The 2013 Super Rugby season continues with the Queensland Reds taking on the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium tonight. Join us from 7.40pm AEDT for live scores and commentary.
The Reds come into this one off a lacklustre 20-6 defeat at the hands of a Brumbies team that was full of running last Saturday night.
The 2011 champions never really got into the game, and the usual flair and pace provided by Quade Cooper was absent until the dying stages of the match.
The Reds will be hoping that the home crowd will give them the extra motivation they need this weekend if they are to stop a powerful Waratahs side looking to do big things this season.
This match also sees some interesting matchups with Wallabies implications, one being the battle between opensides Liam Gill for the Reds and new Waratahs recruit Michael Hooper. Their battle at the breakdown will certainly be one to watch.
This game also sees the return of a certain Mr Israel Folau. Folau played 38 times for the Brisbane Broncos and five times for Queensland in his NRL days and will be no stranger to running out to a packed Suncorp Stadium.
The utility back seems to be taking to Super Rugby very well, having scored twice and set up one try in his trial match debut against the Melbourne Rebels.
Prediction
The Reds will be wanting to put the Canberra loss behind them and start to pick up some early season momentum, while the Waratahs will be looking to set standards for themselves and try and change back to winning ways.
With a backline featuring the likes of Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lachie Turner and of course Israel Folau, expect to see the Waratahs try and set a quick pace early on.
The Reds are still dependent on the guile and confidence of Quade Cooper, who showed little of both in the first round but is experienced enough to settle back into his creative groove.
Both sides have powerful forward packs, though I give the slight advantage to the Waratahs here who will be fielding an almost all-Wallaby pack.
If the Reds can deal with the pace and aggression that the Tahs set then this could be a cracker, with both teams not being afraid to throw the ball around.
I am calling a close one with the home advantage at Suncorp bringing the Reds home by less than five.
Mike
Guest
I guess that would be right, but it doesn't convey the way the Tahs tended to commit more serious errors, and also to not recover from them as well as the Reds.
Red Kev
Guest
Fox Sports match centre updated and it looks even worse now... Reds = 15 handling errors, 35 missed tackles and two lineouts lost Waratahs = 20 handling errors, 42 missed tackles and two lineouts lost
kombiutedriver
Guest
It depends on which cattle you pick ......... and who is doing the picking.
kombiutedriver
Guest
Where were the Tah Wallaby forwards last night?
kombiutedriver
Guest
No leadership ....... no direction by the Tahs ....... just one dinensional big boppa stuff again and again in the first half .
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
Totally agree...same with Cheika.......to much expectation, give them a chance FFS.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I'm a Timani supporter but he was off last night. The team improved when he left the field. I did love the first scrum of the game though. With both big boppers in the second row the Tahs scrum was so stable on their own ball that you could have eaten your dinner of their backs. Was a thing of beauty.
Red Kev
Guest
Hmm, I think you need to watch again then. Chibba (not sure who Chipper is) Hanson is 104kg compared to S.Faingaa's 108kg. Faingaa tackles by diving with shoulders or head at someone's kneecaps, Hanson actually tackles. Hanson is also a far far far superior ball carrier in tight, his workrate at rucks is also superb, he stays on his feet far more than Saia.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Fair and balanced Mike. I with you.
jeznez
Roar Guru
He should not have just dove after Taps. He should have kept his feet and chased. He did it again later where he got beaten and just took a dive. I want my outside backs backing their pace and engaging in foot races in both attack and defence. Agree that the main fault on that one was certainly Kepu pushing the pass, something the entire side struggled with all game.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
You'd be well aware I'm not a Timani fan. To me he is just a chocolate Tom Bowman - all flash no substance. They'd definitely benefit from Chapman starting with Douglas. The prop bench tactic didn't work either, and Robinson didnt add much apart from boring in on a few scrums. Breakdown work is still a massive issue for the Tahs, it's just not there. I agree with the back line shuffle too. Israel was very poor, but it's not fair on him to chuck him straight into 15. It's been mentioned by Justin but the reason the NZ games are looking so fast is because they're standing half a pace back on the rucks and not getting off the line fast. The defensive patterns aren't a scratch on the Australian teams either.
Greg
Guest
You can come from anywhere and play state of origin
Red Kev
Guest
I have always thought it very amusing that the same people who are so vocal in their support of Deans as a coach because "Australia just doesn't have the cattle" or "Deans isn't the one on the field making mistakes" are the same ones that blamed the poor Waratahs' poor play on Foley as coach.
matty
Guest
Wow that was a massive anti climax. All the hype around Folau never eventuated. Maybe the media should stop putting pressure on the guy or else he will end up being the biggest flop since Deans.
Handles O'Love
Guest
I don't often disagree with you Kev, but I thought Saia was great last night. His ruck and maul work, and close in work was great. I haven't seen stats, but he made a bunch of dominant tackles in the first half. Chipper needs to put on another 10 kilos if he wants to start.
Mike
Guest
No I agree. They were done at the breakdown by Reds piggies, and hence defence looked a bit weak too. Reds committed more players to the breadown for most of the night, and often got there quicker also. Even at set piece, it was only in second half that Tahs pulled clearly ahead. In the lineout, I think that was more the Reds' problems from last week continuing, rather than Tahs improving. In scrums, there was a clear improvement by Tahs after Robinson came on and they monstered Reds a couple of times, although it was about that time that Tahs replaced their whole front row.
winston
Roar Rookie
Coming off the bench would have been a better option for him. Looked to be starting because of reputation rather than merit. Overall, for a profesional rugby player, he had a poor very game. He needs a lot of time. I was surprised how he got steamrolled letting in that forst try. School boy errors losing the ball in contact. I thought league players were supposed to be all hard and tough.
Mike
Guest
I thought Reds looked 100% better at the breakdown last night than they did vs Brumbies. But yeah, NZ sides could be a shock.
Mike
Guest
Exactly. The guy didn't do too badly for a first outing. But talk about him being a Wallaby at this stage was always laughable - leave him alone at S15 to settle in. SBW took two full seasons in France, from memory.
Red Kev
Guest
Hanson definitely needs to start. The other change that I think the Reds need to make is not having Harris at 15. He got stood up by pace quite a few times and I think the Reds will need a better custodian (Lance would be my pick ahead of Morahan).