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'I've just said next door to the TV that I can't quite put a finger on it'
Dave Walder cannot put his finger on what is wrong with Newcastle after seeing them fall to a 17-10 defeat against Bath.
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Adam Radwan’s acrobatic finish in the corner was cancelled out by Ted Hill’s drive from point-blank range to send the two teams into the break at 7-7.
Johann van Graan’s side took control after half-time, taking the lead through a Billy Searle penalty before Ollie Lawrence’s score gave the visitors a 10-point lead heading into the closing stages.
Brett Connon converted a late penalty but it was not enough to stop Bath’s second win of the season and third in a row at Kingston Park.
And with the Falcons bottom of the reduced 11-team table, after Worcester and Wasps’ suspensions, Walder admitted he is not sure why his side are struggling to gel.
Walder said: “I’ve just said next door to the TV that I can’t quite put a finger on it.
“We as coaches got the last two weeks wrong in terms of what we’ve put into the players from a physical point of view – that’s something I’ll have to go away and look at as I thought our energy was a bit flat and that’s something we’ve been good at all year.
“I thought our basics from the playing side of things weren’t what they needed to be, and conditions were tough.
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“I thought we started the game pretty well but weren’t clinical, we had a couple of opportunities where I think if we’d managed to score or take the points, things might’ve been a little bit different.
“But we’ve made our decisions and put ourselves under pressure.
“In the second half, when things were going against us, again, a lack of basics really, really cost us.”
Bath director of rugby Van Graan was delighted with his side’s performance after recording back-to-back Gallagher Premiership wins.
He said: “Yeah, I am very happy. It was not the best game of rugby but we managed the conditions pretty well, more specifically in the second half.
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“Our game management was good once we went 10 points up, we played in the right part of the pitch and didn’t really give them entries.
“We had quite a few injuries – if you lose both of your wingers (Ruaridh McConnochie and Gabriel Hamer-Webb) and you make a change at 10 pretty early and (replacement Billy Searle) gets injured, that’s a lot of reshuffling in the backline – but we managed that well.
“It’s our first away win of the season and a huge step in the right direction.
“I think to be fair both teams tried to play, it is just a lot of areas on this 4G pitch were wet which makes the ball wet.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments