Stormers vs Waratahs highlights: Waratahs upset Stormers to take 2-point win

Hey buddy... as I originally tried to say before the 'Saders are the goods imho, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Canes there as well. Therefore, Digger would be most pleased. I've put it out there a few times regards the 'Saders simply because they haven't started the traditionally slow way, and they are solid mob across the park. Infact their forwards are really solid. And they're winning! Ironically the Canes have done a 'Saders impersonation this season... started slowly, maybe a little awkwardly, but are now putting it together. But what about the Chefs... no love for them? And Muzzo will be most offfended if I don't mentioned his 'where is my mojo Zoolanders' :)) Your thoughts about old Aussie aren't alone... and your point about the depth of quality in the coaching isn't to be ignored. But... it's that little old Aussie battler thing eh? Regardless, come Test match time we'll put together a competitive outfit... not necessarily a world beater, but all the same it won't be bad. Thus, for Aussie it's the sum of it's parts from Super Rugby to come Test Rugby time :) The Saffas... well they had a perfect opportunity to stake claim this past w'end. While the Shorks were impressive in a loss, the Stormers and Lions both lost at home to the Tahs and Canes respectively. Not a good look! And lastly... the Jags and Moondogs are debutants, and as such are excused. But I did think the Jags would do better. It's maybe that coaching thingy you were talking about. But having said all that... it's only the half way point of the season, and to speculate, Common Herd member or not, could be dangerous at the mo :)

Lovely stuff Mr K. Wayne Smith might be the exception that makes your player/coaching rule. Not suggesting he was the Dan Carter of his day but with 35 caps for the AB's you have to allow he was better than just handy. As for this competition, 'tis many a drop that's lost between the cup and lips."

I dunno Chook, I can't quite put a handle on this Super Competition to be honest, but one could imagine on form itself it'll end up with a pair of Kiwi teams playing off but who knows? The four Kiwi teams are travelling pretty well except perhaps for the Blues who for whatever reason are not firing as they should be with a playing Roster such as they have so I wouldn't put them in any playoff. The other three, ~ any one, be it the Chiefs, Highlanders or Hurricanes are certainly at this stage very capable of winning the whole thing with a slight question mark over the Highlanders. The Aussie' Super Franchises are grossly over represented as my Kiwi mate Spiro says, and subsequently the playing stocks are pretty thin. far too thin. two teams too thin in my opinion! There isn't one Aussie Super team you could pencil in as a ''maybe'' finalist playoffs or otherwise. Sadly, to keep the ''principle'' teams alive the Rebels and the Force should disappear. On the other side of the coin all Aussie Franchises need far better Coaches than they have at the moment, Foley I would imagine is a dead duck as should be Steve Larkham for the Brumbies., and the Reds Coach I know nothing of at all except he seems to have that team going a lot better than they have for a long while so I won't go there! The Rebels are am enigma, I can't quite fathom them out, ~ Their Coach appears to be reasonable and at times the team is capable of beating any team, far too inconsistent though, The Brumbies have the biggest problem, starting at the Hierarchy, everyone knows about that! They say the buck starts with the Coach, and I'm afraid good players rarely make good Coaches and it's showing at the Brumbies at this very moment, they're sadly going nowhere fast! The Waratahs are possibly the best off with playing stocks but I have a few doubts about Gibson as a Coach as all he's been is a C graded All Black for a couple of games then dumped, one of the Assistant Coaches at the Crusaders then the Waratahs under Cheika which is no great recommendation as Cheika in my eyes for all it's worth is a very, very, ordinary Coach at any level ~ pity help the Wallabies! ( Spiro and I certainly agree on that one) The South African Franchisees I wouldn't hazard to comment on at all as their system is Political so it's a no go for me! ~ On form though it couldn't really be said any of their teams are finals contenders. The Jaguares and the old Sunnies' from Japan are also rans and are really of no consequence! As far as good players not making good Coaches goes apart from a few exceptions, it's out there for all to view, they abound, Larkham, Umaga, Kirwan and chuck in Foley,Chieka, Hammett are but a few. and the few that have possibly made the grade could be Jamie Joseph, Todd Blackadder, Wayne Smith and a handful more, but most of the very best Coaches have been journeyman players who've turned out to be brilliant Coaches! ~ The few that spring to mind could be the current All Black coach, Shag' Hansen, Ian Foster, Dave Rennie, Warren Gatland, Joe Schmidt, the Hurricanes Coach whose name escapes me,, Colin Cooper, John Plumtree and it goes on. The abundance of good Coaches in New Zealand is there for all who care to do a bit of research, and the Australians could do well to just get around any of the larger rugby Provinces and just see for themselves, it's a proven product! So Chook, for an uneducated guess, I still reckon it'll be The Crusaders who I've followed as long as they've worn black and red, and the Hurricanes who I should follow as that's my patch! But as ''members of the Common Herd who are we to speculate anyway!

Haha Kirky... so it's da Canes and 'Saders in the Final eh!?! I'm sure Digger will be most happy with that prediction. Yeah... those 'Saders lads are looking pretty good, and I ain't talking about their Daggy haircuts!

I don't play bowls now mate I've gone a bit Churchy'. but yeah, I think the old yellow Beemer us still there, at the end of the day a Maori boy with a Beemer the same colour as the Wallaby strip with a pair of old Kiwi made boots hanging off the tow bar indicating in his mind that they're there for kicking yellow jersey butt , he would surely never get rid of it! Hurricanes and Crusaders at the Cake tin in the final mate!

Kirky... blow me down, pick me up, and dust me off! I knew it was you... it just had be you. And thank the gods for that... although I'm saddened to hear that your one, and only eye, is failing you mate. Argh... the things we take for granted when we was young and the like eh :) Anyhow, very much delighted that you've made your presence known here... and I hope you keep on keepin' on as I've always enjoyed your banter. Hey... just to kick things off, has your mate still got that 'yellow' BMW ?? :))

Tis' I Chook my friend! ~ You old Waratah you. ~ Can't blog much these days mate as I'm slowly losing my goddam' eyesight and have a hell of a problem seeing this keyboard, ~ Occasionally I jump in when something bugs me enough to espouse my semi negative thoughts! I could never compete with a guy with a lofty title such as GURU on a rugby blogsite anyway mate! I do miss my old bloggin' cobbers tho'!

Emery had his eye on the ball too, he was just a step later. I can accept in that situation he should have realised and pulled out, whereas Zas arrived at the ball the same time Foley did, he just didn't jump.

It's not a red card and the comparison to Emery is wrong. The Stormer always had his eye on the ball and was making a genuine attempt to jump and catch, Emery simply ran into the catcher. Penalty at the worst, rugby is a contestable game and that was just bad luck, no malice or reckless play was involved.

So what about when the leader of one loses to ones last placed side?

The Stormer's feet did not leave the ground. He took out Foley.

what are you on about? ...

Hear hear

Dear, dear. Any excuse.

Yes, they wrote up the rule book solely so that the Waratahs would win. It was a red card and has been for a while now. That the Stormers couldn't defend their lead with a few minutes to go was their problem. The Tahs had luck but with five to go and in front, the Stormers should have taken the game. That they didn't was their problem. Doesn't look the best for the as leaders of the SA franchises up against a team coming third in their own franchise.

Tough! The Stormers had the possession, territory and penalty count in their favour. A try to the Stormers with five to go and they blew it. Maybe a SA referee may have seen it differently.

@ taylorman : i keep repeating here that people shud watch the clash between Jessie Mogg and an englishman , in their euro match ( i think Montpelier v Exeter Chiefs). IMO , that is the worst air clash seen this year , worse than any seen in any other european club game or super rugger. both clash in the air and MOGG does a 360 in the air before landing concussed. however on that occasion the ref thought it was a "FAIR CONTEST" , becoz both went for the ball and played on (scrum to chiefs for mogg knock on). mogg went for concussion teat and returned to play later. no penalty , no card , no citing afterwards !!!

The slip wasn't a factor, it was the step before that when he could have jumped to contest.

So, if a player stands directly under where a high ball is coming down and another player jumps over them and ends up landing awkwardly that'd be a penalty against the guy who stood his ground? Of course not - being there first is obviously a consideration Peter, don't be disingenuous. There was only no contest cause Zas tried to catch the ball without jumping. Do you have to jump to avoid being penalised now.

Yep Ref was just about correct according to those interpretations. The TMO Shaun Veldsman, started to explain to the Ref that Zas had slipped. He did not get to explain that the slip may have prevented Zas from being in a realistic position to catch the ball which, if the slip had not occurred, might have constituted a "fair challenge" according to the interpretation. The Ref pointed out that the slip was irrelevant - the interpretation cannot be based upon assumptions about whether a fair challenge might have occurred.The fact of the matter was that there was no fair challenge and therefore no contest for the ball and the the outcome of the challenge was a player landing on shoulder / neck region. Unfortunately that combination equals a red card.