It is clear now that the Waratahs are the problem team of Australian rugby. It wasn’t just that they lost to the Western Force, who were thrashed at home the week before by the Hurricanes.
It was the lazy, unenthusiastic, brainless and inept way they played to set up their defeat that angered their fans (who booed them during play) and supporters of rugby throughout Australia.
Compounding the distress about their performance was the nonchalance with which senior players reacted to questions from journalists after the match about their woeful play.
Benn Robinson, the vice-captain of the side and someone who should be taking responsibility for the kicking tactics that are so woeful and unsuccessful, claimed not to hear the home crowd booing his side.
And Tatafu Polota-Nau, who admitted he did hear it, claimed he couldn’t care less about the concerns of the Waratahs supporters. Shame on him.
Tatafu Polota-Nau did hear it, but Georgina Robinson, an excellent and accurate rugby writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, quoted this as his response. “I think they were just booing for the fact that we were kicking too much but I think our decision makers saw the opportunities there. So whether they boo or not we couldn’t care less, because it is part of our strategy to play it down their end.”
This is one of the most obnoxious, self-serving, insolent and stupid statements I have ever heard from a senior player.
Full credit should be given to the Western Force for coming to Allianz Stadium (formerly the Sydney Football Stadium), taking on the big Waratahs pack and giving it a hiding.
The statistics of the match demonstrated that they deserved to win. Possession was 64 percent to the Force and 36 percent to the Waratahs. The Force missed 11 tackles, the Waratahs missed 23. The Force conceded 12 penalties and the Waratahs 10.
Waratahs winger Tom Kingston (a flyer who was starved of the ball) scored a try that followed an obvious knock-on from halfback Sarel Pretorius. Adam Ashley-Cooper, the other winger, also scored a try.
But, as a sort of metaphor for the grinding, boring Waratahs style, this try was scored when Ashley-Cooper joined a rolling maul and was pushed over the try line.
The Brumbies opened the round for the Australian sides by playing a calculating and solid match against the Chiefs.
Coach Jake White hasn’t got anywhere near the talent (on paper at least) that is available to Waratah coach Michael Foley. But the Brumbies were well-prepared to thwart the Chiefs’ wide game.
They also exposed the Chiefs from time to time with a terrific rolling maul. White is clearly responsible for the implementation of this tactic. It was well done and hard for the Chiefs to counter.
If nothing else comes out of White’s coaching stint in this country, if he can coach his team to be as expert on the rolling maul as the South African sides, he will have provided useful input to Australian rugby.
What the Brumbies need now is for the backs coach Stephen Larkham to get more fluency and attacking flair into the back line. Towards the end of the match when the Chiefs were trying to snatch a victory, the Brumbies fell prey to the Waratah disease and several times kicked the ball away to their opponents to launch new attacks.
The hard-luck story of the round for the Australian sides was the Reds’ 27-22 loss to the Sharks. At one stage the Reds were leading 17-0.
The tactic of using Ben Lucas as the fly half and moving Mike Harris out to inside centre worked a treat. I believe that a creative pair of halves, in the Nick Farr-Jones/Mark Ella fashion, can lift even an ordinary side with the energy and thoughtfulness of their play.
It says a lot for the nous of the Reds coaching staff (as opposed to the lack of nous of the Waratah staff) that they could devise tactics that meet the challenge (almost, unfortunately) of defeating an in-form Sharks, at Durban, with an all-South African refereeing squad.
Unfortunately for the Reds they lost Digby Ioane (for a stupid dump tackle) with a yellow card. Then a spate of injuries, including Harris and Lucas, meant that Will Genia, who discovered or re-discovered his running game, had to play fly half and also attempt the goals. He missed a couple of shots and this prevented the Reds from clawing back the five-point deficit.
The Melbourne Rebels and the Cheetahs played out a terrific match. Playing with the verve and crashing runs they had at the start of the match, the Cheetahs went 80 minutes with time up to score the winning try.
It was thrilling stuff. The Rebels have now lost 12 consecutive matches, but on the evidence of their play against the Cheetahs they are going to be hard for other teams to defeat with any ease.
James O’Connor is proving to be the great buy for the Rebels that Ashley-Cooper and Rocky Elsom (yet to play this year) have not for the Waratahs. He scored a terrific try and played superbly at fly half and inside centre.
Now back to the Waratahs. Before the season started I wrote a column for the Sydney Morning Herald that argued that the Waratahs stated ‘attacking kicking’ game was oxymoronic.
