Admittedly, this match, and all the others for the rest of the Super Rugby tournament, are must-win contests for the Waratahs. The Waratahs have adopted the tactics to bore their oppositions into defeat. It is also boring their supporters with 17,532 only turning up for the match at the SFS.
The rugby league equivalent of this system was the WazzaBall tactics created by Warren Ryan to take the Canterbury Bulldogs to a premiership victory.
The joke in rugby league circles at the time is that the Bulldogs’ favoured scoreline was a 1 – 0 win. The Waratahs did at least score two tries. One of them came after the eternity of phase play drives, and the second was a well-played fluke try by Ryan Cross who caught a rebound from a posted penalty attempt.
The Waratahs had a backline with five Wallabies in it. Yet they refused to allow the backs the chance to make attacks.
Almost invariably, even when they got turnovers, the backs kicked away the ball. In all, the Waratahs kicked 44 times. This amounted to virtually all the possession the Western Force were able to get. The result was that the Waratahs only had to make 56 tackles in the whole match.
Despite these statistics, the Waratahs were only able to win by 5 points against a side that did not try very hard to make much attack.
At half-time with the Western Force leading 9-6 the Waratahs coach, Chris Hickey, told the television commentators that he wanted his side to play ‘field position.’
What was really needed was for the backs and the forwards to actually take their attack to the Western Force. Some set moves and ploys by the backs, aside from the plodding inside cut by Tom Carter, would help the Waratahs’ cause as well.
As the tournament table stands now, the Reds (45) are almost certain to win the Australian conference. I say ‘almost’ because they have a huge match next weekend against the Blues, and then the following week, also at home, against the Crusaders.
A win in either of these matches would ensure a conference top place and possibly a first or second position on the table which will give them a bye in the first week of the finals.
They can still win the Australian conference even if they lose these two matches. Their final three matches are about as easy as it gets in this tough Super Rugby tournament: the Brumbies at home and the Western Force away.
The Waratahs are currently in 6th place on the table, one point ahead of the Highlanders. They have a bye next week, which under the points allocation system gives them 4 points. They then play two matches in South Africa against the Sharks and the Bulls. If they win both or one of these matches, they should make the finals.
The match against the Sharks is the crucial one. The South African side is currently 3 points in front of the Waratahs and a victory to one of them entrenches their specific position on the ladder.
The final two matches for the Waratahs are at home against the Highlanders and the Brumbies. With the Highlanders the main opposition (along with the Sharks) to their top six finals placing, this is a match the Waratahs will need to win.
It seems to me that the Highlanders have run out of gas. They played poorly against the Chiefs. After winning great victories against the Bulls and other strong sides like the Crusaders by maintaining a vigorous, up-tempo ball-in-hand game they became infected with the Waratahs’ virus and kicked the ball away to the Chiefs at every opportunity. The Chiefs were able to score two tries and this was enough to sink the Highlanders.
The game of the round, and almost the game of the tournament, was the epic clash between the Stormers and the Crusaders. This was rugby at its best with two well-coached and well-disciplined sides going at each other hammer and tongs from the opening whistle. In the end the self-belief and willpower of the Crusaders prevailed.
But it was also interesting to me that the Crusaders had anticipated the Stormers’ up-and-in defence by getting Sonny Bill Williams to run hard at the line the first four times he got the ball. When the defensive line held back a bit and braced itself for his charges Sonny Bill then slipped away several magic passes, one of which led to the Crusaders’ first try.
This was superb play by a player who is making a brilliant transition to rugby union. If he stays in the game (a big if, admittedly) he could become one of the greats.
The way he is playing he should have a big impact on the rest of the tournament, and later in the year in the Rugby World Cup. The Crusaders are shaping up to be either the top New Zealand side or, if this doesn’t happen, the highest ranked non-conference winner.
This brings us back to the Waratahs. The Reds and the Crusaders are trying to win the tournament with exciting, hard-shouldered play. The Waratahs are trying to bore us all in their attempt to win the tournament. It’s a pity for them the tournament is not a tunnel but a journey …
Hawko
Guest
Yes Bruce I do but the memory's fading rapidly.
Bruce Ross
Roar Pro
Very valid points, Hawko. Remember when Spiro used to write quite analytical articles? I used to look forward to reading him. I wish he'd get back to displaying his craftsmanship and knowledge of our game.
Hawko
Guest
The Force did not get sucked in to those tactics. Their whole structure with JOC at 15 was so he could kick for field position. Richard Graham has stated elsewhere in interview that those "kick everything" tactics were his direct game plan. God knows why, with the Tah injuries they were totally on the ropes, it was a braindead gameplan. Watch the game again. The Tahs, especially in the first half, ran the ball much more than the Force. In the second half they had to adapt to the referee who was blowing up everything, to the Tahs detriment because they were the team trying to play the ball. They went for field position and pick and drive because with the players left standing that was the most sure way of not being pinged in their own half. It worked. Spiro's diatribes against the Tahs are becoming a disgrace. The stats issue picked up by other comments above prove that beyond doubt. The Force was the team that ruined the match last Saturday. The stupid thing was that it played to the Forces weaknesses and the Tahs strengths. Richard Graham is a nice guy but his coaching credentials evidenced by this game are non-existent.
