No player is taking more responsibility for the NSW Waratahs’ shabby start to the Super Rugby Pacific season than Izaia Perese.
Dejected Waratahs captain Jake Gordon called on teammates to look in the mirror and take accountability for their individual errors after last Friday night’s 34-17 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Perese, the Waratahs’ player of the year in 2021, has done just that, candidly conceding “I need to pull my finger out”.
“Look, I definitely haven’t hit where I want to be but I just need to be more patient with myself,” the strike centre said on Tuesday.
“It’s been a slow start but hopefully it will come in games.
“There’s no ‘why’. I just need to pull my finger out.
“Everyone, when it comes to effort and caring and wanting to win, it’s there.
“It’s just getting the chemistry right.”
Izaia Perese. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
Back-rower Lachie Swinton said every player across the board had put their hand up during Monday’s brutal review of the Tahs’ third loss from four starts this campaign and admitted to being below their best.
“Lads put their hand up but that can only get you so far. We can’t use it as an excuse anymore,” Swinton said.
“But it all does start with making yourselves accountable and then holding each other to that.
“Just lapses in concentration. We’ve identified that and we’ve got to perform.”
As if taking on the Hurricanes at Sky Stadium wasn’t a tough enough assignment, the Waratahs return home on Friday night to host the unbeaten table-topping Chiefs.
“They make you pay for little dropped balls and that. They’re straight onto it and they’ll skin you for things like that,” Swinton said.
“So we’ve got to really tighten up that aspect of our game, That will be massive for us.
“Playing the Kiwi teams, it can always be a bit personal but I don’t think there’ll be any lack of motivation from our boys.
“We’ve got a point to prove.”
With the second-placed Brumbies in Canberra to follow in round six, the next two games loom as season-defining for the Waratahs.
“It’s a home game so we’ve definitely got to show up and really put one on,” Perese said.
The crunch match against the Chiefs is the second in a double-header, with the NSW Waratahs Women up against the Western Force in the opening game of the 2023 Super W season.
Rebels on the front foot
Alex Mafi says Melbourne coach Kevin Foote continues to give them freedom to play their own game despite a rocky beginning to the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Rather than retreat into their shells after a 1-3 start, the hooker said Foote is backing the team, who matched the undefeated Chiefs early on in Hamilton last round before suffering a 44-25 defeat.
Melbourne host Queensland (2-2) – from whom Mafi joined the Rebels this season – on Saturday night in round five.
The home side will be without Wallabies back and vice-captain Reece Hodge, with the outside centre expected to miss four weeks following finger surgery.
Mafi, 26, said the halves, as well as Hodge, had been playing with confidence.
“Footie is doing a really good job in instilling a lot of confidence into the boys, particularly our game managers in Carter (Gordon), Ryan Louwrens and Bobby Tuttle and Reece Hodge,” Mafi said on Tuesday.
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“It trickles down from them into the rest of the team, with our shape and how we want to move the ball and play our footy.
“We’ve been able to showcase that – that we can score when we’re given opportunities – we want to swing the ball and have some fun and play footy that’s inspiring.
“That’s the default we want to fall back on even when things don’t go right.”
Queensland born and bred, Mafi decided he needed a change when his 2022 season was drastically cut short after suffering a neck injury in round two against the NSW Waratahs.
He felt that challenging himself at Rebels, training against another World Cup hooker hopeful in Jordan Uelese as well as highly rated Kiwi Anaru Rangi was improving his game.
Every day is really good competition here and coming in every day and rubbing shoulders with Jordie and Anaru has been really good for my own game and for theirs as well – the competitive, and positive, environment is helping us all bring our games along,” Mafi said.
The Reds are coming off a hard-fought win over the Fijian Drua and Mafi said he expected a stiff challenge against his former side but the Rebels were desperate for another victory.
“They have a really good front row – they’re a young bunch, which means they’ve got a lot of energy and they’ve been playing some pretty good rugby,” he said.
