Force v Waratahs

[BLR]

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The Waratahs v Force promises to be a very interesting match up between the two best Australian teams. This week the Waratahs have claimed they are attacking Giteau (doesn't everyone?), kicking long balls to Mitchell and all around trying to do everything every other team has tried to do to the Force this season.

All the talk that has been coming out of the Waratah camp could go against them, because despite some midweek reports trying to restore thier underdog status it seems the Waratahs will go into this game as confident favourites, or at least the NSW media will anyway.

Like usual I am hesitant about this game, mostly because if we do lose I think I will have to commit hari kari. Despite all the talk during the week I suspect the Tahs will kill the game with much the same game plan they have done this whole campaign, I suspect it will turn out to be a very dull game.

My tip is that the past two weeks against the Stormers and Bulls would have hardened the Force up to the forward attacks that the Tahs claim to be attempting. The Tahs 18 year old rookie Horne will have an extremely tough time againt the hard running centre combination of Scott Staniforth and Ryan Cross. The previous few games Giteau has suffered huge knocks and it has affected his play for a period of time, where he has been in the game but the lights haven't quite been on. I suspect the Tahs won't be as effective at it then the Saffa and Kiwi teams and Giteau will run the backline well, hopefully with a few good runs thrown in.

Lote has hit some form as of last week and it will be interesting to see what he can do this week.....

Should be a pretty ugly game I suspect...

 

[ChiefsFan]

My prediction...

Force by a try. Won't be pretty, I just think Force will win at home.

 

[BLR]

Cheating Tahs, gave away a penalty every time we were in a goal scoring position....coincidence, I think not!

 

[Incredible Schalk]

jeez, why dont the Tahs fire McKenzie more they really do look like the main Oz challengers.

 

[rsea]

Yeah the Tahs really stood up well
Tuquiri showed up for the 2nd week in a row!

 

[Silver Arrow]

Looked like a sickening clash between Giteau and Norton-Knight. Hopefully Giteau bounces back quickly because the Force need him.

 

[Haj]

Cheating Tahs, gave away a penalty every time we were in a goal scoring position....coincidence, I think not! [/b]

Meh



Lots of teams are doing that atm not just the tahs *cough* saffas *cough*





The waratah defense was pretty good overall. The Force applied lots of pressure and most other teams woulda crumbled.

There was a period after the 70th minute where the force turning over the ball stupidly due to low percentage passing. Once they got their head screwed on they looked like scoring.....but didnt.

That was one of the best games ive seen lote play in a while. McKay did a great job taking over gits. Brown, staniforth and mitchell were mint. I just wished wykes and hodgson came on earlier.

Horne looks promising but made some mistakes one would expect from a newb. Im still not convinced about the hype of Beale.

Force Best - Richard Brown Tahs Best - Lachy Turner

The Lamers - David Pocock and Matt Dunning

 

[sanzar]

Very tense and tight game as I think most people expected. Shame about Gits, but was good to see Lote come to his aid so quickly. Speaking of Lote, if he keeps this form up I doubt too many people will be complaining about his price tag come TN time... he looked like creating something almost every time he got the ball on Saturday!

 

[Fushitsusha]

Very tense and tight game as I think most people expected. Shame about Gits, but was good to see Lote come to his aid so quickly. Speaking of Lote, if he keeps this form up I doubt too many people will be complaining about his price tag come TN time... he looked like creating something almost every time he got the ball on Saturday!
[/b]

Lote might be good enough for Australia A, but not the Wallabies.

 

[sanzar]

<div class='quotemain'>
Very tense and tight game as I think most people expected. Shame about Gits, but was good to see Lote come to his aid so quickly. Speaking of Lote, if he keeps this form up I doubt too many people will be complaining about his price tag come TN time... he looked like creating something almost every time he got the ball on Saturday!
[/b]

Lote might be good enough for Australia A, but not the Wallabies. [/b][/quote]
Only the most biased of Tah hating brumby supporters would ever say anything that dumb after Lote's last couple of games. The Tahs V Force game was a contest between Aus's 2 best sides and Lote was immense throughout the whole 80 mins AND he's an incumbent winger for the wallabies, yet you still think he doesn't deserve even a bench spot? You're dreaming if you think he won't be in our side.

 

[Fushitsusha]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'>
Very tense and tight game as I think most people expected. Shame about Gits, but was good to see Lote come to his aid so quickly. Speaking of Lote, if he keeps this form up I doubt too many people will be complaining about his price tag come TN time... he looked like creating something almost every time he got the ball on Saturday!
[/b]

Lote might be good enough for Australia A, but not the Wallabies. [/b][/quote]
Only the most biased of Tah hating brumby supporters would ever say anything that dumb after Lote's last couple of games. The Tahs V Force game was a contest between Aus's 2 best sides and Lote was immense throughout the whole 80 mins AND he's an incumbent winger for the wallabies, yet you still think he doesn't deserve even a bench spot? You're dreaming if you think he won't be in our side.
[/b][/quote]

Only the most blind, Ignorant Tahs fan would say something like that.....

Seriously though......

Lote has been on a downward slide for the past two years and is nowhere near worthy of what he's getting paid.

The Wallabies need better, more exciting wingers. If Deans is smart he'll pick the likes of Mitchell, Ashley-Cooper, Turner or even Playford. Hell, I'd even prefer Shepherd or Gerrard even though they're better suited for fullback.

