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I’d like to remind a few Roarers that there’s only one letter in the alphabet that has any meaning in any sport, and that’s the W.
When the Waratahs boast seven Wallabies in the pack totalling 231 caps, and five among the backs with 181 caps, it would be reasonable to assume the NSW side would be a leading contender for the Super Rugby crown at the lower level.
But just four wins from 13 starts destroys that assumption.
Yet to criticise the men in blue has upset a number of Roarers, one of whom wrote: “Another ranting, alarmist shriek from Lord, again telling us the sky is falling” on my last article.
They later added: “It’s your relentless negativity I take issue with”.
Really?
With 12 Wallabies on duty, and three more in Jack Dempsey, Ned Hanigan, and Jake Gordon named in the Wallabies squad for the three Tests against Fiji, Scotland, and Italy this month, there’s virtually an entire Wallaby contingent in the Waratahs.
But, to repeat, just four wins from 13 starts.
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The Waratahs, despite that firepower, have led the opposition just three times at the break – and they lost two of those games. They led the Kings 17-0 and lost 26-24 and led the Highlanders 14-13 to lose 44-28.
The only half-time lead the Waratahs converted into a win was against the Rebels. They had a 25-11 buffer at the break and ran away in the second half to win 50-23.
That was more like it, even though game stats never tell the true story.
For example, there are no stats for dropped passes, for forward passes where the support player has overrun the ball carrier, or for penalty and clearing kicks that didn’t find touch – and the Waratahs were guilty of all them.
But we can lock into turnovers and missed tackles, where the Waratahs have had an unhappy season.
In 13 games, the Waratahs have managed 234 turnovers and 318 missed tackles.
That translates to an average 18 turnovers, and 24 missed tackles a game. That’s hardly my relentless negativity.
There was another stab in the dark comment claiming I hate Michael Cheika, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Cheika’s had one week to lift his squad from the rubbish rugby they have been playing for the five Australian Super Rugby sides into an international standard, and only Cheika can do it.
He was a take-no-prisoners backrower with Randwick in the days when they were the true Galloping Greens, and Cheika is no different as a coach. He is relentlessly positive.
I look forward to the Wallabies playing exciting rugby with exactly the same players who have turned in Super Rugby rubbish.
That’s the truth, but my critics are trying to make caviar out of sow’s ears, and that doesn’t cut the mustard in the real world.
Only a W does.