Tahs set to rumble over rubble Reds
7 Feb 2006
Ewan McKenzie has named a potent Waratahs side to take on arch-rivals, the rubble Reds, with Lote Tuqiri starting at centre.
Tuqiri forms an aggressive midfield with Morgan Turinui, whilst Wendell Sailor makes his debut for the franchise in jersey 14.
The most interesting selection concerns No 10, where Tim Donnelly has been granted first crack. Sam Norton-Knight, the other major contender, will start as fullback.
Second-rower Will Caldwell is the only forward not to have donned the Wallaby jumper, and the pack is the stronngest of all the Australian franchises.
Waratahs side to play the Reds
15 Sam Norton-Knight
14 Wendell Sailor
13 Lote Tuqiri
12 Morgan Turinui
11 Peter Hewat
10 Tim Donnelly
9 Chris Whitaker (c)
8 David Lyons
7 Phil Waugh,
6 Rocky Elsom
5 Daniel Vickerman
4 Will Caldwell
3 Al Baxter
2 Adam Freier
1 Matt Dunning
19 Comments
7 Feb 2006, 10:08 am
Should be one sided to the Tah’s. Be interesting to see how Eddie Moans does sans a decent squad…. then again he’s had that with the wallabies for the last year or two.
7 Feb 2006, 10:14 am
When does Eddie Jones start coaching the Reds, at the end of the S14??
7 Feb 2006, 10:17 am
Nah he’s coaching them now ! Think he got the job at the end of last year.
7 Feb 2006, 10:26 am
Chris,
A potent Waratah side? The strongest Australian pack in the S14? With a front row of Dunning, Freier and Baxter? The same guys that got buggered in the EOY tour.
If the refs blow them up like they did up north they will battle. Even the Stormers will look good against them.
7 Feb 2006, 10:27 am
It would also be lovely if the Reds could actually beat them. Will help the SA sides a lot. Don’t think it will happen unfortunately.
7 Feb 2006, 10:28 am
Genl. Joubert
The strongest Australian pack does not necessarily equate to strong. You’ll remember, however, that the Bully Boys couldn’t make any impact in either of there meetings last year.
7 Feb 2006, 10:37 am
Chris – that’s just because the Bulls pack is so completely overrated.
7 Feb 2006, 10:40 am
RobD,
Agree.
Chris, but how much of that was due to Baxter scrumming in or avoiding contact in the scrums?
7 Feb 2006, 10:40 am
Im sure jones takes over at the end of the S14, i checked on http://www.planetrugby.com that Jeff Miller who was the CEO is now the Coach, i could be wrong though.
7 Feb 2006, 10:40 am
Reds by 5. 9-1 record against the Tahs in Super 12 and form never counts in these games as the Queenslanders always fire up.
A tight 5 that includes Caldwell, Baxter, freir and dunning is not strong. they will miss Harrison’s direction in the lineouts and have little depth at lock.
Ig, Eddie Jones coaches the Reds from the start of the APC, Jeff Miller is the coach for the S14 season.
7 Feb 2006, 10:49 am
Ahh i stand corrected …apologies lads….sheesshh the CEO coaching …mmhhhh talk about putting your job on the line !
7 Feb 2006, 10:52 am
This is the Cats taking on the Bulls in last years first game, worked for it the whole off season, put everything into it and managed to pull of their one and only win! Reds will do the same, the saying has been for years that if they loose every game in a season but beat the Tahs, the season is marked as a success! Write them off at your peril.
7 Feb 2006, 10:54 am
Connolly was one man who could not stand NSW and his legacy is evident in the comments from guys like Handy and Greg Martin
7 Feb 2006, 10:55 am
Go the ‘tahs!!! Them QLD bogans are in for a bashing!
7 Feb 2006, 11:05 am
Tahs have an awesome backline. Guess it wont count for much if you dont get the ball though.
7 Feb 2006, 13:51 pm
Will be interesting 2 c how the midfield goes,very big,so theyll probably defend well,but there is not much skill there.I think theyll struggle against a well organizes defence.And the pack is vulnerble too.Does look alot like the side that played in europe last year.
7 Feb 2006, 15:02 pm
yeah the bulk of the wallabies pack that got smashed last year were from the Tahs.
7 Feb 2006, 15:23 pm
with the rule changes every SA team must take the aussie teams on upfront and try to dismantle them physically. Wales showed what happens when you are outmuscled at every exchange. you slowly lose the will to live, or in their case the will to keep fighting.
all 4 aussie teams need to be pummeled into the ground, so when it comes to the international season, there confidence is as high as it was after europe.
8 Feb 2006, 06:47 am
Sam Norton Knight left the Brumbies to go the tahs to get an opportunity to play fly half, now he is stuck at fullback (where he played last year). I wonder if he will be another talent that the Tahs waste.
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