I don't care who was an 'incumbent' player considering how woeful the Wallabies were under Connolly.

Dunning and Palu were also incumbent Wallabies and they have no place in the team this year.

 

[mackka]

Maybe Tuqiri shouldn't be getting paid what he is but the fact remains he is one of the top 2 or 3 wingers in Australia right now without a doubt. On current form he and Mitchell should get the spots. Note CURRENT form. Not form over the last 2 years. Ashley-Cooper is looking good and he could well get a spot. I'd probably have him on the bench though since he can cover fullback and centre also. Turner has a heap of potential but as someone said his decision making hasn't been great this year. Playford? He's been more than solid but how can you possibly say he's played better than Tuqiri in recent weeks? You said in your post we need exciting wingers. Playford is many things but he's hardly an excitement machine. Nobody's saying Lote's a shoe-in but on CURRENT form he's gotta be right up there.

As for Dunning and Palu, you won't find me defending the fat man but Palu was been great this year. He consistently breaks the line while getting his hands free for offloads. He would have set up a try on the weekend if someone had been on his shoulder and he made 25 tackles against the Force. So much for going missing in the big games. Palu, Brown and Hoiles are all playing really well and I wouldn't be surprised to see them all get a starting spot at some stage this year.

 

[BLR]

In regards to Lote, let's see if he keeps it up, he has about 2 years of bad form behind him, and two good games the last two weeks, hardly someone I'd be proud to call a Wallaby but we still have a few weeks to determine that.

I think if we are talking Wallaby places Lote should only be an option if and ONLY if he comes out with some huge barnstorming performances. He has been alright sure, but wouldn't it be better to blood a young bloke with copius amounts of potential then play a player who is just playing solid and won't be around for the next world cup....

Same with Vickerman, if he is going north don't play him, simple as that....the sooner we build for the world cup the better....

 

[Fushitsusha]

I think there'll only be room for two no. 8's in the squad and they would have to be Richard Brown and Stephen Hoiles. Palu certainly isn't as dynamic as those guys. His only good performances for the Wallabies have been against weak sides.

I also think that Waugh will just nudge Pocock out of a place in the squad, but I'm not sure if he'll even make the bench. There's no doubt that George Smith will be retaining his openside spot (with Elsom at blindside and probably Brown at no. 8), but I'd rather have Hoiles on the bench because he can cover the entire backrow, has speed, and is a lineout option.

As for Tuqiri - he may have picked up his act a little over the past two weeks, but I don't think he's good enough yet to be picked in the Wallabies team unless (like BLR said) he has some really amazing games.

Tuqiri has really only had two standout years in rugby - 2003 & 2004. He's been fairly average ever since and I highly doubt he's going to get back to his best. Maybe being dumped might help him. Maybe that will deflate his ego and he'll start playing better.

But Deans really needs to dump the waste that's been left behind from the previous Wallaby regimes, and for me that includes Dunning, Baxter, Palu and Tuqiri. These guys have been numerous chances at test level and have been woeful in my opinion.

On the wings, I think Mitchell should be partnered up with Ashley-Cooper or Turner. I don't think Turner has had as good as year as he did last year but I think he's talents were wasted at fullback and now that he's back on the wing he's starting to get back into form.

Australia really needs wingers that can score tries. And I think those are our 3 best options at the moment.

 

[Haj]

Im not even convinced Turner had as great a year as what the sydney hype make it out to be.
Just look at the way the media is hyping up Horne. Sure he def has potential and all and in the last game made some pretty crappy errors yet you have dickheads making claims he should be on the wallaby squad. ON WHAT BASIS U SMH IDIOTS??

 

[sanzar]

Im not even convinced Turner had as great a year as what the sydney hype make it out to be.
Just look at the way the media is hyping up Horne. Sure he def has potential and all and in the last game made some pretty crappy errors yet you have dickheads making claims he should be on the wallaby squad. ON WHAT BASIS U SMH IDIOTS?? [/b]

Here's a tip: Why don't you WA boys stop reading Eastern State newspapers? We sure as hell don't bother reading yours. If you did you'd get less sand in your vaginas, would have less to cry about, and could then focus that energy into winning a few more games .

 

[BLR]

Here's a tip: Why don't you WA boys stop reading Eastern State newspapers? We sure as hell don't bother reading yours. If you did you'd get less sand in your vaginas, would have less to cry about, and could then focus that energy into winning a few more games .
[/b]

1. WA is a AFL state, our newspapers are dominated as such.
2. I believe Haj is from Melbourne...

 

[sanzar]

<div class='quotemain'>
Here's a tip: Why don't you WA boys stop reading Eastern State newspapers? We sure as hell don't bother reading yours. If you did you'd get less sand in your vaginas, would have less to cry about, and could then focus that energy into winning a few more games .
[/b]

1. WA is a AFL state, our newspapers are dominated as such.
2. I believe Haj is from Melbourne... [/b][/quote]

1. True, but that doesn't mean you have to read the eastern press... I have the nzherald on my favourites list and it provides more than enough rugby news even if it is NZ focussed.

2. Originally? Cause that's not what his info says...

In any case, you guys do need to care less what the herald and tele say... it doesn't matter to the players and generally doesn't even reflect public opinion in Sydney. Most people I know are actually pretty fond of the force and follow them as their second team in Aus. Hard to believe I know, but if the papers printed that it might not sell...