Written Sunday 18/02/2007

SUPER 14 RUGBY,  WEEK 3.

The Reds vs the Brumbies just a festival of mistakes,  The Waratahs wheels haevn't fallen off but there are definitely a wheel nut or two very loose,  the Crusaders lose in Africa and the match of the round,  I should have known it,  Wellington vs the Blues.

Lloyd Johannsen is a man that needs broad shoulders,  he has now cost Qld at the very least a bonus point against the Crusaders and two points for a draw against the Brumbies.  He seems to have trouble with decision making,  Mortlock wasn't his man back on the inside and he should have been picked up by someone working hard off the inside.  I thought Hynes made a good fist of 12 and think he must have been injured to be replaced.  I was actually itching for Eddie to throw Quade Cooper into the fray at 12. I can't wait to see him start and I think his time is now.

The rugby sure wasn't pretty,  and it was riddled with errors.  I thought the refereeing was soft on the scrum,  with the Brumbies outfit unable to deal with the Reds power at some stages,  with the Reds being penalised for it.  There always used to be an onus on sides to hold their own,  and at least have the skill,  strength and ability to maintain a contest.  Not today apparently.  Then I have never been a Goddard fan,  I dislike his refereeing style intensely.

All of the Aussie lineouts were dreadful this week,  it will be hard to select a hooker for week three.

Fantastic to see Kurtley Beale in a starting role for the Waratahs.  He was excellent and terrible during the course of the game,  but he was refreshing,  and you don't learn to play at the level by doing anything else than playing at that level.  He is quick and deceptive,  no questions there.  From my perspective as a coach,  at this particular point in his career,  the kid looks like a fullback more than a flyhalf.  Remember two of our greatest flyhalves at test level started their test career somewhere else,  Michael Lynagh at inside centre beside the great Mark Ella,  and Steve Larkham at fullback for Australia.

The Cheetahs are certainly playing a very attractive style of rugby and they just had too many guns wide for NSW early.  NSW seemingly underestimated their speed and ability to use it wide and paid quickly for that underestimation.

The Force give us a little shock and roll the Bulls in Africa,  in a reasonable game of footy.  I like this Pocock kid and would like to see him start,  he showed some great speed to various situations in this game,  and looks nice and strong.  Giteau,  Sharp,  Vedelago,  Shepherd and a few others played very well while Drew Mitchell looks to be running back to a bit of form.  Cross is getting the idea. 

Enjoyed the Wellington vs Auckland match,  without doubt the best of the weekend as a contest and spectacle.  Both of these sides look at this stage like they will be up there at the business end.  Think about how tough that Wellington pack will be when it gets it's bruising back row back from All Black Resting duties.

Trample the Weak,  Hurdle the Dead