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Waratahs roll midfield dice by including 112kg version of 'young Sonny Bill Williams'
The NSW Waratahs are banking on the physicality of former NRL prodigy Tepai Moeroa to punch a hole in the Melbourne Rebels midfield and help them land a Super Rugby AU finals berth.
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Despite only playing one match this year, Waratahs coach Rob Penney is rolling the dice with Moeroa at inside centre for Saturday night’s Leichhardt Oval clash, replacing fellow league convert Karmichael Hunt, who has a hamstring injury.
Likened to a young Sonny Bill Williams, Moeroa played 112 NRL games in the back row for Parramatta over six seasons before switching back to rugby this year, where he made a huge impact at schoolboy level.
Penney said he wanted the 24-year-old Moeroa to put his 112kg, 190cm frame on the line in the must-win match for the Waratahs. “We felt our midfield was a wee bit anaemic last week,” Penney said of their loss to the Brumbies. “We didn’t quite have the impact we wanted and given the importance of this, we needed to make a shift.
“That physical presence, in essence, is what he will bring to us… so we’re hoping he will be able to become a handful in the midfield both with and without the ball and that will allow others around him to flourish.”
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The match could decide the finals line-up, with a win by the Rebels ending the Waratahs’ push while the NSW outfit could do the same to their opponents with a bonus-point victory.
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Melbourne will look to copy the Brumbies’ ploy of targeting young hooker Tom Horton, who only made his Super Rugby starting debut this year. The Waratahs lineout faltered in their last round loss to the competition-leading Brumbies, losing five of their own.
“The Brumbies did a great job on them, particularly around their lineout,” said Rebels coach Dave Wessels. “That’s a source area that gives the Waratahs a lot of energy and the Brumbies got right into that. Tom Horton is playing very well but he is still young and I felt the Brumbies did a good job of getting into his head a bit.”
Melbourne won their round four meeting 29-10, which Wessels rated as one of their best performance of the season. He said his team needed to reproduce that, given what was on the line. “I feel really confident of where our game is at when we’re playing at our best and our focus is to do that consistently over 80 minutes and we’ve only done that a handful of times this season, and probably that Waratahs game was one of them.
“We have the potential to play really well but the Waratahs will obviously be up for it so we need to arrive ready for the battle.”
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REBELS: Reece Hodge; Andrew Kellaway, Campbell Magnay, Matt Toomua (capt), Marika Koroibete; Andrew Deegan, Frank Lomani; Isi Naisarani, Brad Wilkin, Michael Wells, Trevor Hosea, Matt Philip, Jermaine Ainsley, Jordan Uelese, Cameron Orr. Reps: Efitusi Ma’afu, Cabous Eloff, Pone Fa’amaluli, Michael Stolberg, Richard Hardwick, James Tuttle, Billy Meakes. Tom Pincus.
WARATAHS: Jack Maddocks; James Ramm, Joey Walton, Tepai Moeroa, Alex Newsome; Will Harrison, Jake Gordon; Jack Dempsey, Michael Hooper, Lachlan Swinton, Rob Simmons (capt), Ned Hanigan, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Tom Horton, Tom Robertson. Reps: Robbie Abel, Tetera Faulkner, Angus Bell, Tom Staniforth, Will Harris, Mitch Short, Ben Donaldson, Nick Malouf.
Japan to fill the hole in Hooper's pay packet https://t.co/ct9d7JszOQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 26, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments