Waugh, Elsom rested for final Waratahs trial

[Burgs]

Waugh, Elsom rested for final Waratahs trial

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Captain Phil Waugh and fellow flanker Ricky Elsom will again be absentees when the Waratahs start seven Wallabies in Thursday's final trial match against the Super 14 champion Crusaders at Aussie Stadium.

Lote Tuqiri, Morgan Turinui, Josh Valentine, Wycliff Palu, Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Benn Robinson will all start the match but Waugh and Elsom will go into the looming Super 14 competition without a match under their belts.

Sam Norton-Knight has been named captain and fullback while development tour leader Will Caldwell is vice-captain.

NSW Waratahs:

1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau,
3. Al Baxter,
4. Will Caldwell,
5. Ben Hand,
6. Dean Mumm,
7. Beau Robinson,
8. Wycliff Palu,
9. Josh Valentine,
10. Daniel Halangahu,
11. Lote Tuqiri,
12. Tom Carter,
13. Morgan Turinui,
14. Peter Hewat,
15. Sam Norton-Knight (captain),
16. Al Manning,
17. Jeremy Tilse,
18. Tim Davidson,
19. Patrick McCutcheon,
20. Brett Sheehan,
21. Kurtley Beale,
22. Ben Jacobs,
23. Aaron Broughton-Rouse,
24. Sam Harris,
25. Lachlan Turner,
26. Chris Siale,
27. Josh Holmes,
28. Alfi Mafi

Crusaders:

1. Wyatt Crockett
2. Corey Flynn (captain),
3. Campbell Johnson,
4. Ross Filipo,
5. Kevin O'Neill,
6. Kieran Reid,
7. Peter Nixon,
8. Jake Paringatai,
9. Kevin Senio,
10. Tusi Pisi,
11. Scott Hamilton,
12. Casey Laulala,
13. Caleb Ralph,
14. Rico Gear,
15. Brent Ward,
16. Tii Paulo,
17. Ben Franks,
18. Isaac Ross,
19. Michael Paterson,
20. Andrew Ellis,
21. Stephen Brett,
22. Tim Bateman,
23. Rua Tipoki,
24. Paul Williams,
25. Johnny Leo'o,
26. Mose Tuialii,
27. Craig Clarke,
28. Ben May

[O'Regan]

For live match call for the Tahs vs Crusaders click here

Tah trailing 10- 12, Costly mistakes from both teams 10 mins left.

[Burgs]

HSBC Waratahs 17

Tries: Sam Norton-Knight, Josh Holmes
Cons: Daniel Halangahu 1/1, Kurtley Beale 1/1
Pens: Peter Hewat 1
DG:

Crusaders 12

Tries: Keiran Reid, Andrew Ellis
Cons: Brent Ward 0/1; Stephen Brett 1/1
Pens:
DG:

Hopefully pick up a match report from our GTT's friends by morning!

[Burgs]

Basically the same story twice but each feature different aspects:

Beale seals deal for Waratahs

c/o Rugby Heaven
Thursday, January 25, 2007

Waratahs 17 Crusaders 12

Waratahs wonder-kid Kurtley Beale was at it again tonight, setting up the winning try as his NSW side downed defending Super 14 champions the Crusaders at Aussie Stadium.

With two minutes left on the clock and NSW finding it almost impossible to get out of its own half for virtually the whole of the second half, Beale dummied and split the defence 60 metres out before drawing the Crusaders' last defender and sending replacement halfback Josh Holmes over for the clincher.

He then converted the try to give the Waratahs a scrappy Rotomahana Challenge win.

Thrown into the fray in the second half with the Waratahs up 10-5, Beale had shown glimpses of brilliant footwork but had also let a try in, brushed aside by Crusaders replacement halfback Andrew Ellis' fend to allow the visitors to a 12-10 lead on the back of a huge territorial advantage.

Big names Lote Tuqiri, Wycliff Palu, Morgan Turinui, Sam Norton-Knight and Peter Hewat were all on show - although they were replaced for the scrappy second stanza.

NSW coach Ewen McKenzie used Josh Valentine at No.9 for the first half, with fellow Wallaby tourist Brett Sheehan taking over in the second and young gun Holmes getting a run in the last 10 minutes.

It was one try apiece after the first 40 minutes, Waratahs fullback Norton-Knight's finish after a 70m Hewat sprint in the 38th minute securing the lead for NSW.

The Crusaders mounted the early pressure but it was the Waratahs who posted first points on their first foray into enemy territory.

Hewat gave the home side a 3-0 advantage with a penalty goal in the eighth minute after impressive flyhalf Daniel Halangahu had put inside centre Tom Carter into space.

The New Zealanders continued to win the territorial battle, dominating the lineouts but blowing several chances with poor handling until flanker Kieran Read got their first five-pointer when he scooted down the right touchline in the 33rd minute.

A woeful conversion attempt from fullback Brent Ward had the Crusaders in front 5-3.

The new four-step scrum rule posed plenty of problems for both packs - and the referee - as set piece after set piece had to be reset.

AAP



Beale seals unlikely win

c/o Fox Sport
January 25, 2007

NEW South Wales wonderkid Kurtley Beale was at it again, setting up the winning try as his Waratahs side downed defending Super 14 champion the Crusaders at Aussie Stadium.

With two minutes left on the clock and NSW finding it almost impossible to get out of its own half, Beale dummied and split the defence 60m out before drawing the Crusaders' last defender and sending replacement halfback Josh Holmes over for the clincher.

The 18 year-old then converted the try to give the Waratahs a scrappy Rotomahana Challenge win.

Beale's qualities – also on display in his first match against the Brumbies last weekend – did not escape the attention of Crusaders' supercoach Robbie Deans.

"We'd heard a lot (about Beale), you can see why, he's an excitement machine, things happen when he's involved," Deans said.

"He's obviously a huge talent and he's got a presence about him so it looks like he'll cope at the level.

"I'd say Ewen would be pretty excited about what he offered them tonight."

Thrown into the fray in the second half with the Waratahs up 10-5, it didn't all go Beale's way, though, when he let a try in, brushed aside by Crusaders replacement halfback Andrew Ellis' fend to allow the visitors to a 12-10 lead on the back of the huge territorial advantage.

"He created something at the end there, he obviously got a little bit of a lesson at the edge of the ruck there as well so it was a mixed bag," Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said.

"But I think that's life for an 18-year-old kid stepping up against one of the most consistent and best sides in the competition.

"That's what he's all about, he's trying to actually make his way as a footballer and I think that was the reality of where he's up to, there was some brilliance there and a couple of things he needs to keep working on."

Big names Lote Tuqiri, Wycliff Palu, Morgan Turinui, Sam Norton-Knight and Peter Hewat were all on show – although they were replaced for the error-ridden second stanza – against a Crusaders outfit minus its resting All Blacks stars.

McKenzie used Josh Valentine at No.9 for the first half, with fellow Wallabies tourist Brett Sheehan taking over in the second and young gun Holmes getting a run in the last 10 minutes.

The new four-step scrum rule posed plenty of problems for both packs – and the referee – as set piece after set piece had to be reset.


AAP

[frontrow]

The new four-step scrum rule posed plenty of problems for both packs – and the referee – as set piece after set piece had to be reset.


AAP

I hate to say i told you so, but "I TOLD YOU SO"....

[Burgs]

Crowd: 13,558 at Aussie Stadium.

Great turn up to a trial match but I would imagine a fair Kiwi quota would be involved to help boost numbers seeings it is their second National team playing....