THE Waratahs will stage a three-man goal-kicking battle in the next fortnight to address their poor returns from penalties and conversions this season.

Coach Chris Hickey revealed that Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale and Daniel Halangahu would fight it out for goal-kicking duties for their next Super Rugby match against South Africa’s Cheetahs in two weeks.

NSW have [...]]]>

THE Waratahs will stage a three-man goal-kicking battle in the next fortnight to address their poor returns from penalties and conversions this season.

Coach Chris Hickey revealed that Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale and Daniel Halangahu would fight it out for goal-kicking duties for their next Super Rugby match against South Africa’s Cheetahs in two weeks.

NSW have the bye this weekend, and along with their goal kicking, will also analyse the scrum, which folded against the Crusaders in Nelson last Friday.

The Waratahs matched the Crusaders with three tries but lost the game 33-18 after Halangahu missed three early attempts and Beale kicked one from two, which had the home side much closer after the first 20 minutes when NSW dominated.

Barnes, the first-choice kicker who was rested from the match with a head knock, was also inconsistent in the first two rounds, and the side has only a 46 per cent success rate this year.

”We will work hard over the next couple of weeks with our kickers, and as we move into the game against the Cheetahs we will see who is hitting them best,” Hickey said.

”We are fortunate that we have got three very good kickers. They have been working hard, they will continue with that, and hopefully it bears fruit.”

The value of a consistent goal-kicker was made crystal clear in round three as the Crusaders’ Dan Carter (seven goals from seven attempts), Queensland’s Quade Cooper (eight from 10) and the Stormers’ Peter Grant (seven from eight) were the architects of their sides’ victories.

The extent of injuries to key players Tatafu Polota-Nau (knee) and Rob Horne (elbow) will be known today when the Waratahs are given scan results.

NSW’s scrum was pulverised when Polota-Nau was forced off but Hickey indicated that replacement hooker Damien Fitzpatrick remained the preferred option should their star No.2 be sidelined for an extended period.

”We will sit down and have a look at it. There were a few errors in his game but he wasn’t on his lonesome there,” Hickey said. ”Considering it was the first game he virtually started, he put in a reasonable performance. He worked through the park, carried the ball for us, his lineout throwing was spot on.

”They are the key things we will be looking at. He has been our reserve hooker, and there has got to be someone better to pick them.”

Former Brumbies and Australia A hooker John Ulugia is the other option for NSW, who will be desperately hoping Polota-Nau is not sidelined for long.

”You [always] want to start your best 15, but that’s not going to happen week in, week out,” said Hickey, who will welcome back Barnes and Wycliff Palu for the Cheetahs match.

”It is a tough competition, and you’re going to lose guys; it is more [about] how you respond. Everyone is in the same boat; it is a part of what we have to deal with. A bye [this] week is certainly not too early for us.

”We need to sit down and look at our game; we always learn from our losses. Obviously there were some things we weren’t happy with, and we’ve got two weeks to work on those small issues.

”But it’s not all doom and gloom. It was only that 10-minute period before half-time. They scored 17 points in that period of time, and that’s where the game got away from us, and that started with an intercept try … It’s not a matter of going back to the drawing board.”

Hickey said a silver lining from the loss was the impressive debut of winger Afa Pakalani, who scored a try and was solid after coming off the bench.

It’s unlikely that Pakalani will break the established back three of Beale, Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner. The young speedster is in the first of a two-year contract with the Waratahs, and has been told this season will be about development.

Meanwhile, Wallabies flanker David Pocock played down an interesting Twitter message he posted yesterday. The tweet read: ”Next time, I’ll break your f—ing neck.” – Jannie du Plessis, #Sharks prop and all-round nice guy. Haha, what a good bloke …”

But Pocock, through the Force, said it was a statement made in jest by the Sharks prop during Saturday’s match.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/super-rugby/system-reboot-tahs-plan-to-kickstart-campaign-20110306-1bjm9.html

With Burgess set to join French club Toulouse, the Waratahs are looking at their halfback options for next year.

A member of the Australian silver medal-winning sevens team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Phipps was the first [...]]]>

THE Waratahs are eyeing off Melbourne Rebels halfback Nick Phipps as a replacement for France-bound Wallabies No 9 Luke Burgess.

With Burgess set to join French club Toulouse, the Waratahs are looking at their halfback options for next year.

A member of the Australian silver medal-winning sevens team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Phipps was the first Rebel to be selected in a Wallabies squad, touring Europe last November.

But if Phipps returned to NSW, where he played for Sydney University, he would have to compete with the highly regarded Brendan McKibbin for the sky blue No 9 jersey.

“We’ll have a look around to see what halfbacks are in the market,” NSW coach Chris Hickey said.

“There’s not a lot coming off contract. Nick Phipps is one of a number of players we’ll look at.”

Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is close to re-signing with the ARU and the Waratahs.

It is understood there will be an official announcement this week.

“Taf has given us a commitment that if he finalises his negotiations with the ARU, he’ll stay with the Waratahs,” Hickey said. “He’s not going anywhere.”

But Hickey was less certain about when Polota-Nau, who injured a knee in the Waratahs’ 33-18 loss to the Crusaders in Nelson last Friday, would play again.

Polota-Nau will have an MRI scan today to determine the extent of the damage.

If he only has posterior cruciate ligament damage, Polota-Nau is expected to continue playing, but if it is anterior cruciate ligament damage, he would require reconstructive surgery.

The Waratahs will have their fingers crossed it is the former.

The momentum of the game changed when Polota-Nau hobbled off midway through the first half and the Waratahs’ scrum disintegrated. Outside centre Rob Horne, who did not return for the second half after aggravating an elbow injury, will also have an MRI scan today. “We’ll see what the scans show and take it from there,” Hickey said.

Although he came off in the 61st minute, Waratahs captain and openside flanker Phil Waugh did not suffer further damage to his injured biceps muscle.

The Waratahs have a bye this weekend before hosting the Cheetahs in Sydney on Saturday week.

Hickey said he would use the bye to “reconsider all selections”.

“It’s a long season and we have to look at player management,” he said. “It could be an opportunity for some players to get more game time and others less.

“If you are in the 22, it means you are a good player. We may start with some of those bench players. At this stage we really don’t know.”

One bench player who will be pressing strongly for a starting spot is Wallabies loosehead prop Benn Robinson.

Robinson has started off the bench in the Waratahs’ first three games because he was recovering from a calf muscle injury, but they will need his scrummaging expertise, particularly if Polota-Nau is out.

Five-eighth Berrick Barnes will also return to the starting team after a week off with concussion.

Barnes’ replacement, Daniel Halangahu, was so disappointing against the Crusaders, particularly in defence, the Waratahs may have to play fullback Kurtley Beale at five-eighth if Barnes is injured again.

Hickey will see how Barnes and Beale kick at training before deciding who will do the goal-kicking against the Cheetahs.

THE Waratahs received a reality check from the Crusaders on Friday and must quickly rectify some glaring inconsistencies.

It was always going to be a monumental challenge for NSW to deal with the emotion of a Canterbury side representing a region that’s been seriously hurting after the devastation of the Christchurch earthquake.

For the opening 50 minutes [...]]]>

It was always going to be a monumental challenge for NSW to deal with the emotion of a Canterbury side representing a region that’s been seriously hurting after the devastation of the Christchurch earthquake.

For the opening 50 minutes the Waratahs were reasonably dominant and it appeared they were on course for a third straight victory.

But the character of the Crusaders side and the Christchurch region shone through.

NSW missed the composure and direction of first-choice five-eighth Berrick Barnes, who was rested due to concussion.

His rock-solid defence and his option-taking in terms of kick-pass-run has been superb and I imagine coach Chris Hickey will want Barnes straight back into the mix as soon as possible.

The Crusaders asked a variety of questions of the previously impenetrable NSW defence with swift ball movement and by constantly changing the angle of their attack.

Dan Carter, Robbie Fruean and Sonny Bill Williams found space and opportunity for their support runners and the Tahs struggled to contain them.

The Waratahs scrum was out-muscled and poor goal-kicking from back-up five-eighth Daniel Halangahu hurt.

