Match that caused brain bleeding

Waratahs 19 Brumbies 12

I don’t know if it was back to the future last night at Homebush or forward to the past, but the game was like a replay of too many Waratahs’ games of recent years.  It was like watching a movie you had seen before but had forgotten the ending.

Whilst the Reds are chancing their arm in big games and the Force at least having a crack, the Tahs are playing ”If I don’t lose, I will probably win” rugby. 

And this year the Brumbies, of all teams, are just as bad.  Don’t cry too many tears for them about bad calls last night; they didnt deserve to win.  Even with a lot of players missing they showed the crowd what they could do in the last 10 minutes but should have showed us half an hour earlier.  Serves them right.

And they should have got Mafi off the park before they did.  On our side of the field you could see him hobbling in the area where Beale made his break and kicked through.  The Brumbies fan behind me was screaming for him to be hooked but they took the 22 drop out, probably hoping he would come right – and lost the game.

Turner could see that Mafi was in trouble and called for the Barnes cross kick.  The execution by Turner of taking the ball and not going into touch was one of the few good attacking rugby moments of the night and made the trip out west worthwhile.

The scrums were bloody awful.  An IRB analysis of tests over the last 3 years revealed an average of 18 scrums per test – and an identical average of 18 collapsed or reset scrums.  It was like that last night and was not helped by “Loves A Chat” Steve Walsh.  LACSW was one of the stars of the night, at least in his own mind and whilst I haven’t seen my replay yet as I write this, some of his decisions were bizarre.

I don’t count the no-try of AAC as one of those.  I thought it was a try for all money at the ground but the big screen showed AAC doing a bit more than just placing the ball.  Pommie winger Ben Cohen would understand.  He was disallowed a try against Ireland a while back when all he did was to move his own body out of the way to place the ball because it was trapped underneath him.

I don’t know who was the man of the match but 7 Waugh must have gone close again.  Either him or 12 Barnes who I didn’t remember was playing until just after oranges.  At least he got the Tahs home in the 2nd half.  Halangahu had a great night kicking goals – and what might have been had he not?

The absence of 2 TPN and 8 Palu was fairly obvious at the ground.  They have been two of the Tahs’ best players this year and you could notice a  lack of venom from the Tahs around the ruck whichever side had the ball.  There weren’t may pick and goes until time wasting was needed at the end of the game and it’s probably because these two were in the stands.

13 Horne was missed in the backline, assuming he might have actually handled the ball, but 15 Beale had a crack.  Wingers Turner and Mitchell wanted to have a go too but had to wait until the Brumbies kicked the ball to them.

8 Hoiles had a good game for the Brumbies except for getting LACSW offside, which given his precious nature is not that difficult.  At least those two provided some 1st half highlights.

1 Alexander had a better game at LHP than his unhappy scrum game against the Canes, but geez, I thought  he was allowed to walk around too much on the hit.   2 Moore and 3 Ma’afu were handy too.  Young 7 Fainga’a didn’t make his mark on the game in his first start but it’s early days for the 19 y.o.  Let’s see how he goes against his twin brothers next week.

14 McCabe had a crack, and 11 AAC was like a swan amongst the ducks except for a couple of bad moments.  But 12 Tyrone Smith must have picked up the bad habit of brother George in the back yard.  His grubber kicks were valuable, but for the other team.

This was not a great night for Australian rugby when you compare it to Friday night and the worthy play by the Reds and the Force, but at least there is  a 2nd Oz team with a chance to make the finals.

But it the Tahs play “I don’t want to lose” rugby against the Kiwi teams in the last 3 rounds they may as well plan for Mad Monday right now.