Rugby Union

[Tigerclan]

Anyone here get into the Super 12 Rugby?

It's certainly crept up on us this year with litte or no fanfare here in Victoria

I've been watching courtesy of having Foxtel on, otherwise I'd be waiting for 7 to televise

a few tests here and there. Never been to a live match, but barrack for the Brumbies first,

only because Canberra is closer to Melbourne, then I go for either of the other 2 teams

against the Kiwis or S Africans, and then the Kiwi sides over the S Africans. Sort of hedging

my bets but I'm not as passionate about any team like I am the Tigers.

I have been interested to see Wendell and Matt Rogers change from League to Union

and watch Chris Latham's courage in awe under the high balls, tough as someone like Francis Bourke.

Anyway looks like the Blues have the Highlanders under control, time to watch the Warratahs

flog the Chiefs.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

I love the Rugby Union TC, I always have, growing up here in Sydney.

The Super 12 is a fantastic comp. and I am a card carrying member and passionate supporter of the NSW Waratahs. They are heading for a win at the moment against the Chiefs from NZ and are actually playing pretty well.

Unfortunately the 'Tahs are the absolute under achievers of the Super 12. Maybe this year will be different  !!!
That should sound familiar  : !!!

 

[Tigerclan]

Re: Super 12s

Hi QueenC

That was a good solid win, wasn't the first try ace? I've often wondered why the rugby kicking skills aren't better

looks like they have been practising ;D  We need to learn how to nail a tackle like the Rugby guys do too.

I really expected NSW to do much better last year, love watching that BIG foreward pack, especially Dunning, proof that

blokes my shape can play something other than pub darts  ;D He's looking rather TRIM this year.

I'm starting to get more used to the rules being a "mexican" My S African mates are amazed that no one here seems to

know the rules, they went to a game at TD and the crowd were clapping in the wrong places, and were silent when

a more knowledeable crowd would go ape sh!t. Makes giving them a smacking at their National Sport

all the more satisfying.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

Hey there TC, that was a great win, thank goodness. I was kind of hoping that we could keep the Chiefs to nothing but beggers can't really be choosers. The Waratahs generally start really well and then fall away during the middle rounds of the season. This has happened so many times and has led to the under achievers tag!!!

Matt Dunning plays for my local club side and has always been a bit of a cult figure here in Sydney. He scored an intercept try by running half the length of the field a couple of years back then in another match kicked a field goal - forwards just don't do these kind of things, especially a prop  ;D !!! His nickname is Fridge, because he always opens them not because he looks like one, but I think the new NSW coaching staff have had him on a diet, because he did look pretty fit, and played really well!!!

Things seemed to go to plan last night - the forwards pushed and worked and pillfered while the backs did all the razzle dazzle stuff, which is generally the way you win rugby games. If AFL sides learned  to tackle more like Rugby sides they would be much better at it, but it may not work in the overall scheme of the game. I don't really know.

NSW actually fly to South Africa today for a three week road trip before coming back to play in Sydney. Hopefully I will go the next home game. I try to get to at least three home games during the season, especially if we play QLD (who we have never beaten  : !!!) And then to a couple of the internationals if they are in Sydney. I try never to miss a Bledisloe Cup. Best rugby going around generally.

Hopefully the rest of the season, they finally live up to expectations (like another team I know!!) and maybe make the semi finals at least which should be well within their grasp. Although I don't think the 'Tahs are quite in the same league as either the Brumbies or the Crusaders which are definately the two best sides in the comp, in my opinion. And they play tonight.
Something to look forward to  ;D !!!

 

[Tigerclan]

Re: Super 12s

A good confidence builder before S Africa, hopefully you can get the hard road trip over with some victories.

I remember Dunning's intercept, it was excellent.

Missed the Brumbies match as I went to Morwell, but it looked like a good win, bonus point too

Lets see if the Crusaders can be kept down a few weeks, although they do play at home

Reds are just starting, I'll see how Wendell goes this year

Gee that was a shocker Go Tahs!! Go Brumbies!!

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

Having watched the match again, it wasn't as good as I had first thought. There was a lot of spilt ball (which could be explained by the high level of humidity up here at the moment) and the kicking for goal was just awful, it will get better, because Rogers is pretty reliable (not as good as Matt Burke though). Having said that we came away with the win and the bonus point so really it is a little pointless to complain!!!

