Papalii said in his after-match interview that he's been nursing an injury the last few weeks and was struggling when he came off.

@Steven-Harris said in Waratahs v Blues:

I would rest Dalton next week if he’s got an injury

Absolutely.

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

Papalii said in his after-match interview that he's been nursing an injury the last few weeks and was struggling when he came off.

Explains why he was seemingly quiet, still an impressive tackle count.

@Bones Yeah, he said something like: "I was doing more harm than good being out there."

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

How have the tahs replaced their ginge fullback with an identical ginge fullback

It's a straightforward case of reverse erythristic discrimination...

Barnes to start next week with Papalii rested or out?

Sotutu back to 8. Wrampling some things to learn.

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

Barnes to start next week with Papalii rested or out?

Sotutu back to 8. Wrampling some things to learn.

Reckon Segner is worth trying at 7.

@Bones Yeah, definitely. Barnes, Segner, Sotutu. Clark off the bench?

We’ll take the win. Awful first half, not enough possession and we kept turning it over. We were lucky not to be down 35-8.

Bench really got us back in it. Funaki, Barnes and Tupaea carrying strong.

I think we will cover the loss of Hoskins and Papali’i given what we’ve seen from Segner and Barnes. Wrampling showed glimpses but we’ll need to see more. We need an out and out 7, not sure Segner will cut it at 7.

Personally with Hoskins heading offshore I would still persist with Wrampling
May as well give him the opportunity and time at this level and in a year from now it will pay dividends

It would hopefully have been a wake up call for Wrampling. Barnes is a major boon for the team.

A couple of pleasing things about this game. The youngsters needed to dig the team out of a hole and they did it well. Funaki played well and there's no reason for Nock to be in the 23 again apart from injury

Barnes isn't the finished product yet but has massive potential. The team really missed Akira last year and Barnes is filling that role nicely. Good workrate, lots of hard carries and cleanouts in the middle of the field. He also has that wrestling style upright defence.. it can lead to maul turnovers but it generally slows down the opposition ball and makes defence in the next phase easier

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

That's an odd missed conversion

It was even odder when the blues were leading 7-0

Never were.

@Duluth said in Waratahs v Blues:

A couple of pleasing things about this game. The youngsters needed to dig the team out of a hole and they did it well. Funaki played well and there's no reason for Nock to be in the 23 again apart from injury

Barnes isn't the finished product yet but has massive potential. The team really missed Akira last year and Barnes is filling that role nicely. Good workrate, lots of hard carries and cleanouts in the middle of the field. He also has that wrestling style upright defence.. it can lead to maul turnovers but it generally slows down the opposition ball and makes defence in the next phase easier

Something that was never mentioned about Akira's game what you pointed out there.

Even though we struggled in the first half, I was impressed with our goal line D. That try they got given was ridiculous.

A real character building performance, where our bench came on and got us out of a hole. I think we learned plenty from that win.

Before Vern we would lose this sort of game. The goal line defense was impressive, and Dalton saved a line break with a one handed tackle. Much to enjoy.

Barnes is the real deal.

@booboo said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

That's an odd missed conversion

It was even odder when the blues were leading 7-0

Never were.

I take it you weren't looking at the score in the on screen graphics... for many minutes....

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@booboo said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

That's an odd missed conversion

It was even odder when the blues were leading 7-0

Never were.

I take it you weren't looking at the score in the on screen graphics... for many minutes....

I watched the touchies not put their flags up.

@booboo said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@booboo said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Bones said in Waratahs v Blues:

@Tim said in Waratahs v Blues:

That's an odd missed conversion

It was even odder when the blues were leading 7-0

Never were.

I take it you weren't looking at the score in the on screen graphics... for many minutes....

I watched the touchies not put their flags up.

Nevermind.