New Zealand’s worst remains a class above Australia’s best after the Blues downed the NSW Waratahs by seven points in their Super Rugby clash in Sydney.
A week after keeping Australia’s conference-leading Brumbies tryless in Canberra, the Blues accounted for the Waratah 40-33 at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite sitting last in the cut-throat New Zealand conference, the Blues buried the Waratahs to extend the Kiwi dominance over Australian opposition to 17 wins from as many trans-Tasman encounters in 2017 and dealt their opponents’ finals hopes a potentially fatal blow.
Israel Folau broke the longest tryscoring drought of his five-year Super Rugby career with a second-half double, but the superstar fullback’s first strikes in seven games were not enough for the Waratahs.
With a bye and no opportunity to make inroads next week, the Waratahs are four competition points adrift of the Brumbies after suffering four straight home defeats for the first time in five years.
The damage was done in a dismal first half from the hosts.
Starved of possession, the Waratahs wasted virtually any ball they had with fundamental errors.
They knocked on, conceded turnovers, gave away scrum penalties on their own feed, kicked out on the full or simply kicked the ball away despite only having it for barely 20 per cent of the half.
The Waratahs were also punished for their ill-discipline, with five-eighth Piers Francis nailing four penalty goals and also converting the Blues’ both first-half tries to help the visitors to a 26-0 lead at the interval.
The Waratahs spent much of the week working on their one-on-one defence but it didn’t help Folau, Ned Hanigan or Tolu Latu as winger Reiko Ioane beat all three in a slashing 50-metre strike for the Blues’ first five-pointer in the 21st minute.
It was hard to know whether disgruntled fans were filing out of the ground or just to the bar after Blues lock Scott Scrafton strolled over a minute before halftime.
Folau crossed two minutes in to the second half before hooker Tolu Latu, back from a shoulder injury, briefly raised hopes of the Waratahs pulling off their greatest-ever comeback win.
Alas, Ioane’s second of the night, quickly followed by another from his brother Akira in the 66th minute blew the Blues’ lead back out to 40-12.
The Tahs finished with a flurry, claiming a bonus point after late tries to Bernard Foley (69th minute), Folau and prop Paddy Ryan at the death.
Ruckin' Oaf
Guest
Right so it is the vibe, it's the feels, it's what you saw. ---When someone looks at me and earnestly says, “I know what I saw,” I am fond of replying, “No you don’t.” You have a distorted and constructed memory of a distorted and constructed perception, both of which are subservient to whatever narrative your brain is operating under. Dr Steven Novella -clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine.--- It's not a matter of hiding behind some stats its a matter of those bagging Cooper to actually show something indicating that they are basing their criticism on something more than personal bias. Which so far has been sadly lacking.
Pinetree
Guest
"'So first of all what is different is that a team only plays 13 of the 31 teams in the NFL. missing out on 3 conferences altogether, and only playing 1 team out of 4 in another 2 conferences." Sorry, I meant division both times, not conference in that sentence. Getting mixed up with SR!
Pinetree
Guest
Soapit - I had a look at the NFL system as you provided no data for it. I will grant you that the top teams in points do not reflect the top of the table order regularly, but the system is considerable different IMO and the points that teams end on are deceptive to translate because of this. The NFL has 2 conferences, with 4 divisions in each conference consisting of 4 teams. That makes 32 teams all up. In a regular season each team plays the other teams from their division twice (6 games), and play all teams in another division within their own conference as well as all teams from one other division in the other conference. the other 2 games are from the team in the other 2 divisions in their conference that they didn't play who finished the same rank as they did the previous year i.e. 1st team plays 1st of previous year, 2nd plays 2nd. So first of all what is different is that a team only plays 13 of the 31 teams in the NFL. missing out on 3 conferences altogether, and only playing 1 team out of 4 in another 2 conferences. Because 2 of the games are with equal ranked teams of their division from last year, this also helps the lower ranked teams which could also explain points being unreliable to form. Also in the playoffs, the 2 conferences fight it out separately, and then the 2 conference winners meet for the GF. NRL is a system that is not going to produce points that can indicate form with a great deal of accuracy because of the amount of teams not being played. Because SR in a system where most teams are played (14 out of 18), you can get a better gauge of form. Sure, when SR expands to the amount of teams as NfL that system would be relevant because you can't have a season that long playing most or even half the teams. The system is because of the amount of teams and does not work for SR. I suspect everyone else that uses this system in their comp has a lot more teams than SR? IMO the system the NFL uses works because their is no other way to work in the logistics of a fair system when you play less than half of the teams. When this is not the case and you can put in a fairer system like SR then it is silly not to do so you would think.
soapit
Guest
as i said below you might want to check out how they decide who plays in the superbowl.
soapit
Guest
try american sport for all sorts of combo's. the superbowl isnt 1st v 2nd for example. seems to me that people who are yet to find comparable systems around the world havent really searched too far.