The Brumbies were playing a team which traditionally starts so slowly that they rarely win in the first few weeks, then either win or come second in the comp and tonight was no different. So the Crusaders are on target yet again and are still my pick to win the whole Super 12 (unfortunately)!!! The Brumbies have some real injury concerns though with Giteau, Mortlock and Rathbone missing for at least the next two weeks. Mortlock did his knee so it could be much longer.

The Reds were pretty ordinary and were beaten by a side that was simply stronger at the break down, the Hurricanes pillfered and spoilt a lot better even though they did not seem to have any set structure to their play at all. The Reds simply turned the ball over way to much at the bottom of the rucks. And they did not kick one goal, which would have made a big difference. And I don't think Big Dell had much of an impact and I still question his ability in union.

The roadtrip to South Africa should test the 'Tahs and if they come away with one win then that will be a good result. In the end a pretty good opening weekend although most teams were a little rusty and will hopefully improve, especially my Waratahs!!!
And thanks for starting this thread TC, it is great that there is another Rugby fan out there  :clap !!!

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

I was at the brumbies game yesterday and was impressed that we got a gutsy win against the odds. :clap

The Brumbies had lost Mortlock, Rathbone and Giteau did not play weakening our back line but we still beat the Crusaders who had 11 All Blacks playing for them.

Some of the refereeing discussions border on the bizarre, and not having any amount of the ball in the first 9 minutes of the game showed what character they have.

NSW and QLD are the real underachievers and being the traditional states, but do not have a good record for junior development which hold them back.

They have a habit of buying players where as the Brumbies put a lot of time and effort in the development of juniors, an outstanding player for the brumbies last night was Gene Fairbanks who played 1 game for the Reds in 2003 and came to Canberra this year to try his luck and looks are real find, another one QLD let get away.

It will be doublely hard for the brumbies to win next week as Gregan will not be playing as he is playing for the Tsunami match at Twickenham.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

The Crusaders played pretty poorly I thought, with bad decision making they kept shooting themselves in the foot.
Especially after the first 20mins or so, I thought they would run away with it.

Taking nothing away from the Brumbies though, who had to fight really hard for the win with all their injury issues.
I was especially impressed with Fairbanks and Ashley-Cooper, who both seemed to make the step up with ease.

The game itself was a pretty ugly spectacle though and some of the umpiring decisions were just baffling (for and against both sides). Good win to the Brumbies though  ;D !!!

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

The Crusaders played pretty poorly I thought, with bad decision making they kept shooting themselves in the foot.
Especially after the first 20mins or so, I thought they would run away with it.

Taking nothing away from the Brumbies though, who had to fight really hard for the win with all their injury issues.
I was especially impressed with Fairbanks and Ashley-Cooper, who both seemed to make the step up with ease.

The game itself was a pretty ugly spectacle though and some of the umpiring decisions were just baffling (for and against both sides). Good win to the Brumbies though ;D !!!

I still can not figure out the fascination that NSW and QLD have with taking league converts when they have an over abundance of local talent.

More has to be done by these states to develop juniors into their Super 12 sides.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

There have been a couple of sucessful league converts even for the Brumbies over the years, but you are right there needs to be less money spent on buying high priced "talent" (questionable in regards to Big Dell) and more on the grass roots of the game, which in Austalia is  generally pretty poor.

A lot of the juniors that Canberra has signed have come from Sydney or Brisbane anyway and were not given contracts here unfortunately and the Brumbies are capitalising on poor future thinking of the Reds and and Waratahs.

Very few Brumby players are born and bread in Canberra, a couple but not many.

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

There have been a couple of sucessful league converts even for the Brumbies over the years, but you are right there needs to be less money spent on buying high priced "talent" (questionable in regards to Big Dell) and more on the grass roots of the game, which in Austalia is generally pretty poor.

A lot of the juniors that Canberra has signed have come from Sydney or Brisbane anyway and were not given contracts here unfortunately and the Brumbies are capitalising on poor future thinking of the Reds and and Waratahs. Very few Brumby players are born and bread in Canberra, a couple but not many.

True what you say about not having many born and bred but with a population of about 300,000 that is understandable

We may not have the quantity of local players but these two especially as "JD" would say are good average players "Stephen Larkham and George Gregan" :hihi

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s


You could add Joe Roff to that list as well I think, he was pretty handy  : !!!

The Brumbies are the most successful Australian franchise, and the Waratahs are the most under-achieving annoying franchise, but when all is said and done I still and will always love my 'Tahs  ;D !!!

