Beale shines in Tahs win
7 Feb 2008
Flyhalf Kurtley Beale scored the decisive try in the Waratahs’ 24-14 victory over the Crusaders in Sydney.
The Tahs’ trailed the Crusaders 7-14 at half-time, with All Blacks pivot Dan Carter orchestrating both of the visitors’ tries. However, the Aussie franchise scored 17 unanswered points to complete an unbeaten run in the pre-season.
Carter put centres Casey Laulala and Tim Bateman away in the first half before Robbie Deans took him off. The Tahs proved to be the stronger side in terms of depth, scoring two tries through Beale and Alfi Mafi in the second stanza.
Meanwhile, Matt Giteau dominated proceedings in the Western Force’s 39-15 win over the Reds in Perth.
25 Comments
7 Feb 2008, 13:57 pm
Early days. The Crusaders allways starts slow
7 Feb 2008, 14:01 pm
‘Tahs only win for 2008?
7 Feb 2008, 14:03 pm
I don’t like warm up games.
7 Feb 2008, 14:04 pm
yeah baby!!! Kurtley Beale is a moffie! fadget!!!
7 Feb 2008, 14:05 pm
Carter to cry again???
7 Feb 2008, 14:19 pm
#4 eerste keer dat ek **** beale is ‘n “moffie”. praat jy uit ondervinding? kon jy jouself nie keer toe die waratahs verlede jaar in die republiek was nie?
“fadget”? – nie die “sharpest tool in the shed” jy nie…
7 Feb 2008, 14:26 pm
early days people, warmup games in rugby is much like shadow boxing
7 Feb 2008, 14:30 pm
Only one week to go until the real rugby starts.
7 Feb 2008, 14:33 pm
a quick FL question…..Did Dan kick for the ‘saders?
7 Feb 2008, 14:37 pm
Can NZ centres score tries? LOL.
7 Feb 2008, 14:42 pm
Do the opposition players bait the kiwis with
sledging??
“chokers”
“cry babies”
7 Feb 2008, 14:50 pm
Tim Bateman is a very fine prospect at centre, he might play All Blacks soon.
He continues a proud tradition of Christchurch Boys High School alumni to play for the Saders: Andrew Mehrtens, Aaron Mauger, Daniel Carter and Stephen Brett.
7 Feb 2008, 15:23 pm
Hmmmmm, I see the ausie boys are trying to impress Mr.Deans
7 Feb 2008, 15:29 pm
As Drew Carey would say, these are the games where the points don’t matter.
If anyone thinks that the Saders will lose to the Tahs in the competition, they’re dreaming.
And if anyone thinks the Lions will miss out on the semis, they’re also dreaming.
7 Feb 2008, 15:34 pm
tahs klapping the saders……not sure if that will hapen in the competitions
7 Feb 2008, 17:28 pm
great player beale, will be interested to see how he does this year if the Tahs play him, got unfairly blamed last year for avarge team performance..a year on willmake a huge difference, wonder if Deans will select him at 10 for Oz against SA.
7 Feb 2008, 20:40 pm
Just remember one thing. Todd Louden is now with the Tahs. Remember the Bulls last year.
7 Feb 2008, 21:01 pm
I wonder how much the Aussie experience with the new ELV’s will count in this years S14. they will have had time and space during their season last year to try different strategies to see how they pan out against different opposition.
I wonder if the Saders weren’t caught apping abit by the Aussie interpretation of teh laws?
It will be interetsing to see how the different teams use the new laws.
7 Feb 2008, 21:58 pm
even though it is warm up/preseason games. the saders cant be happy with the performance given they have supposedly the 2 best kiwi players in their team.
both mccaw and carter played yet couldnt influence the result.
wonder how long this world cup hangover will last for the kiwis
7 Feb 2008, 23:32 pm
If you read the NZ media reports of the game Beale was made to look like a real mug by Carter…Carter only played half the game. Beale improved “considerably” once Carter sat down.
The game was played in pouring rain.
Very few of the OZ players in S14 would have played in the APC comp last season—-that was a CC/NPC division without the stars. In any case the new laws have proved beficial only to the backlines who now have some space to play in. The only thing that has happened in the forwards so far, is that the players have to be much fitter,
I think you’ll find that the NZ S14 teams wont have given the RWC the slightest thought……that’s all history now,
Patrick.
8 Feb 2008, 00:58 am
patrick
Cant agree with you more!
The SA sides will more than likely always opt for scrums come freekick time and Aus and maybe NZ will run the ball.
Having said that if aus teams is at their opponents 5 m…they will opt for the scrum.
8 Feb 2008, 08:52 am
Wallabie,
Why would SA teams opt for a scrum…..they already have the ball, and the scrum is ALWAYS won by the side putting the ball in. That’s two operatrions to get the ball that they already have.
There is no way they should go for a scrum. And let’s face it, SA dominance at scrum time is a bit of MYTH now. Maybe the Bulls scrum would be as dominant as the Blues and Crusaders, but none of the others are. The Bulls also lead the lineouts when Matfield and Botha are playing but that is not now the case.
It’s all a load of bull, the SA teams will be forced to get fit and run all over the place like the rest of the teams in the comp,
Patrick.
8 Feb 2008, 09:32 am
Patrick
Too true.
I was pointing out that the skills for a forward will be to be mobile and not only fit amongst others….
Gone are the days of seeing if one has dominance in the scrum.
8 Feb 2008, 13:11 pm
not sure the australasians are so much fitter then ours. some of our packs and props are very mobile, as for speed, the saffas have plenty gas.
there’ve been years of S14, the SA boys know what to expect, all the coaches are young guys that are fully aware of the latest conditioning reqd.
9 Feb 2008, 21:25 pm
The Crusaders sneaked passed the Reds and lost against the Waratahs. These results probably have more meaning for the 2 Aussie sides than for the comeback-kids from Christchurch. However, it seems that the Aussies might get the early advantage from the new rules.
Waratahs vs ‘Canes will be a cracker, both could possibly push for the 4th semi-final place come May.
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