Woeful Waratahs flog feeble Force
20 Mar 2010
The Waratahs came out on top 14-10 in a battle of attrition against the Force in Perth.
The Force camped on the Waratahs’ line and in their 22m for the majority of the final ten minutes, but inept finishing, ill-discipline and timely defence meant this was ultimately unrewarded. Watching the final 10 minutes one could be excused for thinking that the encounter was entertaining.
Both the Waratahs and Force appeared to be playing without a game plan – on numerous occasions both sides ended good phases through accidental offsides. This epitomised the game, with intermittent periods of momentum ruined by turnovers and poor discipline.
The game began with a three point exchange between Berrick Barnes and James O’Connor, leveling at three-all after 10 minutes. This was the highlight of both player’s goal kicking display, each missing relatively simple kicks.
An irrepressible Drew Mitchell, often made his presence felt at the kick-off and chipping in at the breakdown throughout the game, split the sides when he latched on to a Daniel Halangahu grubber and slid in at the corner. Barnes, however, pushed the conversion wide.
Force wing Scott Staniforth accepted gave the home side a ray of hope, ghosting into the Waratahs’ backline and stealing an intercept try from the Sydney franchise. O’Connor converted and the Force went into the second half 10-8 ahead, marking the first time in 2010 that the Western Australians have led at the break.
It was more of the same in the second 40 minutes. The Force crossed the line more than once, but failed to score throughout the half. The only action of the half came from the boot of Halangahu, who struck two penalties from in front, replacing an out-of-sorts Barnes.
John Mitchell’s men were without direction, and their running lines inept. The Waratahs were comparable – their backline all too often attacking from standing starts. Both sides were laboured and their play held little semblance of continuity.
O’Connor was again the highlight of the Force’s 80 minutes; his play with the ball in hand encouraging, and his tactical kicking influential. He often drifted into the back three in broken play, begging the question as to the length and merit of his stay at inside centre.
The Perth crowd ended the game with a chorus of boos, probably aimed at their inept side who have now lost five on the bounce.
32 Comments
20 Mar 2010, 13:21 pm
Great interest in this game I see…
20 Mar 2010, 13:34 pm
just like being back in Australia
20 Mar 2010, 13:50 pm
Tah’s should win this one
20 Mar 2010, 13:54 pm
@SpringbokSarah:
The only unknown about this game is if Mitchell will get sacked after it
20 Mar 2010, 13:57 pm
@chch – welcome back Carter: really? Mid competition?
20 Mar 2010, 14:00 pm
@chch – welcome back Garter: Doubt it son.
But if the Force pull off a win, its good for us.
20 Mar 2010, 14:03 pm
@BlueBlood: not watching the game, how are they playing?
20 Mar 2010, 14:06 pm
@SpringbokSarah:
I think so. He has had a long time to build this team
@BlueBlood:
Yep, would be nice
20 Mar 2010, 14:06 pm
anyone that still thinks John Mitchell is such a hot shot coach that got a raw deal think again. The rubbish passing and running lines that this Force team plays are diabolical strategies without a shade of any semblance of a plan whatsoever, just pass hospital pass after hospital pass and hope somehow the opposition don’t nail you in the tackle man and ball.
Force have the players they simply don’t have a plan nor do they have any direction in their attack directive.
20 Mar 2010, 14:13 pm
@SpringbokSarah: Not watching either my son, but the more that teams like the Tahs get beaten the better it is for the S.A. teams.
20 Mar 2010, 14:16 pm
@BlueBlood: She’s not your son, son.
20 Mar 2010, 14:16 pm
@skopskiet: I’m looking forward to May 1, when the Lions and the Force clash in the Coke bottle. What a sight that will be – a true meeting of equals. Met ys, ja.
20 Mar 2010, 14:30 pm
@skopskiet:
Force really have not got that many big name players.
Some are fringe Aussie national players (but you have to take into regards their player numbers in Aus) with a splatter of 1 or two first choice guys in that team.
Depth is a massive problem for them – they have none..
