Here are my player ratings from Round 3 of Super Rugby. Submit your own, keeping the figures for mediocre scores aside for reasons of brevity and so that the focus is on the best and worst performers.
I would like to build on this every week, using a few important rules. Scores should be either anyone above 7 or anyone below 4, i.e. for very good and poor performances. There is no point in publishing a range of scores of 5 and 6. Half scores are allowed i.e. 7.5, 3.5 and so on.
Please submit your own scores for a whole team. The minimum is one team, there is no obligation to score all the games. I average the scores per team by the number submitted. I will compile every ones submitted teams scores and produce Wallaby form teams later in the week both team of the round and accumulative teams.
Barring the Force, the scrummaging of Australian teams still continues to impress.
Reds
The Reds game was typical of a lot of Wallaby games, better in the backs with enterprising skilful play, but dominated in the forwards at the ruck and eventually lose in a close one.
The Reds edged the scrum but Highlanders won the lineout. Reds are missing Rob Simmons in the lineouts.
James O’Connor had a very good debut considering his long break, and that 10 is not his natural position. Will Genia is back to very good form but still not his best.
J. Slipper 7.5/10
S. Fainga’a 7.5/10
S. Talakai 7.5/10
W. Genia 8/10
J. O’Connor 8/10
C. Kuridrani 7.5/10
A. Fainga’a 3/10
D. McDuling 3/10
Force
No heart, no fight, no skills – no wonder it was a drubbing. It must have been a long disappointing night for Force fans. They were beaten in every facet of the game but particularly in the scrum.
B. McCalman 7.5/10
Z Holmes 7.5/10
P. Cowan 3/10
N. Charles 3/10
T. Faulkner 3/10
L. Burton 3/10
Rebels–Brumbies
This was an entertaining hard fought game.
The downlights were the conditions, and the refereeing. Steve Walsh’s performances are normally of the highest quality, and one of the best referees in the world in refereeing the situation and letting the game flow. However his first three games this season have been very poor.
The Rebels suffered more from both. They made a lot of handling errors and Walsh’s mistakes cost them dearly.
The scrummaging was a willing contest and the honours were split evenly. Brumbies dominated the lineout, with the short locks of the Rebels found out. Coach Steve Larkham did his homework here.
The Brumbies maul is a thing of beauty and powered them to the win. The Rebels dominated possession and territory and made a lot of breaks and played the more adventurous skillful play in the backs but handling let them down.
Brumbies snuffed out any try scoring situations in their 22 by any means necessary. Scott Fardy was an outstanding warrior at the ruck, a real nuisance and tough nut.
The Brumbies have the most potent Australian backline yet Matt Toomua just does not get it working and they rely on individual brilliance rather than clever ensemble play.
Rebels
S. McMahon 8/10
L. Jones 7.5/10
N. Stirzaker 8/10
J. Debreczeni 7.5/10
Brumbies
S. Sio 8/10
S. Fardy 8.5/10
R. Arnold 7.5/10
J. Butler 7.5/10
T. Kuridrani 7.5/10
PeterK
Roar Guru
IMO he is the form scrumhalf. If he keeps this up I would select him to start in the RC and see how he goes. IMO despite form Cheika will stick with experienced halves for the RWC. So the halves chosen will be Genia, Phipps and White. Strizaker has the speed and running game of Genia. He has the speed to ruck and fitness of Phipps. He has a great pass. He choice of when to kick is the best, rarely box kicks. His main weakness is defence.
John
Guest
Stirzaker for a WC spot? He is legitimate!
PeterK
Roar Guru
Luke - I love you too
RobC
Roar Guru
re Force. NIL. Watched the game. No standouts, well except the big dog (7.5?). No villians
RobC
Roar Guru
Gday Peter. Mr Arnold it is! cheers
PeterK
Roar Guru
RobC Thanks by Rory I assume Arnold? Force - NIL - Is that because you are not providing ratings (did not watch it) or no one scored high or low?
