Determined to find positives amongst Super Rugby woes

 
Brett McKay Columnist

By , 29 Mar 2011 Brett McKay is a Roar Expert

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I understand the need to let off steam on these forums from time to time, and I’ve certainly been guilty of spleen venting myself. Generally speaking, however, I find constant negative press and commentary to be a tad depressing.

So for this weekend just gone, I set myself a challenge: I am only going to talk about the positive from the Aussies, and I’ll challenge the discussion following to follow suit.

Fortunately, my timing for such a challenge was pretty good

The Rebels kicked off my love-in weekend on Friday night, and as the Hurricanes raced out to a 17-0 lead, I was genuinely concerned that my sum total of positive notes for the new boys was going to be “scrum strong and holding shape very well,” and “Nick Phipps’ passing is crisp, flat, and generally quick.”

Twenty minutes into the game though, something clicked. The Rebels’ multi-national backrow of Welshman Gareth Delve, Englishman Michael Lipman and South African Jarrod Saffy began working the breakdown and the tackle area as a unit, and this in turn began producing the odd turnover, and with it came momentum.

Some vintage Stirling Mortlock tackle-busting and a free arm saw Lipman cross for the Rebels’ third try, and then right on the half, Danny Cipriani slotted a magnificent penalty from halfway, which he faded beautifully inside the right-hand upright.

Come the second half, the Rebels kicked up a gear and rolled on.

Phipps, Cipriani and scrumhalf cum fullback Richard Kingi sparked the attack, before more excellent ruck phase work saw lock Al Campbell snare his second try. Cooper Vuna unleashed an old fashioned ‘Maori sidestep’ to score after a great break from Phipps and Mortlock. A boilover was well and truly on, and my tip was gone.

Most impressively though, the Rebels’ scrambling defence was excellent as the ‘Canes staged a belated fightback late in the game, only for a late Phipps try after Kingi made the break chiming into the backline from a scrum feed.

The Rebels were home, and in the process proved they’ll be a handful for all teams visiting the Victorian capital.

Saturday afternoon saw the Reds hosting the giant-killing Cheetahs, and wasn’t it brilliant to see rugby played in radiant sunshine again. May there be more of it, though visiting teams might argue about playing in the early-season Brisbane warmth.

From the outset, the Reds looked in control and it was really just a matter of when the Cheetahs opened up. Whenever the first tackle was broken, the ball carrier was blessed with options, as red-jerseyed bodies in motion popped up everywhere.

The Reds defence was impressive too, and former Waratah Beau Robinson was all over the breakdown contest. Robinson’s off-season gamble to relocate to Brisbane has quickly become the feel-good story of the year, and it’s hard to see anyone else wearing the red no.7 in 2011.

However, the Reds had also learnt from the mistakes of the Waratahs the week before, and it was obvious that they had a plan to attack by first going wide, and then bringing the wide runners back on the inside.

Digby Ioane was a regular benefactor, and whenever Quade Cooper drifted left, you could see the gap Ioane was about to motor through open up inside.

The best part about this plan though, was that it somewhat removed the Cheetahs head pilferer Heinrich Brussow from the equation, and he wasn’t able to inflict on the Reds anywhere near the breakdown carnage he dished out on the Tahs. It was smart coaching, and even better execution.

The positives for Queensland were everywhere, and it’s hard to think of anyone who didn’t play well. James Horwill was strong in his 60-minute comeback, and James Slipper was very good around the park too. The Reds are a deserved Australian conference leader, and scarily, they still have some room for improvement.

Saturday night saw the return bout of one of last year’s least interesting games, where the Brumbies and Waratahs played out a local derby snooze fest.

Happily, this year’s first encounter of these teams was nothing like the 2010 version, though I couldn’t help notice descriptions over the weekend describing the match as “uninspiring”, and even the great David Lord had Wallaby coach Robbie Deans frowning as the Brumbies and ‘Tahs failed to play “the attacking rugby that makes them a joy to watch.”

Maybe it was my positive motivation over the weekend, but I found the game quite entertaining actually, even one of the better derbies played between these teams in recent years. And though the execution wasn’t always brilliant, both teams chanced their arms more as the game went on.

That was certainly a positive.

The Brumbies, finally, looked more like a rugby team and less like 15 blokes awkwardly wearing the same outfit. From kick returns and in broken play especially, the Brumbies looked quite dangerous, and it was this unstructured play that troubled the Waratahs impressive defence the most.

Matt Giteau and Christian Lealiifano combined well as a 10-12 pairing, and both were able to make the most of the straight running of Andrew Smith, who admirably filled the understudy role to the injured Pat McCabe.

Most impressively though, the Brumbies were able to make the most of their possession when it counted, and the timely late try to Ben Alexander was the sort that went missing in recent weeks.

Giteau’s pressure conversion, too, was exactly the sort of kick he’s previously been prone to spraying left or right.

But the Tahs got the chocolates, and it was just reward for patience.

Though they went through the game for long periods with little or no ball, they stayed in touch thanks the Kurtley Beale’s goal kicking, and made the most of their opportunities to jag the two tries they did.

Their defence was outstanding all night, highlighted no better than the ten minutes Tom carter spent in the sin bin, where they Waratahs conceded just the one penalty goal.

It’s clear the Tahs are employing a dual flyhalfs attacking system – not to be confused with the New Zealand first- and second-five eighths setup – where Berrick Barnes provides the direction, and Beale the spark and spontaneity while slotting into the backline between the two centres.

In the end, the Waratahs did what they had to do win the game, and that was something that was lacking the week before against the Cheetahs, where they seemed to play as if they just had to turn up to win.

The Cheetahs debacle was obviously just a hiccup; the Tahs will still be there or thereabouts come finals time.

The final Australian game of the weekend had the Western Force taking on the Stormers in Cape Town, and unfortunately for my positive outlook weekend, not to mention Nathan Sharpe’s record-breaking efforts, they found themselves on the end of a NSW election-esque thrashing.

There was still one positive though (two if we acknowledge Sharpe’s record) and that is the continued excellent form of James O’Connor at flyhalf. Perhaps inspired by Stormer Peter Grant’s recent sole-scorer run, his cracking try, conversion, and three penalties would be all his side would post for the night.

I never imagined saying this previously, but it seems O’Connor is mounting a pretty irresistible case for higher honours at No.10. It’s certainly nice to know the Wallabies have another option if Quade Cooper was hit by a bus.

So there you have it Roarers, the positives were out there thick and fast over the weekend, and I’ve managed to keep up my end of the bargain.

Question is, can you guys also keep it positive? I do wonder who’ll be the first to crack.

Follow Brett McKay on Twitter: @BMcSport
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