That said, Mitchell is the type of coach that either gets a team to perform, or not – he has that Mallett personality from what I understand…
20 Mar 2010, 14:33 pm
@PissAnt: hiyas morne how ru doing mate??
your thoughts om young lambie??
and also nice to see ruan’s confidence back, kicking great and either 9 or 10 he was brilliant
20 Mar 2010, 14:37 pm
@sharks_lover:
Hey dude.
Sharks still stuttered too much for my liking but hell a win is a win.
You, and I, and most Sharks supporters on sites I know you frequent have called for Lambie to be included weeks ago – now we see why.
The boy is a massive talent.
20 Mar 2010, 14:45 pm
Sorry Pa battery running low here
But Force have lost some stalwarts to other franchises like Giteau to Brumbies and Mitchell to Waratahs but basically should still be able to perform better than they have, like here they taking Tah’s to the wire.
Young O’Connor is a revelation in all round skills. Just that Force don’t play with much of a strategic plan. Running lines getting man and ball concurrently most times so they tend to try ‘force’ their way through advantage line if you’ll excuse the intended pun.
Tah’s sure making a protracted meal of this outing in Perth today.
20 Mar 2010, 14:46 pm
@PissAnt: Here we go again, another Deysel failure.
20 Mar 2010, 14:48 pm
@skopskiet:
Yeah look I do think Mitchell is struggling to understand the psyche of the Aussie union player.
They are free-flowing natural ball players and you get the feeling they are stifled somewhat.
Mitchell, like Straeuli and Mallet are more of a militant-disciplined type of coach from what I read into this and it is not working too well with the Force.
I think Mitchell would do damn well at the Lions however…
20 Mar 2010, 14:49 pm
@BlueBlood:
I dont follow?
20 Mar 2010, 14:55 pm
@PissAnt: The Shocks next god has awakened. Has a good game and suddenly he is water walking and MUST be a Bok. Thats what happened to Deysel. Now he’s a total failure.
20 Mar 2010, 14:56 pm
@PissAnt: he means an overhyped player such as deysel and dewald potgieter…lambie is good for a rookie to play like he did on his dubut in s14 shows maturity skill and compusre beyond the mindset of an 18 year old boy ,perhaps if he went to bulls first then sharks it would be a different story
20 Mar 2010, 15:02 pm
@BlueBlood:
Ah okay…
Well I am not personally professing this kid is the next Bok, neither do I see many Sharks do the same thing but I might have missed something somewhere.
I have however seen this kid in the age-group competitions in the last couple of years and as BAW said he shows a maturity beyond his young age.
He has the skills to boot as could be seen today so if nurtured correctly this kid will step up nicely into pro rugby.
I watch as much rugby as I can, including age-group rugby and this kid has impressed me long before this game today.
There are many overhyped players in SA Rugby, but given he has only had one game, it would be difficult to attach any hype to him.
I mean he is not from WP and his name is not Koster as an example.
20 Mar 2010, 15:05 pm
@PissAnt: lol ye i didnt think hed be big ebough for s14 ,didnt think he would be as potent as frans steyn ,but the guys got some skill ,lets see what he can do
20 Mar 2010, 15:17 pm
@baw:
He will still put on some bulk, he is still a teenager remember.
20 Mar 2010, 15:24 pm
This has not been the most super of Super14 weekends … most games have been pretty average…
20 Mar 2010, 15:26 pm
@PissAnt: you’re right lambie was solid today, but i haven’t seen the same hype that was heaped upon nick koster, with reams of cape argus paper dedicated to telling everyone that he is the next bok. I seem to also remember an SA Rugby Mag article titled “Nick Koster – is he the real deal?”
20 Mar 2010, 15:29 pm
@Transformation:
The Cape media is right up there with the Aussie media… and JJ Harmse…
20 Mar 2010, 15:32 pm
@Transformation:
Hi Trans ……….refer your comments earlier. Will be great to link up !!!!
20 Mar 2010, 15:36 pm
@justrugby: sure mate…will email Grant with details…
20 Mar 2010, 15:41 pm
@Transformation:
Cool !!
21 Mar 2010, 05:27 am
dont know much about nick koster, or the hype surrounding him. but from what i can recall his biggest stumbling block thus far has been injury not inadequacy?
21 Mar 2010, 18:00 pm
/\___/\
/// . . \\\
\\\ ^ ///
ROAR …®
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.