Braved the conditions on Friday night to watch the Waratahs vs Rebels game – and in the first half, the Tahs were just awful.
The restarts and lineouts were a lottery – even in the warm ups they weren’t working – and there is a lot of basic skills work to be done too.
The Rebels easily won the breakdown, with the Tahs playing in about third gear – well behind the pace of the game.
Nothing much went right for Foley and while he played well against the Reds the week before last night was terrible.
The Rebels are building a formidable pack – Jones and Pyle were great all night – and their time will come.
It resulted in a match of two halves as the Waratahs changed gear after the break and increased the pace of the game.
Mitch Chapman was excellent, he is an astute acquisition. Cheika pulled the right lever in saying Robinson hasn’t reached his potential as he stepped up.
Izzy played well and featured in the lead up to all of the tries.
McKibbon played well throughout – his service was crisp and he took whatever opportunities came his way – and Lucas was also good when he came on.
Volavola is also special and with the right tutelage he could be anything.
Next Saturday night the Brumbies will be a stern test of the Waratahs and their commitment to the running game.
Shifting from the moribund winning-ugly mindset won’t be done overnight, but the signs are there that this team is breaking free from those shackles.
Somebody (it may have been Bret Harris) suggested that Kurtley Beale was thinking about coming back to the team, now that would be something special.
sheek
Roar Guru
Rickety, Cheika deserves praise for attempting to introduce an attacking mindset to NSW. It will take time so fans need to be patient. Old habits going back maybe 10 years need to be weeded out of the players. BTW, Dave Dennis a dead ringer for Dr Frank-N-Furter from the Original Rocky Horror movie..... "I'm just a sweet transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania. I'm not much of a man by the light of day, but by night I'm one hell of a lover."
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Jez & KPM - yeah old Cheeks (as Dennis has referred to him) deserves credit
jutsie
Guest
Rk I believe its our old mate Greg growden that is pushing the brake to tahs story from his new home at ESPN. His also pushing the sbw to tahs story so not sure how much truth there is to the story. However I don't see vealed staying in Melbourne especially if he's good mate lance Franklin signs with fremantle as has Bern rumoured.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Good stuff RK I don't think there can be disappointment with the intent to entertain and more and more execution should come with time. In a way Cheika has to remodel the instincts of a team and it takes time.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Give Johnno credit, he has more genuine ideas in a couple of lines than many posters ever produce.
jeznez
Roar Guru
RK - I got lucky, missed the first half due to work and really enjoyed the second. There was some good structure, excellent movement of the pill and support. I was very happy the effort. I was so happy with it I've been thinking that my next article might be pointed at a few Roarers who claim the coach doesn't have that much influence on the team. Cheika had about 95% of his squad selected for him and all of those 95% were there last year - the style of play is completely different and is clearly down to the coach. I'm rather enthused!
Allanthus
Guest
http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/02/25/a-taste-of-french-rugby-during-the-amateur-era/ I think Nickoldschool is best qualified to answer your question. But my impression is that imports have been an integral part of the French scene for a long time now and that this has helped make their game what it is not hindered the progress of young players.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
More than likely Allanthus. To me I wonder if the imports create an interest in French Rugby that simply may not be as high without them. And that interest may well attract French boys to take up the game that otherwise. Who knows?
mania
Guest
hehehe johnno. probably. i'd blame the 4th ot 5th beer tho
Allanthus
Guest
Blinky, I think that's just things going round in circles, knee-jerk looking for excuses for a below expectation 6N. Their national team looked pretty damn good only a couple of months ago when they towelled up the Wallabies.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
Your point about imports not hurting French Rugby is timely. I believe the French are having those very thoughts on it's effect on the national team.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Johnno, word has it that the tahs sold about 30,000 tickets for Friday night but only 11,000 front in what during the day had been the mots appaling weather. Totally agree that the Tahs marketing machine - along with the ARU having no brand marketing awareness.
Johnno
Guest
Too much KFC mania,.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Yes mate, we did give the Tahs at standing ovation - especially when Foley scored!
Johnno
Guest
Guys, Allanthus thank you for you pointing out my style i don't mind that one bit, someone is noticing me. Well on the import issue Allanthus, you only had to watch the western force vs the Bulls. And watch the positive impact Albe Mathewson and Sias ebersohn, had on the western force. Now are they harming Australian rugby, 2 halves preventing a local get an opportunity. No hardly. Without those 2 "foreign imports" the force would be rudderless. And Foreign import gareth Delve what a player. And now the rebels have a Japan player, a new market opens up too. And Matt gGiteau had a great game for Toloun VS Toulouse on the weekend. Is Giteau harming french rugby, by preventing a local get an opportunity, no hie is not. And we talk about attraction. The tahs could do with some more foreign import stars as the tahs crowd of 11,000 ve the rebels was the lower in there history, lowest crowd ever. When you compare what SBW Roosters VS the Bunnies on Thursday night is going to be at least 35,000 will be there probably will sell out by kick off. Talk about brand awareness advantage to the NRL big time. Waratahs and i live in there heartland eastern suburbs, I know know one talking about them in conversation, the wallabies yes, but the tahs, are like sydney FC, last year a ghost town in there own city.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
Good luck Rickerty trying to extract positive comments on the Tahs. Since you were at the game, can you confirm or deny the 'standing ovation' claim by Spiro that the Tahs received from the crowd in the second half. Is he right? I certainly had no sense of it from watching the game far away on TV. While I admired the brave souls that fronted-up to support the Tahs, I thought the only roar I heard was from the flood raging around my house. :(
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Not a problem guys, I am a cricket tragic as well. Apparently Clarke doesn't like Stephen o'Keefe - he has a first class batting average of 30 and has taken 78 wickets at 28 but can't get past Doherty who has a batting average of 13 and taken 122 wickets at whopping 45 - go figure.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Being a Wallaby 10 I guess he would probably fit in at around that number
Allanthus
Guest
Apologies Rickety, you've written a Tah's article and we're going on about the cricket. It's just so hard not to ignore the size of the train wreck, and as you say A Drive, the inevitability of it. I will say this about the Tahs, there is some intent there. It was like Cheika drew a line in the sand at halftime and called that as the low point, the last of the "old" Tahs if you like. There is something lurking underneath there that might only take one good win and a bit of increased confidence to bring to the surface.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Allanthus, Johnno can be exasperating but it's impossible to dislike him. I watched almost every ball yesterday. As dark a day as they come. What made yesterday (and the first day, come to that) so horrible was the sense of inevitability about it. Top order to fail? Check. Clarke to lead fightback? Check. India to bat for two days? They're halfway there with just one wicket down.