A familiar funk descended over Allianz Stadium on Sunday. Waratahs fans who recall recent nadirs of the pre-Michael Cheika era are acquainted with the feeling: kick, kick, groan, repeat.
A 41-22 scoreline might not suggest it, but the men in blue gave the undefeated Crusaders a genuine scare. With 25 minutes left, the Tahs clawed their way back to 22-26 and had the visitors briefly rattled.
Ultimately, they only ever got that close despite themselves.
Without Bernard Foley steering the ship the Waratahs always look a different team, but the kicking game of young halves pairing Jake Gordon and Mack Mason was catastrophic.
Mason, on debut, gets a pass because his chip kicking at least showed attacking intent, albeit misguided. Gordon’s repeated box-kicking, however, was so contemptible it almost looked like match fixing. To do so against slick Kiwi opposition is criminal.
Let’s settle this. There are only two acceptable scenarios for a box kick:
A) If it finds touch, giving your forwards a rest.
B) If the opponents’ back three are out of position, forcing a hurried clearance, penalty, or potentially regaining possession.
Yet the box kick has become the tic du jour for modern halfbacks, symptomatic of a non-existent gameplan.
In just 172 minutes of playing time this season, Gordon has kicked in open play 18 times ‒ once every nine-and-a-half minutes. On Sunday, he kicked possession away ten times in an hour. No Crusader kicked more than three times throughout.
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Halfback is a role that begs to be underplayed. Distribute efficiently and snipe around the ruck if gaps start to open. That’s the brief.
If Daryl Gibson is encouraging Gordon’s kicking game, then he’s unfit for purpose. If he didn’t deliver a strict moratorium on kicking at halftime against the Crusaders, likewise. That he didn’t immediately hook Gordon for more wastefulness in the second half, see above.
To meekly surrender possession to a grateful Crusaders back three was only ever going to end one way. The Waratahs defence, staggered and staggering, was promptly cut to ribbons ‒ 47 missed tackles (for those keeping count).
The thing is, when they hold onto the ball, they look dangerous. You build pressure by building phases, pulling the defensive line out of shape. It’s the blueprint for any successful season ‒ see the 2014 Waratahs and 2011 Reds for reference. Or any New Zealand team, really.
If the home crowd had hoped for respite with the introduction of Nick Phipps, they were out of luck. Phipps’ first order of business was to slice a box kick almost directly vertical. Allianz Stadium groaned a collective groan that suggested ticket sales will take a dive for upcoming fixtures.
The Waratahs are not without signs of life. Michael Hooper continues to do the work of two men. Tolu Latu grows in stature every week. And Ned Hanigan is a model of efficiency at the lineout. There’s a platform aching to be built on.
“We got close but we know exactly what we need to improve,” said Gibson after the loss. If that’s true, he needs to get a hell of a lot better at getting his message across. On recent evidence, Gibson’s gameplan is either flawed, non-existent, or poorly communicated.
At a time when Australian rugby is under intense scrutiny, any one of those could be a bootable offence.
Tez
Guest
I reckon Gibson is on his last legs. I am often flumoxed by his team selections. For instance, Folau was returned to fullback against the Rebels and looked far more composed, dangerous in attack and involved in the game. Cameron Clarke comes on at 13 and looks comfortable. Then the following week Folau is back at 13 and Clarke is on the bench. Enough Gibson ..... settle on a backline and let them build some combinations ..... and put a ban on kicking.
double agent
Guest
How many people can kick like FDP? No Australian that's for sure. It was boring to watch too!!
cs
Roar Guru
Well said Charlie.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
For a while the Tahs and WB had Izzy Folau chasing their kicks, which makes sense considering how good he is in the air. A counter tactic that I see often used in SR by certain teams (I won't name them) is if the opposition puts up a kick, many of the defending beef-eaters slowly turn and stay almost in line as they trudge back to the new position. Any chasers thus have to weave through them. As long as they don't dramatically change their line, it's a legal form of obstruction.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Jock, even Cooper Cronk would be frustrated to hell if his uber-trained Melbourne players didn't follow up and harass/contest for the ball. Plus why the hell would the ARU spend millions for a player already counting his retirement pension. His move to Sydney is just that, 2 years maximum. If they were going to buy C.Cronk, they should have got him 10 years ago, but then the WB had W.Genia and G.Gregan at the time. As TT above says, its not so much the kick but the lack of team coordination and plans about the kicks. Cronk is excellent as he can land a ball almost perfectly, with enough time up in the air and a short enough distance that his chasing players can put serious heat on opposition catchers and force errors. And it's a very successful game plan. In RU you see similar tactics by the Highlanders, Ireland, England and many other winning teams time after time. Compare that with many Aussie RU halves who just boot the hell out of the ball to anywhere. There seems no plan as you don't see a line of hungry chasers charging forward to stress the opposition back three. In the Crusaders' match, many times Tahs players were standing stunned as yet another ill-directed kick went up. Where the hell is the coaching? It's the same story with the WB. I'm not suggesting to do it all the time but a good box kick, WITH an organised chase, is a really good offensive move which can get you behind a solid rush defence. Surely to god it's not beyond a decent coach to plan this at practice. A signal that the kick is on with the fastest jackel and a tall back chasing to harrass the catcher, or win the ball or deck and ruck him. Others move up in a straight line with the chasers so if the ball somehow does get passed, they are there in an organised defence.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Fourie du Preez won a world cup with Habana chasing his box kicks.
