There are wild rumours of whinging Aussies… ludicrous, hogwash, nonsense…. it simply can’t be true? They’re such sporting fellas! Well read here and judge for yourself.
Australian RugbyHeaven reports as follows:
Hickey questions decision to let Matfield face Tahs
RUPERT GUINNESS
February 24, 2010
Big break . . . Victor Matfield escaped suspension on Monday. Photo: Getty ImagesCAPE TOWN: Waratahs coach Chris Hickey has questioned the SANZAR judiciary for its judgment in finding Bulls second-rower and captain, Victor Matfield, not guilty on charges of striking and charging into a ruck following the Super 14 champions’ game against the Brumbies on Saturday.
The Waratahs, who play the Bulls in their third-round game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday (4.10am Sunday, Sydney time), were stunned upon hearing the not guilty verdict on both charges that were handed to the 200 centimetre Springboks enforcer, who was summoned before a hearing on Monday.
Matfield, a 92-Test veteran who has also played 97 Super games, was cited under Law 10.4 (a) for striking Brumbies flanker Rocky Elsom around the head area in the 16th minute of their 50-32 victory. He was also cited under Law 10.4 (k) for charging into a ruck without binding on to another player.
Hickey’s chief issue is with the judiciary’s finding of not guilty on the charging allegation. He believes it contradicts the standard set by the two-week ban imposed on Waratahs forward Dean Mumm on the same charge after NSW’s win against the Reds in round one.
The tribunals for the Mumm and Matfield cases were made up of different personnel and held in the cities where the two games were held. But Hickey – as with most rugby followers – believes judgments should be based on set parameters of guilt as agreed upon by the various tribunal panels.
”It’s a surprise after Dean Mumm’s two-week suspension,” Hickey said, adding that ”I did see [the Matfield episode] on television. It was pretty clear vision of the incident.”
”Those things are dealt with by the judiciary and, look, when Dean Mumm receives two weeks for a clean out of the ruck you would think that might the standard for the competition and for all teams.”
The Matfield hearing did not impact the selection of the Waratahs for Saturday’s game, as the NSW selectors had already settled on a 22-man line-up that features several bold changes, including three positional and two personnel switches.
Daniel Halangahu has been promoted from the bench to five-eighth while Berrick Barnes moves to inside-centre. Kurtley Beale, who last weekend started at No.12 outside Barnes, is back on the bench.
”We thought our game control will be imperative for us to get through the 80 minutes,” Hickey said. ”Having ‘Hangas’ there with Berrick gives us two good callers and two good players who have extensive game control.”
Selecting a Halangahu-Barnes combination will also help shore up the Waratahs’ defence in that crucial channel, although Hickey played down that reasoning.
The other big change is in the second row. Will Caldwell moves to the bench to allow Wallabies Spring Tour member Dave Dennis to partner Kane Douglas. For Dennis, who earned his first game time as a Waratah since March 2007 off the bench last week, this will be his first Super start for NSW. By selecting Dennis over Caldwell, Hickey and his selectors have opted for speed and mobility rather than sheer strength and size in their pack.
Caldwell’s demotion to the bench has forced former Emerging Springbok Hendrik Roodt out of the 22 and a chance to play against his old Bulls teammates. Also sidelined is back Rory Sidey whose place on the bench has gone to Rob Horne, who has finally recovered from his hamstring woes. Called up to the bench for a Waratahs debut is 19-year-old Eastwood back-rower Locky McCaffrey, the Shute Shield rookie of the year last season.
THE LINE-UP
Waratahs squad to play the Bulls on Saturday:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Al Baxter
4. Dave Dennis
5. Kane Douglas
6. Ben Mowen
7. Phil Waugh (c)
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Luke Burgess
10. Daniel Halangahu
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Berrick Barnes
13. Tom Carter
14. Lachie Turner
15. Sosene Anesi
Reserves:
16. Damien Fitzpatrick
17. Sekope Kepu
18. Will Caldwell
19. Locky McCaffrey
20. Josh Holmes
21. Kurtley Beale
22. Rob Horne
Bulls, stick it to these arseholes BIG TIME!
Make them miss their mommies one hell of a lot!
We want another 50 over this motly bunch of sorry whingers!
…one thing… an Ozzie is predictable… it is ingrained in their mental capacities, it has crawled under their skins over the centuries!
Yawn!!!!!! Typical Aussies. They moan about everything.
Go Bulls get another 50 pointer over the Aussies.
Bulls julle moet hulle in die friggin grond inploeg!!!! Hel maar ek haat die convicts BIG TIME
“By selecting Dennis over Caldwell, Hickey and his selectors have opted for speed and mobility rather than sheer strength and size in their pack”
That is just the problem with the Aussie mentality to this game.
It is a game of power up front, and more so now that the game is played correctly by the Bulls in using big, powerfull forwards to drive the game up straight and hard across the advantage line, forcing the opposition to tackle, until the space is created to run at them.
This is where WO is potent at inside centre as well, giving Fourie front foot ball and options with the ball in hand.
The Aussies need to learn that you cannot run away from the game, Dick Muir style.
All of this speed and mobility and running the ball means nothing, if you have to tackle big men until you are stuffed!!
The Bulls are playing the game the way it should be played, using the right combination of power and then speed when the opportunity has been created.
No matter what people say, rugby is a game of structure and the structure of your defence is linked to the structure of your attack.
You cannot just go out there and each man for himself have a run with the ball, and then expect them to defend in a structured manner.
It is the structure of good rugby that makes this game so great.
Somebody please tell Dick Muir!!
PATHETIC…is a word that comes to mind…
”It’s a surprise after Dean Mumm’s two-week suspension,” Hickey said, adding that ”I did see [the Matfield episode] on television. It was pretty clear vision of the incident.”
Maybe if he weren’t busy watching the preceding game his team would’ve performed better, hahahaha. Idiot.
Onerb
Reds to win this weekend?
You seem to know when they will perform 😆
Look this guy is allowed to have his opinion…
But I’ve never heard him moaning when decisions clearly went against us…
I say again…PATHETIC !!!
teen wie speel hulle bloues?
Blues Onerb
In auckland? Wat ek van die Blues gesien het dink ek die reds gaan hulle kou. Hang net af waar hulle speel. Die Saders was baie swak op die dag gewees.
Tahs know they are going to get hammered this weekend!!!
Die Reds is tuis…
The Aussies unfortunately do have a whingeing mentality…even when they are found guilty. They probably transgress as much as the next team and Saffas are no innocents or shrinking violets when it comes to rough play….however….no one like a sore loser and thats what the Aussies are…sore losers.
England now is another completely different story, they are such good losers, that they have made a National sport of it and it is in the National phsyche that it is ok to lose…as long as you played well. The English have only one problem with Saffas, which irks me….they see assertion as aggression!!
As a Saffa, I have never liked losing and have always tried to be magnanimous in victory….but when we beat Australia….I get very verbal, especially if there are Aussies around.
Victor to tackle Quasimodo at normal height…and take his head off!!! 😉
Dan sien ek moelikheid vir die besoekende Blues. Die Reds speel altyd goed op Brisbane, en met Mckenzie as afrigter speel hulle baie goed. Kyk hoe vaar die waratahs noudat die ander perd hulle afrig(die een wat meer kla as afrig en ander rugby kyk 1 uur voor sy span moet speel).
Laas toe Mckenzie S14 afgerig het het sy span in die finaal gespeel. Hy het nie te goed gedoen in Europa nie maar ek dink nie dit pas sy styl nie.
Kyk maar, Reds met 10
Met jou op daai een.
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