Old Bugger
Guest
I agree Jez and the concern for me, is that my team plays this un-Blues outfit, in another 3 weeks time. Plenty of time for them to gain, more patience.....bugger!!
jeznez
Roar Guru
A Crusader's man helping the Blues win? That is a little far fetched!
Playerfromwayback
Guest
Well done agent Gibson, mission accomplished!!! Finish the season with the Waratah's then return to base. I have another assignment for you in London, there you will make contact with our most trusted master spy....... Agent Deans......... "you know what to do"
taylorman
Guest
No it will be too late by then, the denial will be complete. Coopers efforts on Lowe and Ngatai were a complete joke and not of the standard that pro rugby demands, and you want to hide behind some stats. Tangible? I saw tangible scrawling all over the ground. Geez.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Definitely was a most un-Blues like performance early. Their speed of recycle was particularly good. Was very impressed by Blake Gibson - promising young talent. A great guy to have in the pack to compliment the likes of Reiko out wide.
jeznez
Roar Guru
They did play great, simple rugby in that first 40. Was impressive
jeznez
Roar Guru
We could talk about the referee having a brain fade in allowing the ball to be passed off the ground for Reiko Ioane's second try but that would be distracting from the very real issues that are within the team's control. Discipline in that first half was woeful The side needs to keep the ball, not only was there too much kicking most of it was poorly executed with the ball going directly to their outside backs (not many kicks found the turf or the sideline) About my only positive on the Tahs performance was that Skelton was good in the second half. When they had their second half comeback against the Canes I was slightly enthused but this habit of letting the game slip out of reach before starting to impose themselves has to end. The old Bob Dwyer adage that it isn't brave to run the ball when you are chasing the game, it is brave to play from the start comes to mind. Big improvements needed.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
– if I needed a try-saving tackle made where I wanted the ball player dominated and on the ground, for my life: I would pick BF Given that Cooper has a better tackle completion rate than Foley (and has since 2013), the stats say you'd be wrong. I don't care that Foley has the perception of being a better defend than Cooper, it is just that, a perception. There are arguments for Foley being a superior 10 to Cooper currently. Defence is not one of them.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Hey Cynical Play, Nice knowing you I think if you're a goner in those scenarios. Can I ask what you're basing it on when you say BF is getting better ? His best performance in the Wallabies was the pool match against England in the RWC and to my mind he hasn't hit that standard since while wearing a gold jersey. He doesn't seem to be setting the world alight either for the Waratahs, although I'd stand to be corrected he may well be the shining light in a failing team. AS to the razzle dazzle I think that's Coopers great perceived failing and Foley's strength. If Foley kicks a re-start out on the full, or doesn't make touch on a penalty kick well that's just Mr Reliable having the odd off moment. He's still the "iceman". Whereas if Cooper just plays a solid game, puts a few runners away, kicks well but nothing flash then it's a failure. Especially if he's in a loosing team. The perception of the two of them is the flaky flashy Cooper and the reliable Foley and it's that perception that shapes the debate rather than the reality of their performance. As it's been pointed out ad-nauseam on the numbers Cooper is a marginally better defender - yet for your life you'd pick Foley. That would indicate that your perception of the two of them is the main driving factor in your comments as opposed to the actual performance of the pair.
Ruckin' Oaf
Guest
Right so it's the vibe is it ? Great. When you can come up with something tangible let us know.
Quin
Guest
Why? The problem with this forum and it seems Australian rugby, is the incessant need to over analyse and harp on as if you are some expert when the cold hard reality is the fundamental basics of Australian rugby are up the proverbial. The guys have summed it up quite simply if you ask me. It is what it is, stop trying to sugar coat others opinions to help those with overly sensitive feelings.
taylorman
Guest
Based on putting the chair in front of the TV and watching them both. How come all Quades fans can't see he's flakey and best and now want 'metrics' for proof? You, 'Twas and Bos are all wanting 'numbers' now. Use your eyes man...
taylorman
Guest
Gosh Cynical, if you're relying on Foley or QC to play for your life you may as well do the harakiri now and be done with it. ?
taylorman
Guest
Yes anything to keep the blame on the kiwi huh zero? Ozzies all around him on the field, running training sessions, and none of it's their fault...you're a funny one.
Pinetree
Guest
Soapit - can you name another conference system that 5 out of 7 times has failed to rank teams by points? If you can, which I doubt it, then answer Ryan's question on the disparity of the points difference with the bottom team of one conference being on more points than the top team from another. I hear this argument brought forward quite a bit, but I am yet to see the stat evidence that shows the same unfairness and that the other sports did not think through and ensured a fair as possible split of quality between the conferences. I actually don't know how fair the other conference systems are in other sports, but if they do not reflect the unbalance of SR I would consider it a dishonest argument to compare for validation that SR is fair.