After last weekend’s hiding at the hands of the Brumbies, the NSW Waratahs must get a win tonight when they host the Cheetahs at Allianz Stadium. We’ll have live scores and commentary as the action unfolds from 7.30pm AEDT.
The Waratahs start a good stretch of matches at home this week, and need to get off on the right foot after being given a rugby lesson by the Brumbies last week.
Coming into town are the Cheetahs, who are high on confidence after a strong win against the Highlanders in Invercargill.
That isn’t an easy task, but their enthusiasm and strong running saw them win quite comfortably.
The Cheetahs jumped all over mistakes by the Highlanders and used that momentum to build a big first half lead that never looked like being run down.
One area the Waratahs haven’t been up to scratch this year, among many, is their start to the match. Three times out of three this year, the Waratahs have found themselves down at half time.
The Cheetahs began fierce early on against the Highlanders, and even in losing to the Chiefs started with sprightly enthusiasm.
If they kick off in similiar fashion tonight, it could set the early stages of this clash as a flash point for whether the Waratahs can get their season on track.
Sarel Pretorius will relish the first opportunity to play the Waratahs after spending a year with them last year that turned out to be as rocky as it was successful.
Full of confidence and aggression, this season back with the Cheetahs has started out much better and he’ll be looking to show what they are now missing out on.
Michael Cheika is trying to shake up his underperforming squad and has made a number of changes for the team to play this week.
The headline is Drew Mitchell being dropped from the match-day 22 all together. The changes are all over the side and on the bench and it will be interesting to see which new combinations work.
Lachie Turner and Peter Betham are the starting wingers, Israel Folau will revert back to starting full back and Ben Volavola will move back to the bench.
Berrick Barnes will fun on at inside-centre to replace Tom Carter who has been dropped from the whole team and Rob Horne comes onto the bench as a back replacement.
Tatafu Polota-Nau and Wycliffe Palu aren’t going to recover from injury in time, and they will be replaced by John Ulugia and Pat McCutcheon.
Dave Dennis slides over to number six, bumping Mitchell Chapman to the bench. Paddy Ryan gets a start at tight-head prop as well.
Realistically it’s easier not to read this team sheet through the prism of last week’s side. It is a revamped lineup and that is what Cheika is hoping will also take place on the field.
Cheika has rebooted the personnel in the hope the Waratahs are able to reboot their season against the Cheetahs this Friday.
Don’t forget to log on here for all the score updates, banter and commentary you can handle from 7.30pm AEDT!
[roargal]
HT, yeah we are poor, I am not afraid to admit that, are you?
Hightackle
Guest
Obviously you disagree Jiggles. Dont tell me, the Reds back row is better than the Tahs full strength one in Jiggles land and Deans will be a bad coach for not selecting them.
Hightackle
Guest
Sorry about the rant but I am just so over people saying that the Wallabies (a top 3 side) are not very good when they obviously are at least a top 3 side when missing guys like Pocock, Horwill, JOC, Genia and many others. Imo Aust had an amazingly successfull year in 2012 under the circumstances and to think that Aust failed when they were one of the very best in terms of wins and losses with such difficulties is just crazy imo. It is an insult to every other team including NZ and SA. Then Ive got Red Kev saying 2 of Austs very best over the last year or so shouldnt be in the team. They were 2 of the favs for the John Eales medal but should be dropped? How does that make any sense? I just dont get how you guys think or come to the conclusion that this is right.
Hightackle
Guest
Biltong they had the 2nd highest wins and win %. A higher win % than SA, Eng, Ite, Wal, Arg etc. SA got thrashed by NZ, they drew with Arg, the drew with Eng (Aust beat them) they came third in the RC (behind Aust) and SA got beaten by NZ twice too. What failures SA are. What a joke.
Hightackle
Guest
OMG! I get so frustrated with you people. AAC and Hooper were 2 of Australias best players last year are were towards the top of the polling in the John Eales medal. So for you to say they shouldnt be in the team is really quite stupid. Im sorry if that offends you but Hooper and AAC should clearly have been in the team becuz they were 2 of the very best in the team.
Hightackle
Guest
Reality!!!! Yes they had some heavy losses but who didnt? Every team did apart from NZ. Thats the point. Your so far from reality its not funny. Yes Biltong they had the most games but not only did they have the 2nd highest wins, they had the 2nd highest win %. what a bunch of losers they are. Pffft THEY ARE RANKED 3RD IN THE WORLD!!!!! So by your genius 8 of the top 10 failed. Seriously WTF are you talking about? A higher win % than SA too. So #2 are failures too. It staggers me how stupid it is to say that Australia failed at rugby by arguably being the 2nd best in the world last year. Dont tell me about reality, your claiming its reality for the team who had the 2nd highest win % and wins failed. That is f-ing stupid to put it bluntly and 7 teams out of the top 10 would trade places in a heartbeat. You are being ridiculous.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
As you can see Hightackle the whole range of statistics, as recounted by others here, can be a real plugger can't they? The Wobblies indeed "drew with No 1", and got walloped by them twice; "beat No 2", and got even more walloped by them; and "beat No 9" up here while I watched in astonishment as they tried ever so hard to lose. And against France? They won by half time and then lapped us again! Reality can be so un-positive!
Mark Richmond
Roar Guru
The Crusaders lost because of a lazy bit of play that resulted in the intercept try. As yet the Crusaders are not what I would call one of the top teams this year. If the Bulls, Blues, Chiefs, and possibly the Stormers and maybe the Brumbies had played against any of those four sides last night it would have been 4 try bonus points all round. The point is that on those performances last night they will not be contenders.
jeznez
Roar Guru
BBK, that makes them 10 AUD so Lloyd is pretty much on the mark.
Suzy Poison
Guest
My poor language skills. I meant 7 Wallabies players( who had represented Austraulia) in the starting Tahs team.. The Cheetahs have two players who have represented South Africa in the starting team. Goosen would be the only starting Bok. Strauss is behind Bismark in the pecking order. But it's that old cliche, a team of stars versus a star team. However despite all the negatitivity I think the Tahs could come good at the back end of the season, when the players start to play for each other.
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
That chip was the greatest kick-the-bej@@sus-out-of-whatever-is-nearest-weak-and-loudest moment for all moments. AAARGH, don't send boys out to play a man's game!!!
Red Kev
Guest
Yeah that was a shocker
Red Kev
Guest
Palu is the only Waratah that should be starting. AAC and Hooper should be on the bench. That's it. 3 players. If the side is picked on ability and form. Since it is Deans I am expecting 5 in the starting side and another 3 on the bench.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Yeaaaaah sick....
Boomeranga
Guest
I have to apologise to the board and certainly chiefs fans for my posting on this thread. Very ordinary behaviour on my part. Uppercut will be self delivered.
Boomeranga
Guest
Yeah, that's fair enough Marley. I lost it on this thread and apologise to Chiefs fans, and to the board generally.
Kane
Roar Guru
Three 20+ point losses last year was it?
RocknRoll29
Guest
The Waratahs are just not that good. They are trying real hard, have great coaches - the boys are just not up to it. Skills wise and toughness is lacking. No old school leaders anymore - so a soft culture has set in. Cheika will change it - but it cld take a while and players will run overseas rather than fight.
Loydd the cheapest tickets I have bought was R100.
LloydSix
Guest
Agreed BB, tickets are not $3 - probably closer to $15 plus the fact that income per capita is far less than Aus.