Great game indeed. I've been playing since Dawn of War come out. If you notice, my screenname here sindri is the name of the Chaos sorcerer in Dawn of War campaign.
Cadmus, I myself build the tau barracks first, and tried to defend against initial rushes with Tau Commander's snare traps and a squad or two of fire warriors. Keep them alive, and save up for vespids, most early game problems are over once these dudes come out. It isn't easy though, and my success is usually dependent on whether my micro skill is much better than my enemy's. That kroot tactic seems to guarantee a greater chance of success.
I used to play Eldar and a little IG before Dark Crusade comes out. Necrons look cool but gosh... seems that everybody and their mothers are playing these! :eek: I'm sticking with Tau, thanks.