The brutal defence of the Waratahs in the opening two games was also sorely missing.

In his first Super rugby game, Sonny Bill showed he’s an athlete of tremendous talent but it’s way too early to label him a world-class rugby centre.

What he provides from an attacking perspective is that rare ability to get the “impossible” ball away to a support player, creating additional phase play.

He’s definitely a challenge for any defender marking him.

A big concern for NSW is the ankle injury to the Waratahs’ best player so far this season, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.The Tahs seemed to lose their X-factor in defence once the kamikaze hooker left the field after 21 minutes.

The signs are still good for a strong season, but the Crusaders posed plenty of questions for the Tahs to answer.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/crusaders-character-puts-tahs-to-the-test/story-e6frey4i-1226016576952

WARATAHS hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau says he is prepared play on this season even with a damaged ligament in his left knee.

That was the good news for the Waratahs yesterday, with the knee injury sustained by their wrecking-ball forward in Friday night’s loss to the Crusaders less serious than initially reported.

He left the field early in [...]]]>

That was the good news for the Waratahs yesterday, with the knee injury sustained by their wrecking-ball forward in Friday night’s loss to the Crusaders less serious than initially reported.

He left the field early in the game but fears of a potentially season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury were off the mark.

MRI scans scheduled for tomorrow are expected to show Polota-Nau has damaged a posterior cruciate ligament or has a badly bruised his knee joint.

“A lot of gridiron boys play without [the posterior cruciate ligament]. A few rugby guys as well. It is a common injury but I guess we will play it by ear,” Polota-Nau said yesterday.

“It’s probably the best one to do in terms of knee injuries. Hopefully I can just jump straight into rehab and be back in two weeks. We have the depth to cover hooker so I guess there’s no rush.”

NSW medical staff were reluctant to offer any time frame for the return of Polota-Nau – but it will be a recovery measured in weeks, rather than months.

NSW have Damien Fitzpatrick and John Ulugia as back-ups but coach Chris Hickey expects Polota-Nau to return this season.

The harsh reality of life without Polota-Nau was exposed by a Crusaders team whose form belied a preparation affected by the Christchurch earthquake.

Without Polota-Nau, the NSW scrum was beaten for power and the Waratahs’ defensive line had little of the sting it had against Queensland a week earlier.

NSW had to make 183 tackles, but missing 29 tackles was still way too many. They missed only 13 and eight in the first two games and arm-grabbing the likes of Sonny Bill Williams is impossible.

And getting the dominant defence back on track could be made a lot harder with another injury cloud over centre Rob Horne.

The tough-tackling No 13 left the field with an injury to the same right elbow ligament which was surgically repaired last year. He will also have scans tomorrow.

The Waratahs have a bye next weekend and will play the Cheetahs at home a week later.

Hickey said he expected both Wycliff Palu (hamstring) and Berrick Barnes (concussion) to be back on the paddock by then.

It’s likely the next fortnight will be taken up addressing the issues thrown up by the Crusaders game. One problem that needs urgent attention is goalkicking.

After wobbly performances by Barnes in the first two rounds, Daniel Halangahu’s failure to kick three goals in the opening quarter in Nelson allowed the Crusaders to stay in touch, despite two early NSW tries.

The Waratahs are kicking just 46 per cent after three games – down from 76 per cent in 2010.

“If you are playing the top sides, you have to collect all the points on offer,” Hickey said. “If you think about it, it’s three tries each so the difference in score came with kicking.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/polota-no-tahs-cut-to-the-bone/story-e6frey4i-1226016370867

DETERMINED skipper Phil Waugh will ignore the discomfort of a ruptured biceps and continue to lead the Waratahs for the rest of the Super Rugby competition.

The warhorse backrower produced one of the gutsiest performances, by even his own lofty standards, as he got through 60 minutes of Friday night’s loss to the Crusaders in Nelson [...]]]>

DETERMINED skipper Phil Waugh will ignore the discomfort of a ruptured biceps and continue to lead the Waratahs for the rest of the Super Rugby competition.

The warhorse backrower produced one of the gutsiest performances, by even his own lofty standards, as he got through 60 minutes of Friday night’s loss to the Crusaders in Nelson despite the injury.

