Allianz Stadium was a strange place to be on Friday night.
The Waratahs had declared their intention to bin the box kick and get back to running rugby during the week. It was a bizarre admission of erstwhile poor tactics. Perhaps it was more a desperate plea to fans. Against a footloose Kings outfit, we were at least promised entertainment.
The early signs were good. The Tahs raced to a 17-0 lead, though both sides had a frantic air to them. There were handling errors and messy scrums, but it was all a bit of fun.
The crowd laughed gloatingly at the replay of Wandile Mjekevu’s dreadful missed tackle that allowed Rob Horne to score. Even when the Kings clawed their way back into the match, it seemed a matter of time before the Tahs revved up again and put them to the sword.
But the mood changed. Actually, it was hard to gauge the mood throughout, such was the stadium’s obsession with filling every possible moment with blaring noise. Every kick for touch, scrum reset, or brief pause for injury came with its own obnoxious soundtrack. Often the music bled over into whole sequences of play as the teams tried to make lineout calls or hear the referee’s instructions.
If someone gifted you the playlist from Allianz Stadium on Friday, you wouldn’t even listen to it out of courtesy. In fact, you’d reassess the friendship. A couple of choice cuts included Sweet Home Alabama, followed by All the Single Ladies and capped off with everyone’s favourite audio lobotomy, LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem.
In the meantime, the Tahs stadium announcer bounced around the stands, cackling maniacally, trying to whip up a frenzy among the fans with the tone of a TV rug salesman. He tried to start chants, bellowing “New South Wales! New South Wales!” just as the Kings strolled over for a try.
Most fans go to the game as a social outing, using breaks in play to chat or indeed cheer. Yet we weren’t even afforded this respite from the tepid on-field fare. The stadium speakers thwomped and screeched for two hours as the Tahs continued their procession to ignominy.
At one point the referee tried to review potential foul play on the big screen, only to be delayed by a crudely animated blue frog overlaid on different sections of the crowd, encouraging them to dance.
All in all it was the single most alienating and unenjoyable experience I’ve had in over 20 years of attending Waratahs games. Between the ground announcer, the stadium DJ and the Tahs themselves, it was an utter shambles. The entire performance was a disjointed cacophony, tone deaf and tragic. Right now they’re a team desperate to add the bells and whistles before they’ve mastered the basics.
“A lot of talk, not much action there,” captain Michael Hooper said post-match. “It was a pretty embarrassing performance from us.” \
He’s one man who cares. It remains unclear how much the rest do.
Daryl Gibson must go. That much is obvious. His stay of execution looks more nonsensical by the day. The best we can hope is that this is, in fact, rock bottom. Though it’s best to tread carefully ‒ who knows when another trapdoor will give way.
piru
Roar Rookie
I miss the Terminator intro music when the team runs out - though I see we've got the 'Money for nothing' riff back at half time.
piru
Roar Rookie
The "We Are Red" thing annoys me, it's a straight rip off of "We Are Marshall" from Marshall U in the USA. And it started up around the same time the movie of the same name was released... coincidence?
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Come to NIB stadium in Perth (while you still can). No fireworks, No giant Bunsen burners Kid friendly (they are free in fact) Rabid yet respectful fans that don't boo when the opposition attempts a conversion or penalty, nor their own side when they lose. And they wonder why the Force and Rebels have growth instead of contraction in their grass roots programs.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
And what....aspire to the depths of the Tahs...he is only one man....he won't make anything change..
P2R2
Roar Rookie
Highlanders
Ryan
Roar Rookie
We'll have em at the Canes. Gibbo has a great mind, minus the quality cattle to execute.
Uncle Eric
Guest
Aren't you lucky, the only mention of rugby on the ABC news this year has been the negative stuff around culling two teams.
Phil
Guest
I agree with you about ToddB being a good coach but what was the Euro semi you mentioned?I watched Saracens v Munster and Clermont v Leinster in Euro Championship semis over weekend.
Gewurtz
Guest
Can it be used as a sheet of toilet paper? ?
Rebellion
Guest
Wow Deano You just got 'owned'. Some of what you have to say is informative however you really need to drop the Kiwi arrogance and stop reinventing history. Everyone knows the kiwis are the best in the world at rugby right now and their pathways and administration are the absolute benchmark - however a player like Michael Ala'alatoa is allowed to slip through the net in Aus rather than be reinvented as a player in NZ. I have no doubt he would most probably be a better player for playing in the kiwi system but he was plucked from the Waratahs squad and slotted straight into the Crusaders squad. It wasn't 3 years of rebuilding - it was an off season
ThePope
Guest
Nah, Tony Brown is only signed on for one contract, I believe.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Rugby is becoming more elitist and harder to play
Cuw
Guest
LOL ToddB coached BATH lost last night in euro semi to Stade Fr. due to a last minute drop goal. and that was away from home . Bath are currently 5th in Aviva , in his first season. Crusaders lost a final due to a last minute wrong penalty decision. i cant remember how many years the crusaders under TB finished among the top 8 in super rugger . had the conference system and the travel requirements (not forgetting the earthquake affected team) been a little more favorable they could have won a couple of times. so he is a bad coach?
Cuw
Guest
he hasnt got the results to get a NZ super team head coach position. guys like Tony Brown , Scott Robertson, Tana Umaga either were apprentices and/or did well at ITM level. Blues - Head coach: Tana Umaga Assistant coach: Steve Jackson (Forwards coach) Assistant coach: Alistair Rogers (Defence coach) Assistant coach: Dave Ellis (Skills coach) Head strength & conditioning coach: Jason Price Mental skills coach: Kylie Wilson Chiefs - Head coach: Dave Rennie Assistant coaches: Andrew Strawbridge Kieron Keane Neil Barnes Performance Analysts: Regan Hall Mark Ray Crusaders - Head coach: Scott Robertson Assistant coaches: Leon MacDonald Jason Ryan Brad Mooar Highlanders - Head coach: Tony Brown Assistant coaches: Clarke Dermody Jon Preston Mark Hammett Scott McLeod Hurricanes - Head coach : Chris Boyd Assistant Coaches : John Plumtree Clark Laidlaw technical advisor Richard Watt technical advisor i think Rennie is going to Glasgow, right? so that is the only position coming up in NZ.
Charlie Lawry
Roar Guru
I miss those days too
AndyS
Guest
Worry is the operative word, and with good reason. Rugby has historically always steadfastly resisted growing their base, and are actively continuing to do so even now. Well, the other sports aren't so precious and they are rapidly eating that base away. That is not going to change, so we absolutely should worry...the path we're on only leads one way and it's all downhill.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Get off my grass jackass!
piru
Roar Rookie
How about the NSWRU worry about NSW The QRU worry about Queensland and the ARU worry about Australia (ie all of it, not just what they can see out the window)
piru
Roar Rookie
No one's given up over here mate
Jock Cornet
Guest
Agree we have to worry about qld act and nsw first. The other states are just diversions that offer very little to the wallabies or growth of players.