Chief Concern: Scrubbers Would Love To Burst The Waratahs' Bubble

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday February 25, 2005

Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent

By 9.30 tonight, Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie will either be king of the kids or facing an almighty mess.

NSW are the balloons of the Super 12, always starting the campaign with colour and bounce before deflating to nothing. This season there is a real danger the Waratahs' hopes will be pricked even sooner if the Chiefs expose their frailties early on during tonight's match at Aussie Stadium.

The Chiefs are difficult first-up opponents considering the Waratahs will tonight field six players who are either making their Super 12 debuts or their run-on debuts.

The New Zealanders, who made the semi-finals for the first time last year, do not always play enlightening football. They are a destructive, in-your-face team - a bunch of rough-'n-tough scrubbers who know how to upset sides through sheer intimidation.

And they will focus on the Waratahs' starting-XV newcomers - five-eighth Lachlan MacKay, blindside breakaway Wycliff Palu and winger Peter Hewat. And they will hover over the young bloods - second-rower Alex Kanaar, halfback Chris O'Young and utility back Winston Mafi - when they are used off the reserves bench.

The atmosphere will be stifling and all of the new faces will quickly discover the difference between club footy and Super 12.

Last year, NSW did not anticipate their sixth-round encounter with the Chiefs in Hamilton would be one of their more difficult assignments. A comfortable win was expected.

Instead, NSW were shown up, losing 32-17, primarily because they could not handle the pressure. The Chiefs knew exactly what the NSW attack was up to and stifled it, forcing errors. At the breakdown, NSW fell apart.

This year, the Chiefs have again done their homework. Their management team was in the grandstand at Whangarei last Friday night, observing the Waratahs in their final trial match, against the Blues. They paid close attention to how NSW were not always steady in the midfield and had problems in attack and defence with Auckland midfielder Sam Tuitupou. The Chiefs may work on a similar strategy, especially as NSW are running out with a new-look back line that will rely on flexibility and strong finishing. Crucially, Mat Rogers proved his fitness at last night's captain's run but NSW's attack could still be undone by slower, less experienced hands closer to the ruck.

Up front, however, the Waratahs will stay solid. They boast one of the best tight fives in the competition and the depth of their back-row talent is such that they have the luxury of leaving out Stephen Hoiles, who was the find of last year's end-of-season Wallabies tour of Europe.

That the Super 12 tournament has become far more physical up front only benefits the Waratahs. The advertisements may emphasise the spark and speed of the competition but teams have gradually discovered they cannot camouflage deficiencies up front. The scrum is again paramount.

"I know that the Super 12 is talked about as being a la-de-dah, entertainment-type football," McKenzie said this week. "But there is now more competition in the set piece. The physical side of the game will be important this year. It is a contact sport, and I have to make sure that we are not exposed in that area. We do have to front up in the forwards. If you can do that, then you can play properly."

McKenzie also hinted that NSW had not showcased their full repertoire in the trials.

"We have deliberately done the bare minimum just to get through," he said. "We haven't gone out there attempting to try all these flashy plays. Instead, we have quite underplayed it all."

Then again, being flashy against the Chiefs may not be smart. They prey on those who attempt to play above themselves. Victory will be enough of a challenge for the Waratahs. This is not the time to be fancy.

Super 12 preview - Page 36