Sports Break: Rugby Waratahs v Force Sat 17th

   14,700 other fans and I 'enjoyed' the Rugby Union match on Saturday night in Sydney 'NSW Waratahs v Western Force' at which the showery rain had stayed away [along with the other half of the crowd]!!I use the word 'enjoyed' fairly generously...
I had good seats on the 10m line, it didn't rain,  there was obviously elbow room, a game of rugby was played, I had a good run in traffic both directions [home by 11.30pm] a young lady won $1000 catching a football at halftime, I got a good park in Paddington and enjoyed the best the Stadium catering had to offer [well]!! The less said about the quality of the home teams match plan, execution, the defence of the forwards and the one point loss to a cod ordinary opposition, the better... eventually!!
   The Force are an improving team, playing with discipline and making less mistakes. David Pocock is an imposing openside breakaway, Nathan Sharpe tackled well and they kicked well.
   The Waratahs have injuries but lacked the defensive sting they have built their team on in recent years, they looked lathargic and ineffectual... the opposition hardly went backwards on their own ball all night.
   We kicked ball away at two critical times and the tactic of kicking deep to build pressure yielded an initial try and little else. That try was well constructed with the old fashioned rugby with most backs joining a driving maul of the forwards and pushing their way over the tryline...
   I found myself wishing Tom Carter were at Inside Centre at least trying to bash the ball up the centre of the field and giving quicker ball than the Waratahs used all night.
   Usually the team wins 3 of the frist 4 matches and we all get excited, only to see the season derailed a little later... this was aweful football from blokes with much more talent than they showed.
Maybe it's a week or two from Barnes at 5/8 and Carter at Inside Centre.
   Replacements were made 15 mins too late and the referee should have been subbed after sin-binning Dean Mumm for being a forward.
BUT my final point would be... was it Rob Horne's fault or those around him that two crucial plays went past him as he was left grasping at an attacker, having taken the wrong bloke or missing the right one??? I hope the reported 'truth session' today gets to the bottom of that... it's the actual 'how' the match was lost... the manner of the loss could mean only 12,000 next week!!