The Waratahs won’t reach the Super Rugby playoffs while marquee half-back Sarel Pretorius remains on the bench. Last night the Waratahs did it the hard way in beating the Force in Perth 23-18.
While starting half-back Brendan McKibbin was on duty for 60 minutes, the Waratahs led 10-3 at the break and 17-3 two minutes into the second half.
But the Waratahs had enough ball in the first half to win two games, with 62% possession, spending 60% in Force territory, and 3 minutes 11 seconds in the Force 22 as against the Force’s 30 seconds in reply.
For the icing on the cake, the Waratahs won the rucks and maul 43-23.
Totally dominant for just 10 points, thanks to a pedestrian McKibbin who chocked a backline keen to run. The Waratahs should have cracked 30 points by half-time and the game would have been all over.
Had Pretorius started, a 30-point first half haul was almost certain.
With all that possession and territory, he would have had the backline hunting for the four-try bonus by the break.
The difference between McKibbin and Pretorius is the South African delivers the ball far faster from set and broken play. Berrick Barnes, Tom Carter and Rob Horne would have so much extra time and space to strut their stuff with that mountain of possession.
It was not to be. Hopefully by next week against the Rebels, followed by the tough assignment against the Crusaders, the half-back problem will be sorted.
From one-way traffic in the first half, the third quarter saw an incredible transformation. In that 20-minute period the Force came alive with 79% possession and were camped in the Waratah half and 22, forcing the visitors to defend as though their lives depended on it. The result certainly did.
By the 63rd minute the Force led 18-17 for the first time with a distinct sniff of victory. They had come from nowhere scoring two tries in posting 15 unanswered points, 10 of them while Waratahs full-back Bernard Foley was in the bin.
Game on.
The last 17 minutes ended up an arm-wrestle, the result up for grabs. But the Force lost their discipline under pressure by giving away three kickable long range penalties – Barnes landed two of them and that was that 23-18.
Surprisingly, the much vaunted Waratahs pack was at its best when benchmen Jono Jenkins, Paddy Ryan, John Ulugia, and the Timani brothers Sita and Lopeti took over late in the game.
For the Waratahs, David Dennis had a huge game, highlighted by his 30 metre sprint to touch down just after half-time after winning lineout ball, Tatafu Polota-Nau had his best game in weeks, Wycliff Palu was always dangerous, Berrick Barnes directed traffic apart from the odd wayward kick, and Pretorius livened up the backline, even though they were pretty much done.
For the Force David Pocock had a quiet game by his lofty standards in the first half, but burst forth in the second to claim man-of-the-match, while Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe, Toby Lynn, Nick Cummins, and full-back-turned-fly-half David Harvey were outstanding.
Even though there were 18 Wallabies on duty, the game never reached that standard. But it was entertaining thanks to sensible and clearly understood refereeing from Kiwi Glen Jackson that had the 12,838 crowd involved from start to finish.
Jackson is the refereeing find of the year. In only his sixth game in control, the 36-year-old was fit, fast, and very much in control. He only retired in late 2010 but has been fast-tracked by the appointments board that deserve praise.
Jackson played 60 games as fly-half for the Chiefs from 1999-2004, accumulating 404 points, and 1505 points for Saracens from 2004 to 2010 over 130 games.
He is a breath of fresh air and will be in demand from all 15 franchises.
tubby
Guest
Whilst I did not see this game, the comment that Jackson is a refereeing find is a joke. His games so far have demonstrated that he's a long way from ready at this level.
tubby
Guest
Whilst I did not see this game, the comment that Jackson is a refereeing find is a joke. His games so far have demonstrated that he's a long way from ready at this level.
Crazy Horse
Guest
As you say Jackson as Ref was very good. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the shorter of the two Assistant Referees (on the grandstand side in the first half). He was woeful. One line cal right in front of where I was sitting was 10 metres out, despite the ball landing right where a photographer was sitting.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
I think what he's saying here Brett is his understanding and 'feeling' for the game is such that the players respect his decision making and as such, would want him to referee their games. Obviously 'wanting' and 'getting' are two entirely different things. However, as a franchise, there's no harm in letting it be known who you would like to referee your games. What you need to keep quiet is who you don't want to referee ;)
Brett McKay
Expert
Lordy, I'm a bit intrigued as to what you mean in your last paragraph, re Glen Jackson. How exactly can or will he be "in demand from all 15 franchises"??
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Barnes never makes decisions at test time, He plays at 12. Cooper and JOC have been making the decisions. Cooper struggles behind a pack being bashed off the ball, like all 5/8s do. When he gets front football at test level he is as good as he is at super level.
sittingbison
Guest
Pretty neat round up of their performance Peter %). But seriously, that's not what I said, which was they were made to look better than they were, and Force worse, by a ref inexperienced with the scrum not policing it to the same degree we see with some others especially in tests. Robinson played it smart and took advantage of the situation, but that won't work again. And as for the Forces scrum, you are dead set wrong they have not been struggling this year like they have in the past.
PeterK
Guest
so one eyed. So basically the tahs won due to refs and ar's. They were not better at anything except infringing and allowed to get away with it. They were not in fact better in the scrum despite the force scrum going backwards. Twisting etc changes the angle , does not explain when the scrum went backwards. The force scrum has NOT more than held its own through he season, it has struggled and now found out.
Stanley grella
Guest
It's the travesty of Australian rugby that quade makes decisions alright at super level but struggles at test time and barnes makes decisions as test time but nit during super rugby. Quade isn't a general under pressure, he is woeful.
sittingbison
Guest
Peter, TPN threw crooked all night and will get pinged in tests where the ARs will pay more attention. The scrum reffing was a joke all night starting in minute 2 calling capt pockock over for a chat. Again they will be pinged with any other ref - disengaging, twisting etc have killed us since Eddie Jones era and guess who? Tahrds Baxter and Dunning. It was by no means a "monster" effort, but guile not pulled up by an inexperienced ref who had no clue with scrumming and a couple of useless ARs as demonstrated by their ineptitude in many other facets all night.
sittingbison
Guest
Sorry Pete you are wrong, I was at the game and can categorically report TPNs throwing was abysmal, it got to the point the crowd was laughing, and there wasn't much to laugh about with this game. Ask yourself why a force scrum that has more than held its own all season suddenly couldn't hold a single scrum against the same pack they held four weeks ago. Sure Maafus is a worry, but he wasn't totally to blame the ref didn't have a clue what was going on. In fact the very next scrum after he was sent off Robinson went down like a pack of cards and no whistle either way. Look at the performance or lack thereof of both teams- the ref was very ordinary at the set pieces and breakdown for both sides.
PeterK
Guest
actually there are very few aussie refs, the kiwis have the most followed by the sa. a bit rich complaining about home town decisions after the bulls crusaders game where carter was penalised for obstruction running in support behind the ball carrier.
Justin
Guest
Potential is a dirty word SB! I doubt it, different players. Alcock plays wider and Pocock excels in tight.
liam
Guest
What's up with NZ sides 80% of the time getting NZ refs to ref their games? Why are there so many NZ and Australian refs in comparison with the 4 or so South Africans? Even though the South Africans are ranked by the IRB and are clearly better. Total joke. Pollock is destroying the Stormers Crusaders game with his penalties. He just lifts his arm up for the advantage, doesn't even need to explain himself. Rugby, the game where brown nosing a referee is what wins you games.
Short-Blind
Guest
Do you think he has the potential to overtake Pocock Justin?
stillmissit
Roar Guru
I agree with David re McKibbon, he is at best a journeyman which makes me wonder if Foley is a bad reader of players. Pretorius is outstanding behind a decent pack - the pack went well in the first half and McKibbon just about killed the game, standing over it waiting for Godot, not watching for a counter ruck, directing everyone until the Force were totally ready for them. It is the Gregan factor and our crop of halfbacks including Genia have the disease. Dave Dennis had the best game I have seen him play, is he standing up for a Wallaby spot? Too much control and not enough expansion and risk taking. We need to work on this as it is a major problem, you can't just throw the ball around like a park game but you can't kill it by controlled rugby either. The pretty boys are there for a reason and it is not to win rucks, that is a secondary job to running around players and scoring tries.
PeterK
Guest
the throws were straight, draw a line down the middle of the lineout BEFORE it closes and check where the ball ends up. Charles had more latirtude than TPN in lineouts. TPN had one called not straight and he had to right down the middle but charles threw to his side. Thats right the AR's did report a lot of Force infringements BUT Jackson ignored them and kept penalising the Tahs. Maafu was a disgrace as a prop. There were few decent scrums because the force props folded like deck chairs with the pressure they were put under, and rightly penalised. Even here Jackson made the props packs really close and try and take away the hit. Kafer is the only aussie commentator I respect the others are too one eyed and seemingly dont understand the laws. Kafer was right the force should of been penalised more.
Terry
Guest
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sittingbison
Guest
Rubbish Peter, he didn't favour the Force. He had the two ARs yabbering all night about looking out for force infringements, yup that's right "force" infringements not "infringements". He was going to send a Tah off at that point, but didn't when AR couldn't furnish the number. Blind Freddy AR couldn't even confirm a try despite being 3m away and looking straight at at, and couldn't see crooked throws from TPN. Then we have Kafer suggesting Force should get more penalties against them. Sure the scrum reset was a mistake, but for all Lordies praise the guy had no idea about scrims, there was barely a decent one all night and that's not Maafus entire fault
PeterK
Guest
jackson heavily favoured the force, not once did he look if they were offside but endlessly penalised Tahs for it. The scrum that was reset at the end was error in law, it was a new scrum time was up, it should of been game over. so it is rich complaining he didnt help the force even more.