Waratahs face uphill battle in Johannesburg
Well, I’m glad I watched both halves of the Waratahs versus Highlanders Super Rugby quarter-final last Saturday in Sydney.
I was tempted to switch it off at halftime. With the Highlanders dominating I was fully expecting the score to kick on. I would have bet my house on the Highlanders winning by a big margin. Their forward pack was dominating and Lima Sopoaga was running the whole show. Kurtley Beale was on the field but was not sighted in the first half and Israel Folau was making error after error. The Highlanders led at half time 23-6 with the Waratahs ending up winning 30-23.
The Highlanders play a very similar game to the Waratahs. It is up-tempo, using the width of the field with Lima Sopoaga and Kurtley Beale having similar styles of play, drawing defenders with their ability to put runners away with crisp passing on inside and outside lines. The Highlanders forwards were getting on top in the first half as well, especially with their counter-rucking. Set pieces were pretty even with both sides dropping a few throws in the lineout.
So the half-time whistle goes and a new Waratahs team trots out. Kurtley Beale has the ball on a string again and is making big line breaks, Israel Folau is making no errors and finishing like a runaway train, and Bernard Foley is in on the show as well combining well with Beale and Folau to score two tries. The Waratahs forward pack look more enthusiastic supporting the ball carrier in the tackle and stopping the Highlanders’ effective first half counter-rucking.
I have no idea why the Highlanders did not come out and play in the second half but they have missed the plane to Johannesburg for the semi-final against the Lions and the Tahs have happily climbed on board. The Lions are set to host the Waratahs at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg this Saturday 28th July.
My prediction for the weekend will be a Lions victory, though I am hoping for some more Tahs magic like we saw in the second half against the Highlanders. Unfortunately, even before the Tahs get on the field they have to overcome the huge time and distance in travel. The altitude is also a massive factor and of course when they actually run on the field they have to face a very good Lions team, who are well rested and playing at home.
I have done the Johannesburg run many a time with Queensland and the Wallabies. It’s a nightmare trip, especially when the planes could not go directly from Sydney to Johannesburg and you had to refuel in Perth. The Waratahs would have hopped on a 14-hour direct flight on Sunday and you can imagine the scenes after their last Super Rugby match; everyone is wearing ice packs, it is a like a hospital ward, the physios find some clear floor space and they work the full trip treating players.
The Tahs would arrive in Johannesburg exhausted, bashed up and ready to sleep for 24 hours, but no, they have a Super Rugby semi-final in five and half days. The Lions meanwhile are at home doing their resting and team rehab and are already one to two days in front with their preparation. The Tahs would have still not seen the Lions match on video by the time they arrived in South Africa.
The joys of playing at altitude, in 1992 after the Wallabies played Western Transvaal in the lovely resort town of Potchefstroom; my description of playing at altitude was widely reported in the Australian press. I played the full 80 minutes and since we were the first Wallaby team to play at altitude since 1969 our press contingent was super keen for some quotes. I stated, “it was like trying to play rugby with a plastic bag over your head, you simply can’t breathe especially in the last 20 minutes.” It was a weird experience like running around with a bad case of bronchitis. The lovely resort town of Potchefstroom is 1350m above sea level, Johannesburg is a step up at 1700 m above sea level, so you can effectively add another plastic bag.
You can win away at altitude; I did it in 1995 when Queensland beat Transvaal in the Super 10 final at Ellis Park. We did what a lot of visiting teams used to do, like stay at sea level and fly up to the High Veldt within 24 hours of the match. In our case our base was Durban. This was seen to negate the effects of altitude and certainly worked for us that year. Talking to South African teams who are based at sea level, they ignore the altitude factor, don’t talk about it and just fly up the morning of the match. I don’t know what the Waratahs plans are this week but the altitude is a huge factor and they will have a plan to negate it.
Anyone who has been to Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria and seen Naas Botha kick a football will know you are in a different world. Against the backdrop of an impossibly pale blue washed out sky, the football seemingly travels into the stratosphere and travels the full length of the pitch. As Naas hoists it above the giant Blou Bulle’s forward pack it travels forever into the thin air of the High Veldt, becoming a speck before falling, giving time for his monstrous forward pack to hit you like a crashing blue tidal wave.
So the Waratahs have battled the travel, the altitude and now they have to face up to the Lions on Saturday. No easy task, the Lions are strong across the field, evidenced by their dismantling of the Jaguares 40 -23 last weekend in their quarter-final clash. What was surprising to me was the way the Lions scrum completely dominated the Puma front row led scrum of the Jaguares, smashing them on occasion. The Lions also shut down the Jaguares running game very easily, committing virtually no one to the ruck and fanning in defence, easily picking up the runners and denying the width of the field. A tactic they will also use against the Waratahs, who have zero attack around the ruck and a reliance on first hit-up runners and using the width of the field. The Waratahs will struggle against the Lions very strong lineout. They like to throw up jumpers in defence and will pinch some throws for sure.
Best of luck to the Waratahs, I don’t think they will get through this weekend as I feel it is a game too far for them. I hope the Tahs surprise me again but travel, altitude and a very strong team playing at home are conspiring against a Tahs win. Smart money on the Lions is my bet for the weekend and the Crusaders to beat the Hurricanes in the other semi-final in Christchurch.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments