Slick Tahs bury Canes
14 May 2010
The Waratahs produced their best performance of the competition to beat the Hurricanes 32-16 and book their spot in the play-offs.
The Tahs took to the field in a jersey that probably matches the wallpaper in Phil Waugh’s bathroom. Perhaps the jersey designers felt not enough people knew exactly what a Waratah was, or perhaps the coaches wanted to distract the Canes with a design so bad it put Stade Francais’ atrocity to shame.
The official line is that the Tahs donned the strip for charity, and they seemed to thrive in the new colours, hammering the Canes up front and scoring some spectacular tries thanks to their sublime support play. The wet conditions should have prescribed a tighter approach, but the Tahs’ tendency to look for the offload had the Canes’ defence scrambling.
The hosts went into this crucial match without their star scrummager, Benn Robinson, and were dealt a further blow when Dan Palmer cried off with injury in the 11th minute. Unfortunately for the Canes, they also lost captain Andrew Hore early on, a loss that seemed to have a greater impact on their scrumming prowess.
The Tahs bossed this set-piece and piled on the pressure through a relentless forward assault on the Canes’ line. The Kiwis were able to withstand the forward barrage and even managed to snaffle a couple of timely turnovers on their own line. But it was when the Tahs ran it from deep that the visitors struggled to get back on defence.
Great offloading complemented penetrative supporting lines until Kurtley Beale received the final pass to dot down. Lachie Turner then created something from nothing, chipping behind the Canes’ defence, collecting the ball, and sprinting upfield. The pass at pace was accurate as Drew Mitchell took the score to 18-6.
Piri Weepu managed to goal a penalty before the break, but the Tahs struck decisively after half-time. Having absorbed plenty of punishment in the first stanza, the Canes defence was lethargic and allowed Mitchell to cut the line. The Wallabies winger found Rob Horne in support and was on hand when the Tahs centre delivered the final offload.
The try and subsequent conversion took the Tahs to a 25-9 lead, and the way the hosts were firing, a Canes fightback seemed unlikely. The hosts had the better of possession and were winning the collisions, a battle that was made easier thanks to the tiring Canes defence.
Another chip over the top eluded a seemingly well-placed Cory Jane as Beale collected his own kick to score. The bounce of the ball was favouring the Aussies, and the try ensured they claimed a bonus point.
The Canes played themselves into the Tahs’ 22, but their desperation was exacerbated by elementary handling errors. Jane knocked the ball over the tryline, and while you could say that the slippery conditions were responsible, the Tahs were getting all their passes away despite the wet.
Turner was sin-binned in the 67th minute but the Canes failed to make the most of their numbers advantage. They spilled a pass from the resulting penalty and then butchered another opportunity when they ran it from deep. The Tahs defended spiritedly, but eventually conceded a try to David Smith.
The Sydney side has played some uninspiring rugby to date, but this performance confirmed why many teams consider them a threat. Their pack is difficult to stop once it gets going, and when they string a couple of passes together, ala the Crusaders, they can translate pressure into points.
They’ll continue to whinge following this win, as the five-point return takes them to second position on the log. Had the Bulls sent their first-string to Newlands and beaten the Stormers, the Tahs would have hosted a play-off.
The Stormers should beat the Bulls B team on Saturday to book a home semi-final, a result that will see Waugh’s charges traveling from Sydney to take on an intimidating outfit in Cape Town. The other play-off should see the Bulls hosting the Crusaders.
By Jon Cardinelli
478 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 » Show All
14 May 2010, 13:59 pm
Ou st..st…st….stutter hak n ou al ‘n rukkie vas.
Fraudie, good to see that you are heeding my advice and not using BAAS Gibsons time to blog here.
14 May 2010, 13:59 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-248: Did you hear from grant 10 yet?
14 May 2010, 14:00 pm
Four tries to one.
Can’t argue with that.
Well done Waratahs, You are worthy semi-finalists.
Goodbye George, thanks for the entertainment. It’s been great.
14 May 2010, 14:00 pm
@katman(katman)-236: hey katman, with a baby, a couple of weeks old in the house, i can imagine your are quite dilusional at this point! how are things?
14 May 2010, 14:00 pm
@Kea-Cat(KEA)-246: no question there, they have thoroughly deserved to be where they are, I have enjoyed watching them play this season… the try against the chiefs was superb, didnt see the Saders first one tonight which I hear was good too..
14 May 2010, 14:00 pm
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-251:
he is a bit gunshy,did not even respond to your post on the other thread.
I wonder what advocate barbie is gonna do this weekend.last one as a free woman for a while.
14 May 2010, 14:00 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-250:
True, she took it better than your average Stormer. Superb gag reflexes
14 May 2010, 14:01 pm
@Panzer Chief(cane)-253:
Kia ora my brother.
14 May 2010, 14:01 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-252: no, will check again
14 May 2010, 14:02 pm
@Fern(Fern)-256:
Yeah, big mouth and then he steals from his Colonial Masters employers.
Lol, they should bolt the doors to all the orphanages.
14 May 2010, 14:03 pm
Anyway, was a stunning morning and the ****** weather from CT blowing in now. Great time for an afternoon kip.
Cheers gents and briesies.
14 May 2010, 14:04 pm
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-249: hey when your on top everyone wants to knock you off..
thankfully my team did, so if yours wins the comp, I still get to enjoy it too..
