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Round 12 - Highlanders v Waratahs

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Highlanders (ranked equal 8th) play the Tah’s (ranked 2nd) in Dunedin.
Both teams return after having a week off, I’d say the Highlanders will be easy picking for the Tah’s and a win for them could put them solidly on top of the ladder.
 
The only thing going for the Highlanders is home ground advantage but that hasn't affected the Tahs. I think the Highlanders went 100 years without winning at home against the Tahs. But Tahs should be too good especially with Rogers back.
 
highlanders will have to play well to win this one. tahs should be too classy to win this one
 
This is a good opportunity for the Tahs to close the gap between them and the Crusaders, they really have to go all out for the bonus point in all there remaining matches.

I say the Tahs will win by 20.
 
I'm going to say the highlanders by 1 as part of my master plan. If this doesn't work I'll just have to revert to Plan B.

"What is Plan B?" you ask...

Well I'll tell you "We have to beat the Crusaders as well."
 
I'm thinking the Highlanders will win this one. They will play the spoilers gameplan where they just keep kicking to the Warratahs corner and try to force a mistake. Bascially they Highlanders will be doing a lot of tackling, but I think it will pay off, especially if it is wet. Highlanders by 4.
 
Waratahs unable to get into Dunedin
27 April 2006 
By BEN KIMBER
Sydney Morning Herald

Wild weather forced an aborted landing in Dunedin and left the Waratahs stranded in Christchurch overnight, with Friday's fixture against the Highlanders in doubt if the adverse conditions continue.


The plane carrying the NSW side approached Dunedin Airport through a mass of cloud only to emerge 100 metres above the runway, before being buffeted by 60kmh winds that forced a rapid ascent and redirection to Christchurch.


"We couldn't land, the crosswinds in Dunedin were too much for the plane we were in and there's flooding around Dunedin so we can't get there by road, either," said NSW coach Ewen McKenzie. "So we'll stay here and try our luck (Thursday), but I don't think there's any certainty about (Thursday), either. Maybe we'll have to move the game up here if it's flooded down there. The Crusaders are out of town so we can play in Christchurch. Anything's possible at the moment."


The flooding in towns surrounding Dunedin is preventing road access, and no break in the weather is predicted prior to tomorrow night's scheduled clash.


Last night, the Waratahs were forced to find accommodation in the city they recently visited for their round-nine loss to the Crusaders. After naming an unchanged team from their win over the Brumbies, they trained under lights as they tried to keep their preparation on track.

McKenzie's preferred preparation timetable was already disrupted after flight schedules forced the team to fly out of Sydney yesterday rather than Tuesday, offering his players only two nights in Dunedin rather than the three they prefer prior to a match.


It was the fixture against the Highlanders last year in round 10 in which the Waratahs played some of their best rugby on the road, with NSW management deciding that the lead-up to that match - spending three days in Dunedin before their 41-20 victory - was ideal.


Prior to that game, the Waratahs had headed across the Tasman in round seven in 2005 to take on the Hurricanes with only two nights in Wellington before the match. They turned in a flat performance, losing 26-24, prompting a move to the three-day preparation as the standard.


This week, a three-day preparation was unattainable and now even the two-day preparation has been thrown off-kilter, but McKenzie is positive his team will handle the disruption.


"This is why we go on development tours," McKenzie said. "There's things you can't control so there's no point stressing about it. It's certainly not what we planned but we'll just roll with the punches and make the best of it.


"It was a little bit unnerving, by the time you came through the clouds there wasn't much distance left to the ground, but in the end I guess everyone's comfortable with safety first."


McKenzie's comments were endorsed by prop Matt Dunning, who was nominated by teammates as the player least comfortable in the air.


"I'm happy to go to Christchurch," said Dunning on firm ground at Christchurch Airport. "I'd rather be in Christchurch now than spread all over the tarmac in Dunedin.


"It was a bit terrorising, the landing there. I was saying to (prop) Al (Baxter) I thought we were about three feet off the ground before the pilot changed his mind."


Dunning's assessment of the plane's proximity to the ground after spearing out of the cloud bank was guesstimation at its best, as he conceded his eyes were firmly shut throughout the entire ordeal.


"I'm not a good flyer, but I've got a lot better than I used to be, it just got a bit rocky there," he said. "I thought we almost landed then he pulled up at the last minute. Al's the resident know-it-all and he was keeping me informed and keeping me under wraps and sedated. I didn't look out the window. I was holding on with both hands."

[/b]
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3649944a1823,00.html

So.. this game could end up being played in christchurch, that would be funny :)

matt dunning is a pussy cat
 
Roads are fine now and the Waratahs are now in Dunedin, and if it would be played in Chch how would the Highlanders get there!?

All this rain has done now is eliminate the Waratahs major advantage their backs, as not only will the ngiht be cold the pitch will be full of water. So I really doubt the Tahs can win by 20 in these conditions.
 
Well according to the article the Waratahs couldn't land in Dunedin but they managed to u-turn back to Christchurch ok. So I guess the Highlanders could have flown out.