“(Hooker Matt Faessler) has been really good at his line-out and he gets around the park really well, quite a quick fella.
“This game means a lot to us in terms of our season, and we’re just really focused on getting that win.”
Wells’ hard truths
Western Force captain Michael Wells has given an insight into the team’s brutal analysis of games, saying players need to feel embarrassed at times in order to learn from their mistakes.
The Force were left ruing the one that got away after conceding three tries in the final 20 minutes of last week’s 43-35 loss to the Highlanders in New Zealand.
The result left the Force in eighth spot on the ladder with a 2-2 record ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Blues at Eden Park.
The Force held their review on Tuesday, and a series of home truths were delivered.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
“Today was a pretty long, hard look at ourselves,” Wells said.
“Some good hard truths came in, because early in the week that’s what you need before you move on.
“Guys need to see clips, they need to almost be embarrassed by some of the stuff that comes up.
“In terms of the accountability piece, I wouldn’t say anyone shies away from putting their hand up if they have made a mistake.
“The good thing is people can have hard conversations with each other and know that we’re all aiming towards the same thing – winning games and winning the premiership.”
Former Rebels skipper Wells is in his first year at the Force and teams up with his leadership group for something of a ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine.
“I tend to be more of the hardline (critic), because that’s how I review my own self,” he said.
“(Finding a balance) is also about having a mix of personalities in the leadership group
“You’ve got the guys more attuned to that nice, warm shoulder for guys to lean on and help out. I definitely think someone like Bryce Hegarty is a good cop.
“And it’s also (about) not consistently beating someone over the head with a stick.
“It’s knowing when to give a carrot, incentivise people, and then knowing, ‘OK, now we’ve been a bit too nice, it’s time for some hard truths’.
“It’s a fine balance.”
The Blues have had a topsy-turvy start to the season, opening their campaign with a 60-20 win over the Highlanders, losing to the Brumbies 25-20 and beating the Hurricanes 25-19, before losing 34-28 to the Crusaders last week.
savant
Roar Rookie
I’m biased towards Australia with out doubt. I just don’t think Australian refs are. Give me an example of a biased call from an Australian ref against a kiwi side in super rugby. There is nothing in the class of O’Keefes refusal to penalize the Blues for holding on the in the semi final last year that I can think of. I watched Brendan Fraser watch Andrew Ready have a tug of war for the ball with a kiwi player who was on the ground. When Ready finally won the ball through sheer strength Fraser said play on yet in the same match he penalized the Force for holding on immediately several times. This is what I mean about how much cleverer kiwi refs are than Australian refs. Obviously the advantage the side gets for a penalty is far greater than simply winning possession. And good on you if you can get away with it. I’d just like to see Australian refs do the same.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Bullshit. What it means is that you saw a different picture from the referee, But guess what? What you saw means nothing because of your bias and inability to apply the laws impartially
Pete Samu's Tucked Shirt
Roar Rookie
Funny, in any Aussie v Kiwi SR match at scrum time: anytime a scrum collapses on a kiwi feed: reset with Aussies cautioned: yet, Aussie feed: penalty to Kiwis. Pickerill special. Replays: you will almost never ever see a Kiwi infringement replayed. Offsides are never called for any Kiwi defence due to hometown Assistant referees. And why oh why are kiwi teams allowed to consistency infringe when defending their trying with little to no warning...(or a try is scored the Warning disappear completely)? It's shocking. There's the Kiwi way of playing rugby, yet they wonder why they struggle when playing abroad and are dealt with by the better World Referees. They are determined to bolster their own style of rugby, backed entirely with hometown referees. Pickerill is disgraceful, followed by Doleman. O'Keeffe is the only kiwi referee who has any decent insight into the game thus why he is rewarded with European Test matches
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I think you are coming at it from your own biases Savant. As a Kiwi I get so sick of the calls that go against the ABs etc and yet many a person writes that the ABs cheat. To me many other teams cheat way more, and get away with way more, than the ABs. people still say the decision against the ABs in the Lions test was the correct ruling even tho the ref himself has said he stuffed it up badly and was 100% wrong. Basically you cant change peoples biases and I can assure you Aussies are just as bias as any other group of fans. Many of us would say more bias. :laughing: :laughing: Happy to agree to disagree I suppose.