Glenn Condell
Guest
'as a player he wasn’t even the best winger in those AB sides' I don't know about that. Put it this way, if you had to pick a team to play for your life and assume everyone is in top form, are you telling me you'd leave him out? He is the most damaging ball runner in the game's history, and a good sport too. He might not have always been the best on ground, but when he was, he was best on any ground you like.
Spencer
Guest
HJ - why is that unfortunate? Should we forget the 1987 world cup because it was an invitational picnic tournament? And just for you we could also disregard the 1995 RWC because it was played during the amatuer years, and in the same year as the Reds won Super Rugby final in JHB (the same venue that the ABs choked..and vomited). ;) For those of us older than 20, it is not digging deep. For you I have provided a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_10_(Southern_Hemisphere_competition) Interesting to note that Queensland won both the '94 (Durban) and '95 (Jo'burg) finals away from home. Ah those where great days!!
p.Tah
Guest
... and that is crux of the issue...
Bayboy
Guest
KPM unfortunately your pushing poop uphill here. No one except yourself things Cooper is a better play-maker your really grasping at straws. Carter is leaps and bounds ahead of Cooper and you are letting yourself down by proclaiming Cooper to having clear headiness above that of Carter and organizational intelligence etc. I could just about guarantee you 99.9% of teams globally would take Carter long before they took Cooper Wallabies included
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Sylvester I didn't say those were the only differences. I didn't say playmaking and running weren't strengths of Carter's game, but the first is not on the same level as Cooper. Where he excels Cooper is clear-headedness, calm, organisational intelligence, defence, kicking out of hand and goal-kicking.
Bayboy
Guest
Oh you are having to dig deep to find that result Spencer. Unfortunately for you it was not a win in what is more commonly accepted as the True Super rugby competition which in actual fact began in 1996. Nice Try however
Spencer
Guest
Oh cry me a river!
Spencer
Guest
Reds Super Rugby Champions 1994 and 1995!
Drop kick
Guest
Put in the three penalties Kurtley missed and the Tahs won easily! I don't think you'd call it a fluke anyway - Cross was chasing the kick because sometimes the ball hits the posts and bounces into the field of play, Smart rugby.
Russell Small
Guest
Take out the "fluke try" and conversion to Cross and the Force would have won!
Sylvester Hyde
Guest
So the only difference between Carter and Cooper is superior defence and kicking? I'll humour the assertion that this could be true, and ask whether you honestly believe Carter would be rated like he is if his playmaking and running weren't the strengths of his game.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Ok firstly I never said Carter was BETTER than Cooper, I just said Cooper was a better playmaker and distributor. Of course he has other flaws in his game and Carter excels him elsewhere. My point is that there are abilities Carter doesn't have, which is why although an outstanding player he isn't a legendary one. A legendary player would have far better distribution and running than Carter. Lomu in his early days was the best player ever, later he was less good but that was due to severe health problems. No player has ever changed games the way he did.
Sammy22
Guest
Andre I think the word is Puss!!!!!
chester
Guest
Well said Twickers Spiro you are so one eyed it is amazing. Your articles about the Tahs always contain massive inaccuracies. It was the Force who kicked in 44 times. I can't believe you don't even check your facts before mouthing off about the Tahs. Wake up to yourself.
Sylvester Hyde
Guest
"but he is not in Quade Cooper’s class as a visionary playmaker and distributor". You said Carter, but I'm sure you meant Simon Culhane.
M.O.C.
Roar Guru
KPM the crowd has spoken. Carter and McCaw will be remembered as some of the greatest ABs ever. Cullen was a freak but no more freakish than 10 others i could name and Lomu and Umaga were awesome but every player is better in hindsight than when they were playing. I personaly would rate Kirwan as a better winger than Lomu. PS. I can't for the life of me figure out how you can consider Cooper better than Carter. If you rate unpredictable creativity as the measure of a good 5/8th then Carlo Spencer had it over Cooper and in NZ I think you would find that Spencer would never be considered even close to Carter.
p.Tah
Guest
...and why do they play that way...? If the lose playing ugly... We criticise them for being boring and unimaginative If they win playing ugly... We criticise them for being boring and unimaginative If they lose playing expansive rugby... We criticse them for being reckless If they win playing expansive rugby... We cheer them and then pick on specific players and criticse them Who'd want to be a Waratahs player? All the pressure and little support. I'd be scare to lose as well. In the end they've decided they're screwed either way. Play the conservative way and win the title. Get the monkey off their back. The supporters will do want they want regardless...