Rocky Elsom couldn’t have picked a better time to don the Waratah captain’s armband for the first time than against the rampaging Bulls at Allianze Stadium tomorrow night.
Elsom must turn in an 80-minute performance of Rocky Balboa proportions to show the Bulls in pink they are up against red-blooded opposition.
That would be a first for the Waratahs this season. There’s been a lot of pussy-footing around up front, and even more indecision out the back.
“Hit ’em hard, and hit ’em often,” was the message reinstated half-back Sarel Pretorius gave his team-mates. And the South African ought to know.
It’s taken Waratah coach Michael Foley 11 games to bite the selection bullet, and to slot Elsom into the starting lineup he had to drop David Dennis to the bench, the one forward who has been positive and aggressive all tournament.
A mighty tough break for Dennis.
But he will make his mark later in the game when the big Bulls pack are feeling the pinch.
The other pluses: Pretorius is back at the expense of Brendan McKibbin, centre Rob Horne returns from suspension, flanker Chris Alcock after appendix surgery, and utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper fills the vacant inside-centre slot with Tom Carter dropped to the bench.
Ashley-Cooper will certainly stiffen the midfield defence, and there’s every indication his new centre partnership with Horne has more than a little merit.
It promises plenty.
More importantly, Ashley-Cooper will get his hands on the ball more often. He has hardly seen it during his stints on the wing and full-back.
It’s a wonder he hasn’t died of boredom.
The downside: hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau hasn’t overcome head injuries sustained last week against the Brumbies, so benchman John Ulugia takes over, one of the worst lineout feeders from any team this season.
Polota-Nau is no great shakes in that department either, but Ulugia beats him off the break.
Lineout feeders must have ball-sense.
Foley would be better off deploying his wingers Tom Kingston and Atiell Pakalani to do the job, leaving Ulugia momentarily as blindside winger where he can’t cause the Waratahs any grief.
Radical? No just plain common sense.
Wingers fed lineouts for over 100 years, until some coach dreamed up hookers would do the job better. That hasn’t proved to be correct, and never will.
The Waratahs chances will heavily hinge on Daniel Halangahu in his new role as custodian, and how he handles the high ball. He will be peppered, but he has safe hands and a good boot.
Nonetheless, there’s an air of expectancy about tomorrow night.
Foley has made some shrewd changes for a change.
A win over the Bulls would be the highlight of the season so far. But the Waratahs must be disciplined or the tournament’s leading points-scorer, Morne Steyn, will make them pay dearly.
Keep Steyn out of the game, and the Waratahs are in with a sniff.
mania
Guest
dc - its the whole brooding intellectual image he tries to portray. he had similar interviews after several losses to the AB's past couple of seasons where he just b!tches about his team saying they're not good enough. not a good way to inspire them. i remember when he lost it and was screaming at joubert. real disrespectful and immediately attacking jouberts reffing decisions. all i was thinking was yeah keep it up rocky AB's are gonna cane u more if u alienate the ref. joubert in the end told him to show some respect and to go away.
mania
Guest
boris - i bow to your wisdom as i couldnt get through it. basically i picked up the same gist of the book by reading half a chapter that u got from the whole book. the book definately tries to portray him as a deep thoughtful intellect i suppose to counter this meat head persona on the field. and dont get me wrong i liked rocky pre-Ireland, he was a meathead but he was effective. since his return he's been luggage and just trots around the field doing f-all.
mania
Guest
kpm - its not just the euro comps that are at a lower level, its all of them. compare the fitness level in super rugby to any other comp and they're slaggard. coming back to super is hard. i base this on watching the samoa team. in the 2nd half approachng last quarter the super players are still running around where as the others are beginning to slow. for fitness nothing compares to super levels except for 4 Nations and thats because its the best of the super players this is why i dont advocate the return fourieDP or matfield they simply wont have the legs for this level.
dc
Guest
i work in the media and saw an interview Rocky did with the Daily Tele a few weeks ago. I was aghast. Rocky essentially said he doesnt care what anyone thinks of him, he knows how he is going, people do not understand where he is coming from. It came across as me, me, me. As a Kiwi I can say Rocky was great in the win in Sydney in 2008 and I think he played a great test in South Africa as well. However his ball linking to the backs is terrible, he goes to ground too easily, same as AAC. I saw him warming up behind the sticks v Crusaders, a few light jogs, a bit of fluffy contact work, the same stuff he brings to the paddock. Robbie needs to move on from Rocky, he doesnt cut it anymore....and why is he so surly?
Boris
Guest
Mania about Rocky's book it's not actually by him- it's by Brett Harris with help from Rocky's, family, friends and coaches, not Rocky himself. I read the whole thing and don't think I got a very good appreciation for what Rocky is really like. They harp on about him being 'deep' and something of a philosopher which sounds like a bit wanky but he seems genuine. It's probably hard to really know unless you know him personally.
jeznez
Guest
I thought it was some clever nickname I just wasn't getting!
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Sorry Jeznez I have had in my mind that it was G instead of K. Sorry for the oversight
Jutsie
Guest
Manny Edmonds had quite a good career up north after leaving the tahs.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Gary, is there a problem with the K on your keyboard? I see not since you managed to write the word fullback - why do you always spell McKibbin with a G?
jeznez
Roar Guru
Scott Bowen or David Knox are probably the best of recent time, Tim Donnelly?
Red Kev
Guest
Cue Phil Kearns and his belief that every South Afrian prop weighs in at 125kg!
geoffo
Guest
your viiew that the Bulls' have a heavier pack and are therefor likely to tire in the 2nd half is incorrect. The Waratahs have the heavier pack as they generally have had for the last 5 years. Like most Australian journalists you're erroneusly fixated by the size of a South African pack.
stuff happens
Guest
http://www.superxv.com/images/blankspacer_long.gif Further to above this I think is the Bulls team for tomorrow.
stuff happens
Guest
The Bulls are likely to have a new or nearly new midfield as Olivier is highly doubtful in which case they'll probably play Englebrecht & Saadie ( sorry if spelling not correct). Jacques Potgeiter, one of the outstanding flankers in this year's Super, has returned home - out for six weeks. Likely Stigmann will play, who's a completely different kind of forward & I don't think has played Super this year. Dean Greyling has also returned to South Africa so their front row may be disrupted a bit. Will all this help the 'Tahs - er, pass.
Jerry
Guest
Actually thinking further on it, Genia was a better player than Cooper last year too. Both for the Wallabies & Reds.
Justin
Guest
Each to their own Jerry but I wouldnt have swapped Cooper last year for anyone...
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Markus and Mania, obviously with their talent spread over many franchises, in some countries many good players, and an endless season, the European club competitions are at a lower level of intensity and it could be that having lost the edge by playing them, it is impossible to step up again.
Jerry
Guest
I'd say Digby was a better player in Aus and Carter was the better 10, but that's just me.
Jerry
Guest
Derick Hougard? Doesn't exactly fit the narrative.
mania
Guest
i wouldnt blame europe for mcalisters decline but i would blame it on not playing Super and test rugby. lauaki was just all brawn no brains and didnt really spend any time in the gym working out on his cerebral majoris