savant
Roar Rookie
Actually I don’t Jacko. When it comes to NZ and South Africa the loyalty is unmistakable but Australian refs are more likely to be apologetic. We feel inferior. You can see this attitude in Tim Horans commentary. He’s always supportive of the opposition in line ball calls. Listening to Tim I almost miss the outright bias of Phil Kearns! Our refs are mostly like Tim except as I say for Berry. I don’t think our refs are as clever as kiwi refs either. They wouldn’t be looking to penalize a kiwi side who had just scored on the next play to alter the momentum. Clever kiwi officials do. Particularly touch judges who see an outside center an inch in front of the last feet …..
Revok
Roar Rookie
Berry is the best Ref in the southern hemisphere easily, he aint afraid of calling anyone out Aus or Kiwi. Probably why all Kiwis supporters hate him.
Wolla Wotsa
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Wolla Wotsa
Roar Rookie
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!! Jacko missed my dig at the tahs, but he misses a fair bit. LOL
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Agree... Id be really disappointed if a coach came out and said he hoped to finish 8th.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
The Chiefs are a quality side. Are the Tahs?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
No doubt you believe the exact same thing from the Aus refs in games featuring Aus v NZ teams. You know... loyalties will always lie with your home country’s team
Paul D
Roar Rookie
What exactly is so bad about saying they are aiming to do better this year than last?
jameswm
Roar Guru
Lol
piru
Roar Rookie
It was a fantastic build up and would have been a great confidence boost, definitely. I'm glad they aren't making much of it though, to be honest, will do the players no favours to be going into the next game bitter and twisted
Wolla Wotsa
Roar Rookie
“Coming off a disappointing loss in Wellington, we’ve sustained a significant number of injuries, but the beauty of our squad this year is our depth and we’re still able to name a very strong XV with some talent and impact coming off the bench,” Waratahs coach Darren Coleman said." The Tahs have so much depth. I cant possibly see them losing this one at home.
Simon_Sez
Roar Guru
Doctordbx, you're right, but one could argue the Waratah's were softening up the Hurricane's defence in the first quarter which resulted in an error from pressure, then resulting in Nadolo swooped up the ball and scoring a try from the error. Percentage rugby for the first quarter, dropping off completely for the rest of the game.
Phil
Roar Rookie
At least Perese is realistic. Needs to stop thinking of himself though and start being a team player.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
As I said they can make the 8 and that's all they need to do to get a ticket to the finals. They don't need to be 'clicking' tomorrow, but they do have the talent in the team that if they do click in a big way they can be a real handful. If they're firing on all cylinders come the final then they're a threat from wherever they place in the 8. And this is from a Reds fan who would back anyone against the Waratahs.
Joffrey
Roar Rookie
Doc The Tahs wont beat the Chiefs round 5, wont beat the Brumbies round 6 ( away), round 7 bye no points, It does get a little easier from round 8 onwards., but only just. They have to make a move from round 8 or they will finish up in the bottom part of the eight or not make the eight at all. Round 8 Waratahs v Force Round 9 Blues v Waratahs Round 10 Waratahs v Highlanders Round 11 Reds v Waratahs Round 12 Waratahs v Rebels Round 13 Waratahs v Fijian Drua Round 14 Crusaders v Waratahs
SDRedsFan
Roar Rookie
If ever a penalty try should have been awarded that was the occasion for it. I'm surprised there hasn't been more backlash. It would have made a HUGE difference to the momentum of the game.