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NSW defenders aim for Force playmaker Matt Giteau
By Iain Payten
April 07, 2008 12:00am
WARATAHS skipper Phil Waugh will lead a "Get Giteau" mission against the Western Force this weekend after bashing the Blues into submission on Saturday night.
NSW's five-try attacking performance against the Blues was deservedly lauded but it was built on the back of stinging defence from the Waratahs - particularly focused on key Kiwi playmaker Nick Evans.
Waugh and other NSW defenders zeroed in on Evans and effectively shut down the All Black five-eighth; the Tahs skipper at one stage left Evans with a limp after a bone-rattling, borderline late tackle.
With coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday admitting the Force were in many ways a similar side to the Blues, the same sort of attention is certain to be given to star playmaker Matt Giteau when NSW play the Force in Perth on Saturday night.
"I don't think you can give Giteau too much space," McKenzie said.
"That's easily said, but (he's) hard to contain because he has a very good rugby brain and all the athletic skills you need.
"We had plans for certain individuals in the Auckland team and I think we pretty well did what we wanted to do. We will have a plan for the Force."
Though stopping short of singling Giteau out, McKenzie said he had noticed teams "playing hard at the Force" in recent weeks and he no doubt clocked the brutal treatment dished out to Giteau by the Stormers two weeks ago.
The big South African side rag-dolled the 85kg Giteau around in contact situations and won at Subiaco Oval.
"Obviously Giteau's probably the finest exponent in the game of making something out of nothing but you've got to be watching everyone," McKenzie said.
"You can't focus on one or two players. You've got to watch the whole lot. But there's opportunities to get some pressure on them as well."
The Waratahs piled on the defensive pressure against a strong Blues side with success. Explosive one-on-one shots and intensity in tight from Waugh, Dean Mumm and Daniel Vickerman - and rookie centre Robert Horne - forced the third-placed Blues into mistakes and gave NSW plenty of possession.
Halfback Luke Burgess's crisp service and direction then helped the Tahs' attack click for their first bonus-point win of the year.
"When we slowed their ball down with good tackles, they were a lot easier to stop, so defence probably won us the game when you look at it," man-of-the-match Waugh said.
The win left NSW in sixth place, one point out of the top four. The Force are a point ahead in fifth.
Horne, 18, is in line to play his first starting match against the Force, with Ben Jacobs in severe doubt with an injured knee. The little-known rookie lit up the SFS by thumping several Blues players.
"We'll definitely consider (starting him)," McKenzie said. "We've got him in our 22 so we're obviously rating him. If you can go on the big stage and front up against All Blacks and do OK, that's a plus."
McKenzie may alternatively opt for the experience of Lote Tuqiri to mark Wallaby No. 13 favourite Ryan Cross.
"He's been influential the whole (season), far more dominant in his running, more straight line," McKenzie said. "There's a harder edge to his game this year. It's paid off for them."
Jacobs underwent a scan yesterday and may miss the rest of the season but Wycliff Palu (knee) and Tatafu Polota-Nau (shoulder) will travel to Perth.
Though dismissive of the coaching drama's influence in the win, McKenzie agreed his side would take confidence in finally showing they can not just make the finals but compete in them as well.
"There's no question. I've always said that winning fixes most things, so winning is important," he said. "But I think the quality of the performance - I know there's been talk about entertainment or winning, but I think quality is a key word for us."
Cross and Scott Staniforth both suffered head knocks against the Bulls but will play. Haig Sare's suspension for the Matt Henjak fight is over but the winger is not expected to make the side.
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