Can it be? Perhaps the biggest underachiever in Australian sport, the NSW Waratahs, actually look like a darn good rugby team.
Of course, it’s only Round 3 and any long-term Waratahs sufferer will tell you they still have plenty of time to ‘bottle it’.
After all, this is the Tahs we’re talking about, a franchise doused in years of failure and public embarrassment.
However, you can’t not admire the rugby the sky blue are dishing up at the moment.
Under Michael Cheika it’s hard not to notice a strong Randwick influence on the team. It’s been some years since we’ve seen a Tahs forward pack popping passes, backing up and actually featuring in sweeping waves of well co-ordinated attack.
Combined with some raw physicality, led by terrific new recruit Jacques Potgieter and an in-shape Wycliff Palu, the forwards are laying the perfect platform for the star-studded backline.
Outside the very talented Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale looks a player reborn at inside centre. The partnership is blossoming and the contrasting style between the two allows for different dimensions in attack.
Foley’s rigid passing and kicking game provide tempo and direction while Beale’s flashes of flair offers a lethal variance to the Tahs potent repertoire.
In Israel Folau they have the best attacking player in the country. Despite less games than some teams, Folau has more tries, line breaks and offloads than any player in the competition and is second overall in metres gained.
There’s no doubt about it, ‘Izzy’ is a bonafide superstar and is quickly becoming the best cross-code convert in the professional era.
A quick look at the Tahs bench would suggest they are well equipped to make a run at the title.
Players like Sekope Kepu, Rob Horne and Brendan McKibbin have played enough Super Rugby to cover potential injuries and, as we saw on Saturday night against the Reds, the career of Stephen Hoiles is anything but over.
Whether the Tahs can keep pace for an entire season remains to be seen but at the very least we might start to see some more bums on seat at home games.
Which leads me to another point – every game played at ANZ is a loss for the Tahs organisation. When will they understand that nobody wants to go to Olympic Park to watch rugby?
Aside from Concord Oval, The SFS is the spiritual home of NSW Rugby and fans don’t want to do a one-to-two hour commute to Homebush, they want to be sipping beers in Paddington and not stuck on a God awful train meandering through unflattering train stations on the outskirts of Sydney.
It sounds snobby, but sorry this is reality, Tahs fans are the pretentious type and generally hail from the North Shore, Northern Beaches or the Eastern Suburbs.
The organisation can’t whinge about the generic make up of their fans either, they lured them in through years of corporate promotion and white collar ticketing packages.
Aside from the Mardi Gras clash last week, I can’t see any reason why NSW would contemplate playing at ANZ – and certainly not later this year for the Brumbies clash.
Obviously there is some financial or sponsorship reasoning behind this but when are the powers that be going to start to listening to the people that matter?
Anyway, at least for once we have an exciting team to watch that is spearheaded by Cheika, a no-nonsense Sydney club rugby legend with the famous poker face.
The season is long and titles aren’t won in February but maybe the Waratahs are finally ready for a bloom.
Anthony
Roar Rookie
Rigid was actually a compliment Bennalong! I meant his kicking and passing game is firm or really tight. His overall game is great, I agree he changes it up well. He will put pressure on Quade if he keeps it up.
The V Man
Guest
You are right. Nowhere.
RobC
Guest
Thanks for the correction. I meant the Force - not Brumbies
Michael
Guest
They have not played the Brumbies game. They play in Canberra in a fortnight......
Michael
Guest
Completely agree. I have been to the Blues trial and the Force game but could not bring myself to do the ANZ trip.... Will definitely be there for the Rebels though, shaping up as a great game actually.
ANON69
Guest
I think the entire commentary team should be kicked out and bring in different bunch. Listening to Greg Clark makes me vomit.
RobC
Guest
Tahs looked good in the Reds game. Looked ok in the Brumbies game. Interested to see what happens next
RobC
Guest
Tahs looked good in the Reds game. Looked ok in the Brumbies game. Interested to see what happens next
RobC
Guest
The Reds had their stuffing knocked out well before half-time. Its also mental - they had no answer, so their spirit then their body gave up.
bennalong
Guest
I agrree with the positivity of this piece, but calling Foley "rigid" is a bridge too far! I remain surprised that he is getting few enthsiastic accolades. I think as I said to Brett, he leaves Toomua for dead as a 10 and is going to challenge Cooper for the spot if the Red pivot can't respond better than on Saturday night He is more than capable of jinking through the line, and is responsible for getting the backline going more often than any Tahs team of the last decade. He seems to have oodles of time and takes the ball to the line courageously. He mixes things up beautifully and hasn't been put off (too much?) having his x-factor competition positioned next to him in the line He tackles round the boot straps and flattened Quade twice in the last game. The kid's fantastically mature and unselfish. He deserves more recognition.
bennalong
Guest
Jeez A pathetic picture Doug!
Old Bluey
Guest
When was a Kiwi or Afrikaner ever named BAZZA !
Zero Gain
Guest
I agree with the headline. They do look very good.
In Brief
Guest
I might make the trek into Sydney, partly to support the 'tahs, but also to watch Rebels who play great rugby.
ozinsa
Guest
Care to take some odds from me on that happening bazza?
ozinsa
Guest
Even though he comes from Randwick, I've always liked Hoiles. He was good on Saturday wasn't he? If we could fix up the lineout sans Dennis, the team looked better balanced with Hoiles than with Dennis. He excels in open games on dry tracks whilst not shirking the stuff a 6 has to do. I only saw an hours' highlights of the Rebels match but apparently Sean McMahon went great guns. Maybe our problems at 6 in the Wallabies are coming to an end.
Tatah
Guest
Back in 1966 England won the world cup soccer. About the same relevance to the 2014 Waratahs as what happened in May 2002.
Winston
Guest
very few wallabies would make the ab bench.
Redsfan1
Guest
Still think Toomua is far better then Beale at 12. Beale is a 15. I wish they'd stop shuffling backs around in Aussie rugby just so they can be in the starting 15.
Rebel
Guest
Yes and Cate Blancette can play his nemesis Quade.