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NSW rugby is the pride of the Australian rugby community.
To be clear, I said NSW rugby, and not the Tahs. The Tahs are rarely the pride of Aussie rugby.
For the most part, Shute Shield is the impressive one, while the Waratahs are the other one. However, this season that might all change.
Not to diss the Shute Shield, but the Waratahs have the capacity to put them firmly in the shadow, with a 2014-esque run of wins.
The Tahs have long shown their wares to only Pay TV audiences and the 11,000 who pretty much come as part of the Allianz Stadium hire, whereas the Shute Shield regularly racks up at least half that, to see amateur players who train after work.
The Waratahs are in a congested spot, with only one or two weeks in February, to prove why fans should jump on board for the season, before the NRL and AFL kick in.
Anyone who forced themselves to watch minutes 1-30 of last week’s game would be thoroughly underwhelmed. After that though, it got better big time.
From the prospect of one win (which could’ve been a draw), two losses, one draw, things don’t look good.
Darryl Gibson won’t be too unhappy with the first four games, and neither would the fans, as the accumulation of points throughout the South African and Argentinean tour was reasonably impressive.
(AAP Image/ David Rowland)
2014 was highlighted by a brutal forward pack, and an outstanding backline. 2018 has an even better backline, with Foley’s kicking the most on song it’s been in a while.
While the forward pack hasn’t dominated scrums, attempting to take the emphasis off the set piece is something the Tahs have excelled at.
Calling the forward pack soft, or small, is an overreaction for me. NSW haven’t struggled to make metres, and as was pointed out earlier this week, they finally have a kicking game they can rely on.
Since the NRC last year, I’ve been desperate to see more of Hugh Roach at a Super level.
He could be the one to bolster the forward pack.
Folau on the wing is a good call, as he doesn’t have the clearing game that most fullbacks like Ben Smith, and Damien McKenzie can fall back on.
Bryce Hegarty is good enough at the back to clean up, whereas Israel Folau’s talents were wasted back there, and better utilised on the wing.
Tahs can win the conference, when the forwards stand up a bit more. They aren’t as one dimensional as the Brumbies and Reds, and are better than the Rebels.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.