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Wallabies great weighs in on Waratahs’ decision to drop Mark Nawaqanitawase
Rugby World Cup winner Tim Horan agrees with Waratahs coach Darren Colena’s decision to drop Mark Nawaqanitawase, saying the Wallaby needs a mental and physical break after a quiet start to the Super Rugby Pacific season.
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Horan was watching on from the sidelines last weekend as the Waratahs fell to a disastrously heavy defeat to the Brumbies at GIO Stadium. But during that Australian derby, Horan noticed that Nawaqanitawase wasn’t as active as he normally is.
The Waratahs have a 1-6 record this season and have the Crusaders up next. The defending champions are one spot behind the New South Welshmen on the ladder with a 16.67% win percentage. For both teams, this clash seems to be a must-win.
Tahs coach Darren Coleman dropped a selection bombshell on Wednesday by omitting Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase from the matchday 23, with Triston Reilly coming into the starting side on the right wing.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
3
Draws
0
Wins
2
Average Points scored
30
36
First try wins
40%
Home team wins
60%
There are a handful of other changes to the Waratahs’ starting side, including the return of Langi Gleeson at No. 8, but there’s no question that the decision to drop Nawaqanitawase is one of the bigger talking points for the Tahs.
“Mark probably needed a break,” Wallaby great Tim Horan explained on Stan Sports’ The Call Up. “It just looked like the last couple of matches he wasn’t as engaged as he was this time last year.
“This time last year, he’s running inside of Jake Gordon, outside of Tane Edmed, he’s looking for opportunities.
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“I saw on Saturday night in Canberra, he stayed on the wing more than what I’ve seen and didn’t go looking for a bit of work. He had a couple of opportunities in the second half but hardly touched the ball in the first half.
“I think he just needs to take a break mentally and physically and then bounce back the following week.
“But Triston Reilly gets an opportunity… Triston Reilly was really good with a couple of opportunities he’s had so far this year.”
Triston Reilly, 25, has scored one try from four Waratahs matches this season. The sole five-pointer came into the Waratahs’ only win of the season which was a 37-24 upset of the Crusaders in Super Round at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
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Reilly comes into the starting side after an impressive performance with Randwick in the Shute Shield. The winger joins Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen in the Waratahs’ starting outside backs combination, with Wallabies Lalakai Foketi and Izaia Perese inside them.
Those players are either Test quality or almost at that level, but they’ve failed to fire for large parts of this season. With the Crusaders up next, and a potential chance to move into the top eight for the Tahs, this is one match they have to get right.
“(Reilly) had been very active and probably deserves to be out there,” ex-All Black Mils Muliaina said.
“I tend to agree. It’s that time of the year where you start to look at your top players and think, ‘Well, are they starting to plateau?’ Nawaqanitawase has.
“When you go to Canberra it’s pretty hard to get active anyway… Riley, he’s enthusiastic, he wants to look for work.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Safas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
65 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
65 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
65 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
65 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
65 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
65 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
65 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
65 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
65 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
65 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
65 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to comments