But it's all sorted and we can get back to looking forward to the match.
 
The pitch is going to end up as a pig sty unless they can dry it out quickly. I don't think there will be a lot of involvement from the backs for some reason.
 
This is shaping to be a thoroughly dissapointing game... But the Tah's know how to grind wins out in the forwards pretty well and have several solid goal kickers, so I still back our boys to do the business.
 
Sanzar, in theory you`re favorites to win this one but (and i don`t know how to explain the feeling), i think Otago will emerge victorious from this game! I`m not saying that to annoy you , it`s just the way i predict this game! I`m counting on a surprise if i can say so !
 
Originally posted by Rassie@Apr 27 2006, 08:25 PM
Sanzar, in theory you`re favorites to win this one but (and i don`t know how to explain the feeling), i think Otago will emerge victorious from this game! I`m not saying that to annoy you , it`s just the way i predict this game! I`m counting on a surprise if i can say so !
Well it'll be a rare win for the Highlanders if they can pull off the upset... Because they've only ever beaten the Tahs ONCE from 5 games at Carrisbrook since the S12/14 started!

Personally I think you're clutching at straws budddy ;) . You've tipped against the Tahs most weeks this year and we've only dropped 2 games, so I'm sorta relieved you tipped Otago :p .
 
The truth is that since Nick Evans got injured, Otago can`t find themselves! I really can`t explain what happend with them since that accident, how come a only player loss meant so much !

Well, let me remind you that in theory you can still miss the semis :bleh!: :D not to mention the way you lost last season the leader position - in the final round when you failed to score the fourth try vs Blues
 
Originally posted by Rassie@Apr 27 2006, 09:57 PM
The truth is that since Nick Evans got injured, Otago can`t find themselves! I really can`t explain what happend with them since that accident, how come a only player loss meant so much !

Well, let me remind you that in theory you can still miss the semis  :bleh!:  :D not to mention the way you lost last season the leader position - in the final round when you failed to score the fourth try vs Blues
That decision to go for the penelty in last years match was indicitive of the kind of thinking McKenzie has instilled in the Tahs though, they had 20 minutes left to play in the match and felt that the best option was to not get pannicky about a fourth try and secure a win first and formost... and though they didn't get that fourth try, there's no denying that such thinking has been responsible for the Tah's rise in power in Super rugby... years ago they may have pannicked in desperation for a fourth try and not even beat the Blues in that game!

But listen Rassie, I know that the real reason you tip against the Tahs every week is because their forwards have been so impressive and you just can't take an Aussie team have forwards that outperform saffa ones :p .
 
Originally posted by sanzar+Apr 27 2006, 10:43 PM-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Rassie
@Apr 27 2006, 08:25 PM
Sanzar, in theory you`re favorites to win this one but (and i don`t know how to explain the feeling), i think Otago will emerge victorious from this game! I`m not saying that to annoy you , it`s just the way i predict this game! I`m counting on a surprise if i can say so !
Well it'll be a rare win for the Highlanders if they can pull off the upset... Because they've only ever beaten the Tahs ONCE from 5 games at Carrisbrook since the S12/14 started!

Personally I think you're clutching at straws budddy ;) . You've tipped against the Tahs most weeks this year and we've only dropped 2 games, so I'm sorta relieved you tipped Otago :p . [/b]
Thing is it isn't only one player, But Evans influence on the team was huge. We are also without Hoani macdonald, James Ryan, Andrew Blowers, Paul Willams and Matt Saunders to injury. Any team with that many players injured would struggle.

To note, its raining again.
 
Waratahs Team...

1.Benn Robinson
2.Adam Freier
3.Al Baxter
4.Alex Kanaar
5.Daniel Vickerman
6.Rocky Elsom
7.Phil Waugh [v-c]
8.David Lyons
9.Chris Whitaker [c]
10.Mat Rogers
11.Lote Tuqiri
12.Sam Norton-Knight
13.Morgan Turinui
14.Wendell Sailor
15.Peter Hewat

16.Tatafu Polota-Nau
17.Matt Dunning
18.Will Caldwell
19.Stephen Hoiles
20.Brett Sheehan
21.Daniel Halangahu
22.Shaun Berne
23.Leroy Houston
24.Ben Jacobs

Unchanged from the Brumbies match.


Highlanders....

1.Clarke Dermody
2. Anton Oliver ©
3. Carl Hayman
4. Tom Donnelly
5. Filipo Levi
6. Hale T-Pole
7. Josh Blackie
8. Craig Newby
9. Jimmy Cowan
10. Callum Bruce
11. Richard Kahui
12. Seilala Mapusua
13. Neil Brew
14. Ben Smith
15. Ben Blair

Reserves

16. Jason Macdonald
17. Chris King
18. Kane Thompson
19. Tim Boys
20. Chris Smylie
21. Ryan Bambry
22. Roy Kinikinilau
 
Even though I'm a loyal Stags/Highlanders fan, I unfortunately have to bow my head and admit Waratahs will be too good, but will take a morale victory here if Dunning gets injured haha baby faced assasin my arse, the only thing he's killing is his career...
 

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