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'I know them very well and how lethal they can be' - Waratahs star's warning of Genia-Cooper combo
NSW Waratahs lock Rob Simmons has warned how lethal the Melbourne Rebels combination of Will Genia and Quade Cooper can be, as he prepares to face his old teammates in a pivotal Super Rugby matchup.
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The Australian Conference-leading Rebels go into Saturday’s SCG clash seven points clear of the second-placed Tahs.
Simmons has played alongside halfback Genia and five-eighth Cooper for much of his provincial and Test career, with all three of them starting in the Queensland Reds’ 2011 Super Rugby final win over the Crusaders.
“You end up playing against a lot of your mates and that’s a fact of professional rugby; people move around and it’s an enjoyable thing too,” Simmons said.
With Reds’ coach Brad Thorn placing an emphasis on youth, the three veterans have found new clubs, with Simmons on the opposing side to the playmaking duo.
“I know them very well and how lethal they can be,” Simmons said.
“Will and Quade can pick a misread and if you crumble under pressure then they can put someone away behind your goalposts.
“It looks like they are back on the page that they know so well.”
The lineout looms as a key battleground with the Rebels boasting the competition’s highest success rate of 94 per cent and the Waratahs third on 92.
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“It’s going to be a good battle this weekend, because they’ve improved a lot on their defensive lineout,” Simmons said.
Simmons will come up against one of Australia’s other top locks in Adam Coleman.
“He’s been playing very well also, but I think as a group we’ve got to all stand up, their pack has been going quite well” Simmons said.
He believes the Stormers’ performance in their win against the Rebels in Melbourne last week offered the Tahs some clues.
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“They shut down their front-foot ball, they (Melbourne) probably got a little bit outworked there and then they lost their way after that,” Simmons said.
Unlike several of the Tahs’ other Wallabies, Simmons has yet to be rested from a game this year.
“I’m not really looking for a rest, it’s only halfway through a season,” he said.
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson is expected to make at least three changes to his side, with Israel Folau unavailable, Ned Hanigan injured and Michael Hooper back after being rested.
AAP
Watch – Liam Wright interview:
Comments on RugbyPass
Andy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
4 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
2 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
116 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
2 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
116 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to comments