double agent
Guest
Coaches have become obsessed with box kicks. Shute Shield coaches and even lower grade coaches are all telling their 9s to kick even though most of them have barely kicked in their lives. Look at Phipps. They see Ben Youngs do it and think that's great but he is one of only a few 9s in the world that consistently puts up good kicks. Also are chasers are usually abysmal.
piru
Roar Rookie
That's a made up name, surely
piru
Roar Rookie
The attitude problem so often despairingly spoken about on this page is unique to one or two teams in Australia. You can't tell me the Force second rower wrong footing the Blues backs and putting DHP away for a try on the 78 minute mark of a lost game has a 'public servant' attitude. Nor the continual fight after 80 minutes to score another one Just a bit sick of hearing "The Waratahs have X problem" being translated into "The problem with Australian rugby is X". They are not one and the same, thankfully
piru
Roar Rookie
Nothing wrong with a box kick when it's used well, but if it's not being chased then what's the point? An Aaron Smith putting one up in front of a Jane or Dagg is a great attacking weapon.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Agreed, the Force and Brumbies might not be great teams, but I think we're punching above our weight given the players we have on our teams. We're trying hard and competing well, we just don't quite have the spark to beat the top teams.
piru
Roar Rookie
Can you PLEASE stop attributing Waratah problems to Australian rugby.
Ian Brown
Roar Pro
Irrespective of good kicking/poor kicking the Waratah team is comprised of a lot of passengers. If you analysis the teams who either win the SR comp or the NRL comp they are made up of 3 to 5 outstanding players and the rest are solid hard working guys who put in each week. In other words there are no or maybe only a small weakness across the park. Have a look at the Waratahs. Front three ok Latu in particular is going ok except for line outs, locks well the least said there the better, back row Hooper outstanding the other two work in progress. Backline, halves Gordon promising the newbie ok, midfield POOR including Folau, the wingers terrible Robinson had 3 try assists except they were for the Crusaders and Clarke ok. The bench is where there is an enormous issue, the whole forward replacement group is sub standard and well Phipps no and the back reserves don't cut it, I am sorry if the big Fijian can't play 80 mins on the wing then no. The side has only one outstanding player Hooper, a couple of good/ok players and probably 10 ten weak areas, the results will be self evident.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen NSW
Guest
When I watched the game I was surprised at the contrasting opinions of two of the Fox Sport commentators. One was Kafe and the other possibly Kearnsy, but I'm not too sure. Kafe actually endorsed the kicking - which I thought was odd as without chasers, all it achieved was to hand back hard fought pill to one of the best counter attacking Teams on the planet. A few have noted that NZ 9's kick more than our 9's, and that may or may not be true. But I think what is true is that our kicks seldom result in anything other than putting us immediately under pressure again. One would imagine that some of our backs would be primed and chasing that kick to hopefully regain possession or at least to apply pressure. But nope there appears to be no interest in the idea. They seem more interested in conserving energy. By comparison the Kiwis are hungry to regain possession and chase everything like a Kelpie after a tennis ball. This puts pressure on the receiver who often stuffs-up with a knock-on, a poor pass or a crap return kick. I've mentioned before that we're wanting to play like the Kiwi's, which is understandable given that they are playing such an attractive and successful style of footy. Clearly copying them without their fitness, their skills, their smarts or their coaching, will not work. IMHO it's past time for some serious brain trusts to get their heads together to try and come up with a plan rather like the 1977 school boys did. We need to break out of the chains of poor impersonators and become once again innovators. To continue on our current path is a road to doom and destruction.
TonyH
Roar Rookie
Irrespective of his effectiveness as a box kicker, there's no question that Jake Gordon has the potential to be a world class half-back. Unlike Mr. Phibbs, he is a quick and, more pertinently, accurate passer of the ball, who has tactical and spatial awareness and is not scared to take the ball to the line.
concerned supporter
Guest
@Jameswyn You are absolutely right.Do you know whether big N was injured recently? Seems unlikely as he has been selected for the last 3/4 weeks for the Waratahs.
Jameswm
Guest
You do realise that when someone's been injured, they're not fully fit the day they are no longer injured? FIT can mean a few things. For example - you can't do much running fitness with a leg injury. And it takes about 6 weeks for your body to adapt to a new phase of training.
concerned supporter
Guest
Chris Malone said ""He's just working his way back into some form and fitness, 'big T'," Malone said" If Gibson, Malone & Grey can not get full time professional players FIT, they all should resign to day. These professionals have all day, every day to devote to Rugby.
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Waratahs may be interested in signing up little-known NZ rugby tactician Leigh Hart. On the premise that attack is the best form of defence, he is a proponent of the defensive bomb, the up-and-under from behind your own team's goal line. It is of course, the last thing the opposition is expecting. Not surprisingly, this tactic has not caught on. Yet. Maybe v Hurricanes on Friday night?
Fin
Guest
I think Gordon executes the box kick quite well compared to most Aussie 9s. I don't think it's the kicking that is the problem it's what happens next. there is absolutely no cohesion with the defence in that broken play, there is no defensive line there is no spacing no structure. Anyone with a bit of pace is a good chance of just weaving their way through. The Tahs attack quite well in broken play they just don't defend well- in 2014 they did. I don't think they are fit enough.