NSW Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick says his team’s breakdown play must improve if they are to upset defending Super Rugby champions the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
The Waratahs lead the Australian conference despite successive home losses.
Their defeat by the Blues last Saturday swelled to 38 the streak of successive losses suffered by Australian teams against New Zealand opposition.
NSW, the last Australian side to beat a Kiwi team, will start as big underdogs against a flying Crusaders unit.
They have accumulated more ladder points than any other side this season and have won their last six games.
The Tahs started a run of four straight matches against New Zealand sides with a loss to the Blues in Sydney last weekend.
“We understand that our breakdown probably wasn’t good enough on the weekend and statistically that’s probably where they (the Crusaders) are strongest across the competition,” Fitzpatrick said.
“They are incredibly competitive at the breakdown and if were going to try and do a job in Christchurch this weekend, we need to improve our efficiency at the breakdown.”
Waratahs attack coach Chris Malone said plenty of questions would be asked of his team’s defence by a side averaging almost five tries a game.
“We’ve got to play smart rugby, I don’t think you can expect to run and score from your own tryline,” Malone said.
“They have been the benchmark of the competition and that’s a really good opportunity for us to go and show people what we can do.”
The Tahs will again look for attacking spark from superstar back Israel Folau, who made a strong return from injury last weekend.
“He’ll only be better for that outing and we’ll look for him to create more this week,” Malone said.
Malone stressed there was no tension between the Wallaby star and the Tahs coaches over him being moved around the backline.
“Gibbo (Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson) and I have both had countless conversations with Izzy and he’ll do anything for the team,” Malone said.
He wasn’t surprised by the quality of Folau’s performance last week after his layoff and the firestorm of reaction to the player’s views on homosexuality.
“‘He’s a professional, also he’s a world-class footballer, so he does his best talking when he’s between the white lines,” Malone said.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
We had one ruck last week where only Hooper and kepu were there. The Blues ran wide and scored.
Vesi Tagoiagea
Guest
@RTT But they home advantage against the Blue the bottom team in NZ conference but still lost
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I was just expressing my freedom of Religion. The Church of old BIll has a doctrine that Rugby needs to be played in a particular way if you want any chance of being successful. I am just speaking out against the sinners. They will go to the bottom of the table if they don't repent. Extract from the verses of Ritchie 7:14 "One that doth the 7 Jersey shall attack and protect the ruck with complete disregard for ones safety nor laws of the game. The gate shall be wide and the bodies shall be parted, revealing the holy gilbert. On bended knee or diving over, it shall be lifted to the heavens and then passed from apostle to apostle until it reaches the holy land."
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Ouch, I can't imagine what I said in my comment that would illicit a response that got moderated.
Adsa
Guest
It's similar to a team training well, it's not really a lose if you train hard.
Adsa
Guest
52% of Australians identify as Christians thicko, but not all of them take to social media and denounce same sex relations. What point are you trying to make about calling 52% of Australians bigots?
Council
Guest
Can you be this detached from reality?
jeznez
Roar Guru
If you truly believe that then why are you bringing up pattern play then? Anyone would think you are trying to confuse the issue
RTT
Guest
This comment has been removed for breaching The Roar's comments policy.
piru
Roar Rookie
Heretic!
RTT
Guest
No they weren’t in pattern defensive play. We had the ball They were in the attack 1-3-3-1 structure
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
If you want a better performance at the breakdown, then try assigning all 8 forwards to the duties instead of playing Dual 12's. The math is simple. 8 forwards are better than 7.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Sorry Jeznez, Agree with everything you said, It was spot on. You made no comment on the lead either way, I just added my 2 cents.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Glad you have finally come around - they weren't at that central ruck as they were in pattern defensive play. Not due to 1-3-3-1 phase structures you initially said was the reason.
RTT
Guest
You know you’ve just called 52% of the population bigots
RTT
Guest
Wells and miller were on the same side of the field because they did the right thing from the scrum. You re now confusing pattern play with phase play. The difference is in phase play although you have a prefermined role to play you are not restricted by a prescriptive pattern. Players are interchangeable within the 1-3-3-1 I thought we’d established that 1of them would’ve stayed in th tram lines after Folau passed, ine the other would have joined the nearest pod of 3.roughly where Foley was. After all at that stage for all they knew the. All was coming back that way from the ruck. Got it? Please say yes
jeznez
Roar Guru
You go to such weird and wonderful places it is hard to keep up but I'll try. Yes, 1-3-3-1 is a structure where there are two solo forwards out in each tram track and there are two pods of three forwards in the middle 2/3rds of the field. You've said Wells and Miller were the two edge players but they were on the same edge so they cannot have been in a 1-3-3-1. Perhaps a 2-3-3? certainly not 1-3-3-1 though. They never "took up a position in that structure" they were still upfield tracking back. I've said that Izzy's decision to pass infield, and Foley's decision to pass it to another player under pressure, left them out of position to impact that eventual ruck. Zero criticism of Wells and Miller. I am critical of both the decisions and executions of Folau and Foley but that is not a knock on the backrowers who I think made the right decision on where to head. I'll even throw you in a bonus piece of information - Wells and Miller were upfield when Hooper and Robertson had gotten back because they had gone forward in defence on the short side and then had to turn. The locks were tracking back in front of them down that short side, while Hooper and the front rowers started heading back down a line closer to the middle of the pitch. No 1-3-3-1 on display during this facet of play. Rather a standard short side defence with the FB covering the deep touch - and that FB compounding pressure on his team after the ball failed to go out.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Good thing the AR & TMO have better eyesight then you do & got the call right then!
Peter Kelly
Guest
Hunt got plenty of flack in these forums both at the time of getting caught and also when after court as to whether he should play again. I think social media generally has more tolerance for drugs than bigots who quote the bible, as does general society, probably more people take drugs than go to church.
RTT
Guest
No he clearly went off his feet when his knee hit the ground