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The Waratahs are two and two, with two bonus points and a plus-nine differential. Sitting in eighth place, on 10 points – equal with seventh and ninth – they are almost perfectly mediocre.
It was always a risk when you just bring back the band in Super Rugby. Despite winning the competition last year, I grimaced a little when I saw how little change there was from last year to this in the Waratahs’ roster.
There isn’t one huge problem that’s likely the reason for the Waratahs’ start. But lack of turnover could mean less competition for places, a bit of laziness here and there, small inaccuracies aren’t punished because of familiarity.
It’s the small percentages that make the difference in Super Rugby. A little error here, a drop in intensity there, a hint of complacency there and you go from lifting a trophy to looking up after five rounds and the competition leader has a 10-point lead.
Here are a few problems that have shown up on the pitch for the Waratahs and a bonus Liam Gill note as well.
Their ball skills aren’t up to scratch
Against the Force in Round 1 the Waratahs continuously turned the ball over and only looked good after the game was out of reach in the last 10 minutes when they managed to hold the ball. At first I thought that was a rustiness problem but the issue has persisted and lingered.
Against the Reds, ball handling prevented the Waratahs from dropping 50 against one of the Reds’ worst outings in years. (To clarify I mean the Reds on that particular week, but their two-win minus-237 point differential 2007 season might be in range.) The Waratahs spent the whole game turning over possession, racing downfield and dropping the ball. It was literally a farce the way the Reds kept finding ways to be worse and the Waratahs couldn’t capitalise.
Against the Highlanders last week the skills issue was even more obvious. As the skilful Highlanders side threw balls without looking and players had hands ready to take them it made the Waratahs look like a team with club fists for the most part.
Sure, there were bursts of brilliance, but the consistency just isn’t there.
Israel Folau at 13. Why?
I just don’t get it. The only reason you’d consider moving Folau to outside centre is in the light of Adam Ashley-Cooper’s* current mysterious injury and imminent departure. But really I don’t see why we need to move someone from where he’s one of the top three in the world at his position and ask him to learn another.
The Highlanders Ben Smith is still clearly a better fullback than Folau in my opinion, but after that Folau can match it with anyone. Leigh Halfpenny needs to be kicking well and then he should be mentioned in this conversation as well.
Why weaken one position that is so obviously strong to strengthen another?
Folau’s ball to Hooper that set up Nick Phipps try was a good delayed pass but I’ve been saying for ages Folau should be playing in the backline during set plays. He should be used in those short passing and decoy roles more often, as the Chiefs do with Sonny Bill Williams.
There’s no reason why Folau can’t be lined up in new positions throughout the back line off set plays and play the rest of the time at full back. Granted, that is the extent of the move thus far, but indications are that a more permanent more is being cooked up.
Asking him to play full time at 13 only means he gets more beaten up, has less space to operate in and doesn’t get to field as many kicks.
Malakai Fekitoa showed how far Folau has to go before he could be called a world class centre. And in fact is a 13 that sits deep to return kicks more often than most, but that’s an added extra to the position, not a regular duty – one that Folau excels at currently.
I can only imaging one reason for the switch on a permanent basis – Folau has made it clear he wants it or won’t stay.
*On that note, it’s incredibly luck for Adam Ashley-Cooper that deal was done before his injury. If he was trying to sign with someone now he’d be just another older player with a lot of miles on the odometer and a shady injury. Have to say I’m happy its happened this way and not the other, Adam Ashley-Cooper is one that deserved things to fall his way after the way he’s consistently performed for Australia.
Go forward before you go sideways
This is fairly simple. Last year the Waratahs’ dominance meant the forwards were pounding away around the edges of the ruck creating forward momentum and causing the opposition defensive line to collapse around the middle to plug the gaps and bring down half breaks.
That created oodles of space one or two passes wider for the likes of Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale to create havoc in the slightly wider gaps.
This year the Waratahs pack hasn’t been accurate enough cleaning out and hasn’t been as physically dominant and getting over the gain line around the ruck.
Now Foley and Beale don’t have as much space to play in. The Waratahs need to shore up that momentum through the forwards quick smart. It was the key to their season last year, as much as the glory was directed to the weapons out wide.
The bench scrum is weak
Whenever the Waratahs bench forwards get on the field the scrum goes into a hole this year. Suddenly the opposition look like they have led in their heels and a diesel train engine pushing them along and the Waratahs have jelly knees and hips.
It’s a worry because the Tahs already don’t have a great lineout – although it has improved. They need the scrum to be their set piece cornerstone. A scrum is one of the times the backline is guaranteed to have wider gaps between defenders to exploit and they must be able to attack of a stable platform. When they have clean first phase ball the Waratahs have the talent to get close to the Chiefs’ first phase brilliance.
Gill the WWE heel
Digger alluded to this in his wrap yesterday, but Liam Gill’s excellent wrestling move is almost enough to single-handedly propel him into a lucrative career.
Admittedly Nic White is a much smaller man than Gill, but there was such power and speed in the move. It was over in the flash of an eye.
Digger and I discussed his two-week suspension on twitter and agreed he already has a more spectacular finishing move than The People’s Elbow. Throwing humans looks great on slo-mo replay.
White may have seen his life flash before his eyes as he looked up and down at the same time at Gills head when he threw him into the ground, but we all know the landing is going to be softer than the throw in pro wrestling.
Previously rugby player such as Sonny Bill Williams and Quade Cooper have picked up some extra coin by being involved in some essentially-rigged boxing bouts.
Gill might be the first one to spend the summer popping up in WrestleMania or the Royal Rumble – at least he won’t be trying to tell us the fight is legitimate.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.