RobC
Roar Guru
Gday PeterK. Thanks again! Reds: JOC 7.5 Genia 8 CFS 8 Force nil Rebs Sean Mc 9 Harris 7.5 Jones 7.5 Higgers 7.5 Brumbies Fardy 9 Rory Carter Bulter Vaea 7.5 Slow week
Brian USA
Guest
Reds: Slipper: 7.5/10 Faingaa: 7.5/10 Talakai: 8/10 Gill: 7.5/10 Schatz: Would be a 3/10 if it werent for his try... Genia: 8.5/10 JOC: 7.5/10 Ant F: 2.5/10 Force: McCalman: 7.5/10 Rest of the pack: 2.5/10 Side note: What is all the praise Godwin gets? He looks pedestrian Rebels: Timani: Not as good as his previous games, but still a 7.5/10 L Jones: 7.5/10 McMahon: 8.5/10 Higgers: 2/10 Harris: 7.5/10 Brumbies: Sio: 7.5/10 Fardy: 7/10 No 8 (I forget his name): 3/10 (penalized all night) Kuridrani: 8/10 Tomane: 1/10 (based solely on those stupid pigtails...)
Brian USA
Guest
Peter: I agree with your assessment of Toomua. While he is a fine player and hasn't made many glaring mistakes, he seems to be struggling to unlock all of his weapons outside him. He is a good 10, but a better 12. Conversely, I think CLL is a good 12, but better 10. I still can't figure out why the two haven't been switched yet...
Iwillnotstandby
Guest
Particularly as rebels players often managed to find themselves standing or slowly meandering around the brumbies side of the ruck and running of lot of blockers. Walsh had a shocker both ways and I have no objection to the video ref calling no try after Walsh awarded it. If he couldn't see the grounding why not call for the video ref?
Luke
Guest
Your ratings need to be reviewed and are pointless
PeterK
Roar Guru
Thanks. Only australian players. No need to score canes. I compile a Roar Wallaby Form team from these.
Ken
Roar Rookie
Rebels S. McMahon 8/10 N. Stirzaker 8/10 J. Debreczeni 3.5/10 Higgie 3/10 Canes Jane. 8/10 Barrett 8.5/10 Savea J. 8.5/10
PeterK
Roar Guru
He missed 6 tackles a lot of which led to tries. He ran 8 times for 11 metres.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Actually I am a fan of Toomua , just more at 12 than 10. Of course I can cherry pick this game since the review / scores were for round 3. Toomua had a good game against the Chiefs, just after 50 mins White kicked it away and there was no shape to the attack the few times Toomua did get it.
jutsie
Guest
PAE handled sio quite well too when he came on. the scrums were not he one sided contest the commentators were making them out to be.
Lano
Roar Guru
I rest my case.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Really not a fan of Toomua's are you PeterK. I'd rate Toomua as the best all round flyhalf in the country, his service is generally very good, although he does occasionally go missing when some marshalling is needed, but then again all players do. You can't cherry pick one performance like that, Toomua is a consistent performer and is getting more and more consistent, but yes, not his best performance against the Rebels, but then again the Brums as a whole played like shite for most of the game.
Selector
Guest
Hey Peter Just wanted to get your take on Luke Burton and the reason for the 3/10. I am not contesting it, given I only watched portions of the match. However, the things I saw were some hard tackles and decent kicks. I honestly hope Foley invests in Burton/Godwin 10/12 (not sure which one in which position yet), as I think they could make an amazing playmaker combo in the future.
Lano
Roar Guru
well, such is life: PeterK, no-one listens! despite you posting your rules/ voting guidelines every week, all you have to show for it is a bunch of comments but no scores! Let me add to this non-compliance: I missed this week's games due to travel, but I would like to add to the pro-Tahs conspiracy by voting as follows: - Kurtley Beale - 9 points