14 May 2010, 14:06 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-259: Thanks mate. Please let me know ok?
14 May 2010, 14:07 pm
Suprisingly, if you look at attacking teams in terms of average tries scored, Sharks are looking shakey right at the bottom, they need to sort out their backline quick
Team TF Avg
Bulls 3.83
Blues 3.50
Waratahs 3.46
Crusaders 3.31
Chiefs 3.17
Reds 3.08
Brumbies 3.08
Hurricanes 3.08
Stormers 2.67
Lions 2.58
Highlanders 2.42
Cheetahs 2.08
Western Force 1.92
Sharks 1.67
14 May 2010, 14:07 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-264: should say unsurprisingly
14 May 2010, 14:09 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-254: Not so bad thanks, Buck. But I admit I am sleep-deprived.
14 May 2010, 14:10 pm
News from Rugby 365 – Stormers to rest 12 players for the Bulls game, Coetzee says that they have already qualified for the semi’s and there is no need to completely destroy the bulls second stringers
14 May 2010, 14:11 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-264: didnt want to see that table… shows how poor my teams defense was.. second in points and didnt even come close to qualifying?
14 May 2010, 14:11 pm
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-260:
he ran away from sa,moves to mud island,works for a white man,bad weather,paying a 30 pound fine is a issue,has a website with no following,trolls here.
eish
14 May 2010, 14:12 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-268: points = average tries
14 May 2010, 14:13 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-250: teeheehee
14 May 2010, 14:13 pm
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-257: lol
14 May 2010, 14:16 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-247: well if you divide the two ratios against each other the the Stormers come out on top by a fair margin, so no, I wouldn’t agree with you there. They are 9 points a game better than them on defence and only 2 points worse than them on attack.
Amd being a Mac, I would have thought that stinginess would be more valued to you than scoring tries….
14 May 2010, 14:17 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-259: hi there…..i am dead keen….but forget your e mail….will ask stormerboy to sms me it …
14 May 2010, 14:18 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-273: Hi There
Thanks again
Can you be so kind as to sms me bucktrendys e mail addie?
14 May 2010, 14:18 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-268: thats 2nd in tries, showing that they were lacking in defense as were the Bulls, i just hope they can start putting 80 min games together for once.
14 May 2010, 14:18 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-206: Traditionally 2nd vs 3rd is the first semi and 1st vs 4th – second. So, I guess Stu is for the first one.
After all, Bulls have to get Saffa ref.
(and that will make 11 from 14, come semifinals).
14 May 2010, 14:19 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-267:
what the report failed to mention was that waratahs paid 2 gazillion zim dollars to wpru to convince them to do it.
14 May 2010, 14:19 pm
@grant10(grant10)-274: didnt quite get your wish mate, a kiwi side made a semi
14 May 2010, 14:19 pm
@grant10(grant10)-274: bucktrendy at gmail
14 May 2010, 14:22 pm
@Nils(Nils)-277: according to www super14 com, the bulls are already down for the first game 5pm on the 22nd, works out well then?
14 May 2010, 14:22 pm
@grant10(grant10)-275:
how’s your better half’s political aspirations going?
14 May 2010, 14:23 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-245:
I stand to be corrected here, but if the Stormers win a home semi and get the Crusaders in the final, wouldn’t that final be in Christchurch?
I thought if 4th beats 1st, they replace them as the top seed effectively and get home ground advantage?
14 May 2010, 14:24 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-280: cool…will mail now
@Fern(Fern)-282: working very hard…its a tough game …makes super 14 look like tiddlywinks…thanks for asking.
14 May 2010, 14:24 pm
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-257: is that why you can’t scream? to busy gagging?
14 May 2010, 14:24 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-273: hahaha, you can try and manipulate it as you wish, but if your team is up there with PF and PA (meaning least conceded) then the obvious deduction would be that they seem to be balance, remember the Stormers were not scoring that many points in the beginning but their defense was tight.
14 May 2010, 14:24 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-281: ok, they should know it better.
I just got used to mid teams playing first and then the top dog takes on last one.
14 May 2010, 14:25 pm
@Nils(Nils)-277: And Saders always need a Kiwi one…
14 May 2010, 14:25 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-283: No, 4nd team cannot get home final. The seed system applies, if top team is knocked out, 2nd comes in, if they have lost too – the 3rd one. Never 4th.
14 May 2010, 14:26 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-283:
I’m afraid you are mistaken.
The final is played at the home ground of the finalist that finished higher on the log.
Like I said, I placed a large bet on a Stormers/Crusaders final at Newlands.
14 May 2010, 14:26 pm
@grant10(grant10)-284:
so she is obviously opposition then to the anc.the anc is frantically trying to build some rdp houses because the elections are coming up.
14 May 2010, 14:26 pm
@Nils(Nils)-289: sorry, 4th, of course.
14 May 2010, 14:26 pm
@MacToogie(MacToogie)-276: the bulls put 80 together you mean?
I’ll be watching Baxxies with interest,can he come back strong this weekend? would be a massive boon to your side.
14 May 2010, 14:26 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-283: no!!!!!!!!!
14 May 2010, 14:27 pm
@BuckT(BuckTrendy)-285: mail sent
14 May 2010, 14:27 pm
@Fern(Fern)-291: ja….she is DA…
14 May 2010, 14:27 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-283: no, your final standings determine the final game as well….
14 May 2010, 14:28 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-290: hope you win your wager.
14 May 2010, 14:28 pm
just heard Van Zyl Slabbert passed away…..
14 May 2010, 14:28 pm
Sheesh- imagine how quiet Keo will be if the Saders beat the Bulls next week and the Stormers put one over the Tahs.
Wonder if there’ll still be all this bravado, or if the shouts of confidence (arrogance) will fade to whimpers of excuse?
Now I’m not saying I think this is what will happen, but I think it’s probably best to take my usual approach of “lets wait and see”.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.