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

Interesting to read in the programme from the game that Mark Gerrard is in constant contact with Joe Cool 8)

I hope he continues to develops into a player as good as Joe Roff.

Joe Cool was another local lad as you pointed out. :hihi

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

Since John Mitchell has signed for the Perth Franchise, it will be interesting to see what players go from the Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies. :spin

Hopefully for NSW Mat Rogers stays injury free. :clap

Brumbies play the Waratahs at Bruce Stadium in Week 8 [Sat 16 Apr 05] > :clap

 

[Tigerclan]

Re: Super 12s

It's a pity Melbourne didn't get the other franchise, I would have liked to have gone

I do have the Tigers to watch though. Very average The Reds, I had the match on but

was trying to work out how to get those few Morwell shots onto the WWW.

What websites do you use to track the goings on overseas, I find the OZ sites are a bit

slow with the info, where the NZ and SA sites are up to date quickly.

I'd rather just use one site, at the moment I have about 6

 

[Ghost Who Walks]

Re: Super 12s

It's a pity Melbourne didn't get the other franchise, I would have liked to have gone

I do have the Tigers to watch though. Very average The Reds, I had the match on but

was trying to work out how to get those few Morwell shots onto the WWW.

What websites do you use to track the goings on overseas, I find the OZ sites are a bit

slow with the info, where the NZ and SA sites are up to date quickly.

I'd rather just use one site, at the moment I have about 6

A good site is http://www.superrugby.co.za/default.asp?scat=superrugby/super12

 

[nwonash]

Re: Super 12s

I love the Super 12's.

The best thing that could have happened to Union.

I following the Brumbies. It was interesting to find that 50% of the players that have played for the ACT, have also played for the Wallabies. What a fantastic record.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

The Brumbies have been, since their inception 10 years ago, the most professional and best coached team in Australia (the last two Wallaby coaches have been from the ACT franchise), they have also recruited very well over the years with such a small selection in Canberra nearly all their players have come from either Sydney or Brisbane.

They have had an eye on junior players from the other states that seemed to have slipped through the cracks or there were already established players in their positions or the Brumbies were willing to offer quality kids a contract before NSW or QLD did, and they have generally been worth the risk. Which is also something that neither the Reds or the 'Tahs have been willing to take.

This year looks different for the Waratahs (we can only hope) because they have a number of players under 24 years in their side and even more fighting for the starting spots or the spots on the bench, especially in the back row. Thankfully there were no league players to chase in the off season so maybe this will make the brains trust take notice at the grass roots in NSW, which is what the Brumbies have been doing for years.

This can only be good, we will have to wait and see, but Friday night was a good start  ;D !!!

 

[RemoteTiger]

Re: Super 12s

The Brumbies do look after the juniors here in the ACT - that is why school teams from the ACT have won the last few Commonwealth Bank NSW/ACT school competitions. We have won so many recently NSW Administration have kicked the ACT Schools out of the comp this year.

Trouble with the "Tahs and the Reds is they have that old school tie fuddy duddy administration holding them back - here in Canberra the administration is very much a young get up and go lot - who understand that RU is a spectator sport and that is where the money and the future is.

Enjoy the Brumbies - particularly George Smith - he is just so good at the breakdowns.

Enjoy the Raiders - but league IMO has become so predictable that it is boring - it needs a batch of superstars to take it to new levels - like Daley, Stuart, Meninga, Lewis and co did back in the "80s

But I would really like the AFL to take-off up here in the Nations Capital - "The Capital Kangaroos" it has a nice ring to it. That way I would get to see Richmond live in the flesh at least once a year without having to travel out of Canberra.

 

[QueenC]

Re: Super 12s

Trouble with the "Tahs and the Reds is they have that old school tie fuddy duddy administration holding them back - here in Canberra the administration is very much a young get up and go lot - who understand that RU is a spectator sport and that is where the money and the future is.

Having worked for the Australian Rugby Union leading into the 2003 World Cup, I'm not sure that this is quite right, but there were definate problems within the NSWRU. I don't really know anything about how the ACTRU or the QRU runs their ships, so I am not going to speculate, but here things are definately looking up, the grass roots and state comps are being looked at for talent (rather than league) and the coach seems to have changed his approach to the team and the organisation, and not before time.

If only Matt Burke was around to see the changes  :'( !!!