Waratahs hierarchy to discuss changes
NSW Waratahs coach Chris Hickey has warned all positions will be "on the table" when his selection committee meets to decide how to react to a second straight Super 14 loss.
After opening their campaign with four straight wins, if at times unconvincingly, the Waratahs slumped to a 4-2 record with Saturday night's 17-13 loss to struggling defending champions the Crusaders.
Hickey has stood by his side, and particularly young five-eighth Kurtley Beale, in the face of mounting criticism over a misfiring attack, but there are now signs his patience is wearing thin after a mass of errors in attacking positions cost NSW dearly.
"Every week you have a look at your performances and you analyse what you think's going to help the team to progress," Hickey told AAP on Sunday.
"The other coaches will be doing that today and we'll get together on Monday morning and we'll have that selection meeting and at those selection meetings all positions are on the table."
The Waratahs made some strides towards shaking off their "boring" tag in front of their new fans at ANZ Stadium by creating opportunities, but were continually let down by dropped ball and soft turnovers.
Boom centre Rob Horne only had to hang on to a good Beale pass late in the first half to score, while bursts from Lote Tuqiri and Lachie Turner in the second were not capitalised on.
"As long as that continues to undermine us, no matter what else we do really well we're not going to get a reward for our effort," Hickey said.
Skipper Phil Waugh blasted his players for their "under-sevens" errors post-match, and Hickey said it was a combination of passing, breakdown work and ball security that was proving costly.
"When you put the three of them together, you've only got to have three bad passes, three ruck turnovers and three losses in contact and all of a sudden you've turned the ball over nine times," he said.
"The unfortunate thing is we're working hard to get into that attacking position and that's when the turnovers are happening."
NSW will head to Auckland on Wednesday ahead of Friday's clash with the Blues, who had 63 points put on them by the Chiefs on Saturday.
But the Blues have also averaged 37 points in their past three games to the Waratahs' 13.
"It's a big game next week," Waugh said.
"We certainly don't have our heads down and moping around, it's about turning things around and if we want to be there at the end of the competition in the semis then we've got to win games from here-on in."
Meanwhile, 100-game prop Al Baxter will miss up to a month after aggravating a calf muscle injury.
Hickey is hopeful of having NSW's most-capped prop back for the three-match tour of South Africa which concludes their regular season.
Skipper Phil Waugh will be nursed through the coming week after he felt a twinge in his Achilles.
"He's pulled up OK this morning but it's obviously something we'll have to keep an eye on this week," Hickey said.
"He probably won't train Monday. We'll just give him some treatment and hopefully he might be right to have a run on Tuesday."
Baxter's unavailability will be offset by Wallaby tourist Sekope Kepu's availability for selection after he got through 40 minutes of a club match with Randwick on Saturday.
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