Waratahs vs Force - SR R2 Sunday 23 February 2014

[Alison]

P.S. How can anyone really compete with a side that the ARU has ensured is choc-a-block with Wallabies and whose salary cap appears to be elastic in the extreme?!

[Alison]

P.P.S I thought the Fox commentary team needed to go off for a post-coital ciggie after Beale scored his try!! Such sycophants! Lol

[shasta]

P.S. How can anyone really compete with a side that the ARU has ensured is choc-a-block with Wallabies and whose salary cap appears to be elastic in the extreme?!

Good point. The reason, as always, is that Sydney is BY FAR the biggest Rugby code market in the country. The ARU are simply desperate for them to do well. Well win the trophy actually, at long last. This season they really have the ammo to play attacking Rugby. If they can keep Beale sober and have an even run of injury, they'll give it an almighty shake.

I think I'll put off slitting my wrists for a while, though.

Roll on next Saturday.

[bandit]

Totally agree with James we were at long odds to win the game.At 29-21 we were all hoping for a boilover but some simple mistakes cost us.We will be better for the run and the hope will return

[zed]

I don't think the Tah's played particularly well, but with players like Folau, Beale & Palu they simply have players that are in a completely different class to ours. Quicker, faster, stronger, more experienced etc etc Until we have players like these and at least 5 or 6 guys that are genuine contenders for a Wallabies jersey , we will continue to struggle. It's delusional and naive to think with the squad we have at the moment that we are going to finish any better than 10th. We need to be realistic, aim for a 9/10 finish, but pessimistically expect a 12 or 13. Crying over losing to teams that are much better than us is a bit like watching the movie Titanic and being surprised and upset when the ship sinks...

[DazloT]

The most disappointing part was we didn't show the promise that was seen in the trial matches. Even with that score line I would have walked away happy if we looked as attacking and dynamic as the trial games, instead it felt a lot like last year. This time they didn't seem to play with confidence or as a team. As someone said no one was backing up.

But it has made me wonder whether the game plan was wrong. The two trial games were against teams they wouldn't have known a lot of detail about. Hence the plan to go out throw the ball around, run onto it, play with some freedom and less kicking, not withstanding it was a trial match and an opportunity to try things.
This game we seemed to be trying to counter the Tah's game plan instead of playing our own and it didn't look natural to the players, sometimes they looked lost as to what they were supposed to do. Basically is Foley trying to be too smart by writing the game plan around the other teams strengths and weaknesses? Instead of a simple game plan that does the basics right, allows the players to play naturally and follow the same plan week in and out. Bugger it, pretend every match is a trial match, at least it will be entertaining.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into the first game in the hope that it was just an aberration.

[Moono74]

The trial matches were a joke and no real competition. Big problem tonight was the starting team. Wykes shouldn't be anywhere near a starting jersey. He cant take the ball into contact or make any metres. Hayward was one of the better players last year but wasn't even in the squad. Too much one out play, no depth in the backline. Get the ball to your game winners.....that would be badger, junor, morahan and godwin. Way to quiet.

[SNOB]

Very poor showing. That was a whole team loss! Wykes is out total waste of space, and I am very disappointed. Will watch again tomorrow. Ref was a bit crook though look at scrum feed at 4 mins! And he missed that. Will look at it sober tomorrow but I don't think it will make me feel any better.
Very disappointed want really expecting a win but but something close.

[Alison]

Hayward was 100% accurate with the boot in the Force A game on Friday night too Moono. We desperately need a more accurate place kicker.

[Moono74]

I wonder sometimes why the coaching staff can't seem to figure out what the best starting team is for the Force. I would have Hayward in over Delitt, Wykes off the bench at best and he should shave that mop off his head so he can see to catch the ball. Harsh maybe...but enough excuses. He needs a harsh dose of reality and drop him from the team and make him work his way back in. Its week one but that was a poor showing for a team that has had a history of poor starting performances and continually put themselves on the back foot season after season. Its a lot easier to play off the front foot. Build some momentum and confidence and things may just fall into place.

[travelling_gerry]

Its nice to know we have an A team played Friday night that is going to put pressure on all the starterex in todays game.

I wasnt unhappy with our effort, the ball certainly bounced the right way for the Tahs,

[Macattack]

We were outplayed by a far more talented team, simple as that. Biggest disappointment for me was that we lost structure so often, defense out wide and back line not set to attack, particularly from ruck play. Given our limited talent we need to have enormous discipline and structure and that just didn't happen yesterday. Having said that, it is still early days. I never expected us to win with such a talent and depth disparity - I just hope we can build into a disciplined unit that makes the best of the limited resources we have. Can't help feeling we need a much better outside centre, Junior is way short of the mark in my opinion, other than that our backs are reasonable - really want to see Kyle shine so he can score a Wallabies spot.

[GIGS20]

At least Junior had the sense to do something about the massive overlaps they were creating and pressure the ball carrier. It came off a couple of times too. He looked the most interested out of our outside backs and that's a problem when Morahan and Cummins are as capable as they are, Nick obviously needs to be dropped on his head to have a rampaging game, perhaps they could do that in the warm up just to make sure!

[Invictus]

My disappointment stems from the Force committing the same errors as last year (defensive realignment, particularly on the short side for instance) and looking clueless at various times. I wasn't expecting a win but I was hoping for a competitive performance and perhaps a bonus point.

Giving Folau the ball, time and space repetitively is suicide. Did we really need to prove that again?

[WFDom]

Hayward was 100% accurate with the boot in the Force A game on Friday night too Moono. We desperately need a more accurate place kicker.

Does anyone know the place kicking stats from yesterday? Can't find them anywhere