No ball chaser for Waratahs
2005-03-02 21:27
Liam del Carme
Johannesburg - The Waratahs are going to take on the Sharks without a specialist ball chaser in the Super 12 match in Durban on Saturday.
The visitors will be without Phil Waugh, but coach Ewen McKenzie has not yielded to the temptation to replace the veteran Wallaby with another ball chasing flanker. He will be replaced by the lanky Rocky Elsom.
Waugh will be playing for the southern hemisphere in the tsunami benefit match on Saturday.
The Waratahs are expecting a physical onslaught from the Sharks and Elsom, who stands 1.97m tall, will probably be more valuable than Lei Tomiki, who is 1.85m.
McKenzie says his players will have to adapt their style against South African teams. The Waratahs, like the Brumbies, like to retain possession, while the South African teams often opt for kicks into touch.
It is however expected that the visitors will kick more on Saturday because of the long journey and the heat.
The team's captain, Chris Whitaker, acknowledged that the Shark tank and Ellis Park were the most intimidating stadiums in South Africa. It could affect the six players who made their debut against the Chiefs last week.
The Sharks are not going to consider the injured AJ Venter, but the centre Adrian Jacobs, flanker Warren Britz and wing Henno Mentz may be in the lineup.
The Waratahs team: Mat Rogers, Peter Hewat, Morgan Turinui, Shaun Berne, Lote Tuqiri, Lachlan MacKay, Chris Whitaker (c), David Lyons, Rocky Elsom, Wycliff Palu, Daniel Vickerman, Justin Harrison, Al Baxter, Adam Freier, Matt Dunning.
Replacements: Brendan Cannon, Gareth Hardy, Alex Kanaar, Stephen Hoiles, Chris O'Young, Nathan Grey, Winston Mafi.
- Beeld