News

Waugh targets turnovers

Monday 18th August 2008

Fetcher: Phil Waugh

Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh hinted on Sunday that Australia coach Robbie Deans may deploy two 'fetchers' against the Springboks in Saturday's Tri-Nations Test in Durban.

Waugh said the value of turnover ball was highlighted at Newlands over the weekend when New Zealand whitewashed the Springboks 19-0.

"The turnovers were the turning points in the game at Newlands," said Waugh.

"It had such a profound effect on the game that in the end South Africa lost quite convincingly. People can read what they want into that scoreline but had the turnovers gone South Africa's way it could have been a different story.

"It's not for me to say that the Wallabies will play two fetchers on Saturday - that's Robbie Deans' call, he's the coach. But there's good reasons now for playing two fetchers."

Waugh pointed out that when Australia were thrashed by New Zealand 39-10 at Eden Park two weeks ago, they surrendered possession at regular intervals at the breakdown situations, as well as at rucks and mauls.

"The All Blacks were superb with Richie McCaw leading the way with many turnovers. He did it against us, and again against the Boks now," explained Waugh.

"With the ELVs, games open up considerably more and you have much more offloads and if you slow down the ball teams battle to get momentum."

Apart from the Boks' inability to protect their ball on Saturday, Waugh said they were also "spiritually hurt" by Australian referee Matt Goddard.

"It's such a fine line for referees to make a call. Sometimes they do it for you, and sometimes they do it against you," he said.

"On Saturday the Boks were continuously penalised, particularly in the first quarter. That hurt the Boks spiritually as well as on the field and they became frustrated."

All Black skipper McCaw told the media after the match that he and his team-mates "gang-tackled the Boks and forced the turnovers to set the standard for the game".

Post-match statistics show that the ploy won the All Blacks a massive 14 turn-overs in the match.

"The Springboks just did not get there, because their ball was turned over at crucial times," said Waugh.

"The Boks were at the effective end of Richie McCaw on Saturday.

"It's always about playing the way the referee is running the game and you've got to try and play with the referee."

In several reviews of the Newlands Test, touring New Zealand rugby writers heaped praise on McCaw for the way he handled Goddard in the match.