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Waratahs 'to be better players' as a result of Highlanders thrashing
Departing halfback Nick Phipps has managed to unearth a positive from the Waratahs’ wretched 49-12 loss to the Highlanders in Invercargill.
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However, disillusioned supporters will need to wait until next year to see it.
A forgettable campaign ended in the deep south of New Zealand on Friday as a rampant Highlanders dominated the final-round fixture to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
The Waratahs slumped to a 10th loss of the season and their heftiest defeat since the 96-19 embarrassment against the Crusaders in Christchurch 17 years ago.
That sort of final scoreline loomed into view when the visitors trailed 42-7 at halftime, the raw nature of their line-up exposed by the hosts’ physicality and rapid tempo.
Captain for the day Phipps was among the Waratahs’ few experienced Wallabies on show, with five others rested as part of their Rugby Australia requirements.
Coach Daryl Gibson’s fielding of several rookies and fringe candidates in such a gruelling game would bear fruit eventually, Phipps believed.
“Out there tonight there were a lot of players who are going to be taking this team forward,” he said.
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“If anything, they’re going to be better players for that. They’ve been blooded out there in one of the toughest cauldrons around.
“They stood up (in the second half) so hopefully they hold onto that through the pre-season and get ready for next year.”
Phipps is leaving next season for London Irish, along with prop Sekope Kepu and winger Curtis Rona.
Gibson has another season to run on his contract and hopes his team can improve their record in close games, something that ultimately cost them dearly.
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“We were very competitive during the year. Just losing those critical moments, that’s really telling,” he said.
“Obviously I’m pretty disappointed with where we finished and so forth.
“What we do have is an excellent crop of young New South Wales men coming through.
“You’ll see over the next couple of years those names starting to really feature for us.”
AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
Sounds like quite a bit of development has occurred regarding Mo’unga’s situation. Either NZR has stepped up their offer (big time) or RMo has had a reality check on what it will be like to be outside of the high performance environment of AB rugby. Maybe both. It reads like there are only a few remaining details to be sorted out before it is a done deal.
1 Go to commentsCurrently, a prop that has been substituted can go back on field if his original replacement gets injured. Can a red carded prop go back if his replacement gets injured, or will it be uncontested scrums?
11 Go to commentsWhat about a free kick from a scrum? Can you call another scrum? Or are they just giving straight penalties now?
28 Go to commentsLoved that comment by Andrew that the ‘water boys’ rule was changed in 2020 just to stymie the Boks!
28 Go to commentsOne of the best the Boks have ever produced. PSDT has an engine that goes non-stop for the full 80 min.
5 Go to commentsThe real deal.
5 Go to commentsIt’s been said that Nienaber will head back to SA too before next World Cup , hoarding all the amazing IP gained in Irish system … get a grip … Irish system needs to Milk the likes of Barrett . First time a leading all Black in his prime has gone to Ireland for any period of time . Enjoy it .
20 Go to comments20 min RC is the only good solution of a bunch of bad solutions. Ridiculous that it has taken this long and caused so many uneven contests. In general these are all very good changes - one is surprised that NH brokers were able to see sense at long last.
11 Go to comments“While a red card will mean a temporary team disadvantage, the replacement system will focus punishment on the offending player instead of disrupting the game itself.” This might work for amateur rugby, where players just want to be on the pitch for as long as possible, but hopefully we’ve got to a point where top level professionals care about the success of their team much more than about whether they personally are on the pitch or not.
11 Go to commentsa lot of focus on the targeting of south africa, but aspects of this are positive. The croc roll; the offside law; and time limits on set pieces are all good. calling for a mark off kick offs is baffling, but I guess we’ll see how it plays out in practice
28 Go to commentsSpeeding the game up is great, but I think we will find that the increase in viewership this year mostly comes down to the competition being more competitive…the fall of the Crusaders has been a boon for viewership. This should be at the heart of super rugby changes - how to make the comp more even
23 Go to commentsThe fact that the press were largely to blame for his taking a break is nothing short of disgusting. He’s made a few mistakes but difficult to name a player of any substance who gives it a full go hasn’t also made mistakes? On behalf of a large number of Bokke fans, bring back Farrell !!!!!
1 Go to commentsPSTD is a fantastic flanker. He could benefit from a bit of self-promotion / flair and he is not quite the danger man that Ardie is. That said, he is my 1st pick to build a backrow around. His speed and hustle made up for Duane who got quite a bit slower at the 8.
5 Go to commentssurprised, disco lights haven't been banned by world rugby board
28 Go to commentsToo many changes. Too often. I’m tired of this WR administration. How do we vote these fockers out? Bill needs to go.
28 Go to commentsDu Toit, 2 time W.Cup winner yet rarely mentioned a “Great “…if one looks back on his stellar carrier perhaps someone will one day elevate him to “Richie” status…a quiet, polite yet devastating loose forward that knew action speaks louder than words..
5 Go to commentsI like the offside rule, but this won't affect my team because all their kicks gets chased and that putts everyone on side. Lekker manne!
28 Go to comments20 minute Red Card is untenable. If you don’t punish the whole team, coaches won’t be sufficently incentivised to pick players with, or coach better tackle technique.
11 Go to commentsI can only think of One time ever a team has opted for a scrum from a free kick… Why the law change I wonder
28 Go to commentsYeah, its not going to work. But we see you World Rugby.
28 Go to comments