I quoted the ‘three Ps’ of Charlie Saxton, a great All Black halfback and coach: possession, position, pace. It makes no sense to give away possession with aimless kicking. You have to have the ball to score tries. And you obviously don’t have the ball if you kick it to the opposition.
The article, published before the season started, was titled ‘Foley’s folly – the Waratahs must end the reliance on kicking.’
On the Monday after the column, The Australian‘s rugby writer Brett Harris, in the grand tradition of News Ltd’s head-kicking culture, attempted to give me a going-over.
The tactic, he argued, is “designed to regain possession from tactical kicks.” Perhaps. But how can this happen when the Waratahs do not have a chasing game to go with the incessant kicking?
“Anyone with even the slightest appreciation of the concept of total rugby,” Harris said, “as opposed to simply running rugby, would know that tactical kicking can and does play a key role in an attacking game.”
“To praise the Reds ‘win smart’ style and at the same time criticise tactical kicking, as this certain columnist did on Saturday, is a massive contradiction.”
As that certain columnist was moi, I would respond that the Waratahs woeful and losing play against a battling but mediocre Force side rather proves my point.
The Waratahs hardly regained a kick. Most of the time the ball was kicked straight to a Force player who often had possession inside the Waratahs half. The only attacking aspect of this brain-dead play was the chance it offered to the Force to run the ball back at an increasingly lethargic Waratahs defensive line.
My guess is that Harris was probably briefed by Foley on the brilliance of the ‘attacking kicking’ concept and swallowed it hook, line and stinker.
I saw Harris in the press box at halftime in the Waratahs vs Force match. He did not reply to my “Hello, Brett.” He had a mask of intense pain on his face. Or so it seemed to me.
In any case, I am looking forward to his explanation in The Australian today about the great success of Foley’s tactic and how it will take the Waratahs to a Super Rugby tournament win at last. Clearly its critics simply don’t understand rugby.
Drop kick
Guest
So the Waratahs administration has been great over the last five years? In that time they've won considerably more games than the the Reds, highlanders Chiefs and Brumbies. they've made the finals were as most of the teams you mention have been in the middle of the comp at best.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
TPN seems to throw better when tired. I suspect he overthinks it early on, but when tired reverts to muscle memory or instinct and gets it right. So make him run around the SFS 10 times just before they play ....
Crashy
Guest
Nepal we do represent the biggest player base in Australia but until the most of the other clubs decide to produce their own players then we are going to lose a lot of our depth.
Crashy
Guest
Just a thought for those members that won't be renewing next year. I trust that you won't be watching the Tahs play the British lions next year at the Sfs. You won't be able to get decent tickets and sucked in to all of you. By not renewing you are punishing new rugby.
TonyC
Guest
KPM, Queensland Reds are very happy that French team Link Mackenzie was coaching had a private owner and sacked him. If he hadn't returned would we have seen the Reds and for that matter the Wallabies play as they did last year with some of their players who had been unwanted by other franchises such as Beau Robinson and Radke Samo? I thought the time in possession on Saturday was as indicated 36 for the Tahs and probably a lot of that was in the rolling maul where we scored. The 3 P's strike again. Players have to realise it is not 7's where they try to score off every phase . An analogy would be the Tahs are playing T20 cricket instead of Test match cricket . How many times did we hold onto the ball for more than 6 phases? Let alone 8-12 where we could wear down the defence and find space. This year we haven't got the individual brilliance of a KB, Drew or Lachie who can conjure up breaks from nowhere as far as I can see so we may have to rely on more set plays. The one AAC scored off was great to watch and unfortunate Rob Horne was ruled (correctly) obstruction. More training to make sure this move comes off perfectly next time. As a long time fan I'm not giving up on them and will there on Saturday afternoon giving them all the support I can
AndyS
Guest
Had a quick look. Ignoring players that would otherwise never have had a go other than because of the Force, they have two local product in and around the starting team, the Brumbies have one and the Reds have another. From memory they've also had two through the team and gone to Europe.
Stanley grella
Guest
There are two teams on a paddock. You can't play "attacking football" as a game plan. It doesn't and will never work. The reds grinder out wins last year but everyone remembers the pieces of razzle dazzle and forgets the effort they put in including kicking in between this moments. The concept of everyone playing a game plan to bring fans through the door is complete BS in every regard.
Blue Blood
Guest
I do not believe that the players are over paid. For the money that Foxtel make it is only right that the players get justly paid for the entertainment they provide and the toll on their bodies. And if we don't pay what we do or more then we will keep losing players OS for much bigger money than the players are currently getting. Players stay in Australia for the love of our country and for the pride of playing for the Wallabies, not the money.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Well Mr Zavos as I have said on here before , I have no illusions as to the real attitude of the Waratahs "stars"-it as I have said before is summed up in the three main policies ; i.e. 1. Near enough is good enough, 2. It doesn't matter if we lose as long as we look good doing it and 3. Stuff the fans , the gravy train will still go on regardless while we mouth the "words for public consumption"-the only solution to this annual Circus McGurkus is for either someone to buy the franchise and clear out everybody and start afresh OR the ARU to award the SR franchise to another entity that is worth of representing this great state of ours end of story :-)
JVGO
Guest
Compare those highlights from from one RL game to the highlights of the round of S15. http://www.foxsports.com.au/Rugby/tries-of-the-week/video-e6frf4pu-1226303202173?subcat=1225914702813&site=FoxSports The idea that the worst game of Union is better than every NRL game is simply absurd KPM has problems. This debate has nothing to do with RL, These are union fans saying they can't stand the Waratahs, not League fans.
Westie
Guest
Good piece. Why doesn't one of those Sydney rugby moneybags go and buy Billy Slater?
Stripes
Guest
Please tell me you have a degree in sport & Exercise science, or strength & conditioning, otherwise leave the professionals to it. I understand the disappointment in your team, but some of the hyperbole about the tahs is ludicrous. Your right in the worth of real life environment, but i doubt your knowledge is very indepth about the tahs training regime.
p.Tah
Guest
Say what you like about the Tahs but leave Sharron out of it!
p.Tah
Guest
I took the ultimate zen approach. First thought was an expletive... Second was, well this will be good for rugby in the West. If someone has to lose at least it's helping Australian rugby somewhere...
p.Tah
Guest
On ya Sailosi! It's tough when you have games like last weekends but when they do click its pretty sweet. I saw the Tahs marketing guy during the game. Poor bloke had an ashened look on his face. They're not make his job very easy.
Drew
Guest
I was in the crowd booing on Saturday night! After the early try the Tahs seemed complacent. They were undisciplined. They played a brain-dead game. So I have devised some tasks for Foley: 1) tell the team they aren't allowed to kick except from within the 22. Certainly none of those ridiculous kicks from there that had more height than length! Defensive bombs? There is a place for attacking kicking but until the Tahs start to show some appreciation for what it means, they should stop. How can you even entertain the thought of kicking when you finish the game with 34% possession? 2) coach better support play, linking and recycling of possession, along wirh holding your feet waiting for support. This should reduce the 'need' for kicking. I was very impressed with the play of Lachie Mitchell from the Rebels. He is not a big player but ran hard and when the cover came across, he stepped back infield and got support. Please Foley drum this into the players. 3) give up on the Halangahu/Barnes combination it just doesn't work. I cant believe I'm saying this but... Bring back Carter! He gets over the advantage line and scores the odd brace of 4) get TPN to practice lineout throwing until his back is sore and his hands are bleeding and then a couple more hours worth! 5) stop Kingston doing that stupid stutter step - he has pace and should use it! Not slow down at the line and help them in their tackling. 6) let everyone know that if they are ill-disciplined (Robinson, mumm) they'll be on the bench.
p.Tah
Guest
Huh?
Tommygun
Guest
Why would they get a bigger crowd at stadium Australia?? Do you mean the possibility for bigger crowds as the ground has a bigger capacity than the SFS?
Tommygun
Guest
Yep. "Old" coach. Are you lot serious?! If every Tahs player focused on endurance and mobility and threw away those darn weights they would be giving ten kgs a player to every team... All the technique in the world won't help them at the set piece, or teach them where and when to kick, or to play with some nuts.... The gym is definately the least of the waratahs problems.
Colvin
Guest
Chaps, it's all to do with the franchise's Administration first, then the coaches. Look at the Reds. Then look at the Highlanders. Then look at the Chiefs. Then look at the Hurricanes. Then look at the Brumbies. A team playing with the right attitude will always beat a team of name players that doesn't have its collective mind in the right place. If you're looking for someone to blame relating to the Tahs, blame the Tah's Administration