That was an amazing effort from the NSW stalwart after it was originally feared the injury would need surgery and leave him sidelined for the next three months.

Even the New Zealand commentators described Waugh’s game as a great effort as he left the field after making his presence felt for an hour.

“Everyone knows him as a pretty tough guy and he has played injured a lot over the last couple of years,” said Waratahs assistant coach Scott Bowen.

Waugh’s declaration that he will keep playing is a big boost for the Waratahs after hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and centre Rob Horne suffered potentially serious injuries during Friday’s loss.

Polota-Nau injured his knee and Horne hurt the same elbow which he damaged last season and which kept him sidelined for an extended period.

The Waratahs are awaiting the result of scans on the pair today.

The side would be badly knocked about if the three stars were all sidelined at the same time.

“It felt really good until just after half-time and it started to bleed a little bit and get a bit sore but that was probably playing six days after I injured myself,” Waugh said last night. “But I’ve pulled up OK and today it feels good.

“The plan is to keep playing and I’ll just get ready to go again.

“It’s all a matter of keeping it compressed and getting the swelling down. It should be right. The sooner that happens the better l’ll be.”

The Waratahs have a good chance to regroup with the side enjoying the bye this weekend.

“It’s come at a really good time, a lot has gone into those first three weeks,” he said.

Waugh said while last Friday’s loss was disappointing, the Waratahs had their chances early on.

“To come out of that first three weeks with 10 points isn’t all doom and gloom but obviously we could have done better,” he said.

The departure of Polota-Nau proved a turning point in the game.

And Waugh said the loss of the inspirational forward so early against the Crusaders had a big impact on the NSW team – especially the scrum which suffered after he went off.

“I’ve said it before how much Tatafu actually leads the team without actually saying anything,” Waugh said.

“He is a world class player and we want him out there sooner rather than later.

Waugh is confident that if Polota-Nau was sidelined then the Waratahs scrum can regroup.

The Waratahs next game is against the Cheetahs from South Africa at the SFS on Saturday week.

It was an extraordinary finish to [...]]]> NSW Waratah Kurtley Beale has snatched the victory from the jaws of defeat the Wallabies clearly tried so hard to obtain. Beale slotted a penalty goal from near halfway on fulltime to beat the Springboks 41-39 in Bloemfontein to end the Wallabies 47-year drout at high altitude grounds.

It was an extraordinary finish to the match as the Wallabies blew a huge 31-6 advantage they held just before halftime before they regrouped.

Instead of despair at the death with the Springboks leading 39-38, fullback Beale turned the night into triumph. He was swamped by a tide of gold as his kick curled over the bar after he had slotted it from an acute angle from 49m out.

“I knew I hit it with the sweet spot. I couldn’t let the boys down . . . it’s a great feeling,” Beale enthused after his matchwinner.

The kick of his life, after English referee Wayne Barnes had found a penalty at the breakdown, grabbed the Nelson Mandela Plate 2-1 for the Test battles between the two countries this season.

It was a classy response from Beale who just minutes earlier had suffered the indignity of slipping and seeing a Quade Cooper pass bounce off his forehead and into the arms of a Springbok attacker.

Great credit goes to the tenacity of the Wallabies and their desperate tackling over the final 11 minutes because they played 10 of those a man down after replacement hooker Saia Faingaa had been yellow-carded for a dangerous spear tackle on Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe.

Fellow ‘tah Drew Mitchell also enjoyed a good game in his 50th Test, steaming over under the posts for a try. Even that 38-36 edge to the Australians was not enough with eight minutes to play because Steyn booted another penalty goal at the 76-minute mark to snatch it back 39-38.

But Beale’s kick on full time was the difference, with Australia taking the Mandela plate 2-1.

Australia 41 (K Beale, J O’Connor, S Moore, R Elsom, D Mitchell tries: M Giteau 4 conv, pen goal, J O’Connor conv, K Beale pen goal) b South Africa 39 (J Fourie, G Steenkamp, J de Villiers tries; M Steyn 3 conv, 6 pen goals) Halftime: 31-13 Australia

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