows how we have not progressed at all.
Barnes had a real shocker BTW. Carter is a carthorse plodder. He is a pale imitation of Nathan Grey, same limitations and style but far less effective and slower. Horne should start.
MW said | March 21st 2010 @ 3:01pm | Report comment
I am saving my judgement on Qld until they have had their SA trip. If they still look good after that then they are worth it.
TommyM said | March 21st 2010 @ 8:51pm | Report comment
How tall is Higginbotham? Tall enough to be an option at lock? From the games so far this year I’d actually pick him at 6 ahead of Elsom, who is seeming bewilderingly slow and lacking in basic skills.. :-S
TommyM said | March 21st 2010 @ 8:58pm | Report comment
195cm apparently… 1cm taller than Brad Thorne I believe. I think he’ll definitely be a Wallabies contender this year
ohtani's jacket said | March 21st 2010 @ 4:33pm | Report comment
I wish we had some obsessive Auckland Blues fans on this site.
ballboy said | March 21st 2010 @ 7:09pm | Report comment
I don’t OJ.
As a Brumbies supporter I’m happy to quietly slip through this past weeks folly and gear up for next week. Brumbies were bad for 15 minutes. Tahs were terrible all night. Heart goes out to the Force but the lads there are showing more fight and character than Tahs or Brumbies.
Beef said | March 21st 2010 @ 10:16pm | Report comment
That game should have gone to the Force – as a longtime Reds supporter, I feel like this game could easily have been the Reds of old (2004 ~ 2009 vintage), when they would fight through a close game and arguably play a better 80 minutes than their opponents, but still end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard at the end of the night (and when you do that enough weeks in a row, your season looks like a disaster). Only thing I can say to Force fans is to keep their chins up – if they play like they did last night, they will pick up at least a few wins during the rest of the season (particularly if they can get those passes to stick in the opposing 22).
As for the Tahs, I can’t believe that they are sitting on 4 wins after they way they’ve been playing. Last week you had it right – keep the ball in hand and run straight!
PS – PLEASE keep Berrick Barnes – am very glad that since he left the number of Reds midfield kicks has gone way down and they can unleash runners like Digby hitting the line straight.
Lee said | March 22nd 2010 @ 5:13am | Report comment
Just a question about the laws; once the tackler has released the tackled player, he can go for the ball, as well as that someone who is not the tackler can go for the ball on the ground provided a ruck has not been formed. My question is, once a ruck has been formed does the tackler/defending player trying to get the ball have to release it? Or are they entitled to keep their hands on the ball despite the ruck now being formed?
katzilla said | March 22nd 2010 @ 6:15am | Report comment
The have to release.
The refs are giving instructions as to when its a ruck.