Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final
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@shadowtrooper said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
Whowever was talking about a lack of big ball-running forwards for ABs in the EOYT thread - think we got just the ticket in Auckland .....
Who's that? Haven't heard anything about any half decent Auckland players banging around.
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@shadowtrooper Yeah that Sam Prattley is hard to stop with ball in hand.
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Outstanding effort from Auckland. Really dominated in all facets. Please give those Cantabs a spanking next week.
From a Wellington persepctive Ben Lam showed exactly why he will never be an A.B. Didn't look interested at all. Toomaga Allen was another that just didn't really care about being out there.
As a Wellington and Canes fan I hope they don't get many games for the Canes this year. I don't care if Ben Lam scores 100 tries in a season, an attitude like that won't win any championships. He has proven time and time again that he goes missing in the big ones, just another big lazy wing that only cares about looking good.
Many on here believe Renata should be a Canes re-signing. 100% agree, atm all we need is a scrummaging prop and he looks to be getting better and better. Also how does Akira not make the A.Bs 51 man squad after a performance like that. Luke Whitelock is probably the most boring and ineffective player to ever grace New Zealand pro footy fields, only gets in through his Cantab connections.
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Akira Ioane was absolutely outstanding in this game. An intimidating beast in the Lomu or Kaino mould.
Steve Hansen should hope his All Blacks win every game this year because if they don't he is going to cop all manner of flak for not picking one of the best players in the world right now.
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@sparky said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
Akira Ioane was absolutely outstanding in this game. An intimidating beast in the Lomu or Kaino mould.
Steve Hansen should hope his All Blacks win every game this year because if they don't he is going to cop all manner of flax for not picking one of the best players in the world right now.
There's one problem with that. Akira is finally hitting his straps as an 8.
6 is a different position.
Hardly likely that Captain Read is going to step aside.I get the feeling they really want Akira to be ready to walk into the 8 jersey post RWC.
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@crucial said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
@sparky said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
Akira Ioane was absolutely outstanding in this game. An intimidating beast in the Lomu or Kaino mould.
Steve Hansen should hope his All Blacks win every game this year because if they don't he is going to cop all manner of flax for not picking one of the best players in the world right now.
There's one problem with that. Akira is finally hitting his straps as an 8.
6 is a different position.
Hardly likely that Captain Read is going to step aside.I get the feeling they really want Akira to be ready to walk into the 8 jersey post RWC.
Yep player management. Need someone at 6 who can take up the ball. Akira couldn’t possibly play 6. Lets wait until after the World Cup so he can replace Read while meantime our opposition is probably saying WTF. One thing I would like to see though is his mug in the screen more often so maybe his fitness is an issue. Thing is with these guys with FTO muscle the endurance can be a problem hence I guy like Franks a slug can play a whole game. I still think that being in an AB pack with experience around him he would change games. He is a game changer.
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So it's a master plan that explains why a journey man like Luke Whitelock gets picked ahead of one of the exciting players in world rugby today?
It would have been handy to have had Akira Ioane at the back of the All Blacks scrum with 5 minutes to go against the Boks in Wellington to say the least.
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@rapido said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
The touch judge miss of the Lam late foot trip on Nanai was a disgraceful piece of inept officiating, was right in front him. Hope that gets picked up in their performance review.
Crap piece of cheating by Lam, not even slightly subtle.
I was blwoing up about that in the stand opposite - looked like he pulled him down initially, but I was 100 m away. How the hell the AR missed it, and then still missed it on replay is beyond me.
Also, WTF is up with knock forwards for attacking passes? A floated pass for Auckland in the first half got knocked forward by a Welly player - and hte outside winder was in space. Yet only a scrum; not evena penalty, or (heaven forbid) the obligatory YC. I just don't know what the rules are from week to week any more.
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@nzzp was driving back from Hamilton listening to commentary and even the Radio Sport caller and Kevin Putt was were mystified on the decision being missed by all 4 officials..!
Glad Auckland got the job done,and also a great gesture by the union with the free entry. -
@broughie said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
One thing I would like to see though is his mug in the screen more often so maybe his fitness is an issue. Thing is with these guys with FTO muscle the endurance can be a problem hence I guy like Franks a slug can play a whole game. I still think that being in an AB pack with experience around him he would change games. He is a game changer.
Yeah, it was interesting to read Alama (who I have a massive new respect for) acknowledge certain areas needing improvement "for the next level", in amongst the deserved praise for Akira's performance.
Has anyone ever put a stopwatch on how long it takes him to rejoin the defensive structure? I know the AB's put a lot of weight on that. -
@african-monkey said in Auckland vs Wellington - Semi Final:
Good performance from us. Akira was outstanding as we all know he is. A few one on one misses but that's going to happen with their big ball carriers but other than that, a faultless display. Seu (or Soo as Nisbo pronounces it) looked very good for someone who's been out for so long and Faiane has really stepped up this year.
Also, Nisbo's pronunciation of names was awful!
Sosene-Fag-guy :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_cold_sweat:
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And, in classic Auckland administration fashion, as soon as they do something great they have control of (free admission), the weather forecast is for rain. Poor bastards. Could have had a great crowd there if the weather was better.
That said, I was at 2010 AMI Stadium final, and there were less than 3,000 people there. So poor attendance has been an issue for ages, and right aroudn the country
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Hoping Waikato do something similar whenever their final is on..
Crowd for Satudays semi was awful. -
@steven-harris Friday night. The WRU needs the money so I don't expect free entry. Kids free with a paying adult would be a good start. But the days of huge crowds for NPC games are long gone.
Hamilton empties out for a long weekend so I wasn't surprised at the low turnout. I was sitting in a plane at the time.
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@bovidae kids free is what I think all Unions should do, is a no brainer!
NRU did this about 4 or 5 years back for all registered junior rugby players, I'd of gone the other way and handed out passes to all the schools, involve more than just the rugby kids. FRee for all kids under 16 with an adult.
Having an actual free ticket to hold onto, for a kid is more beneficial in them asking mum or dad to take them than just saying it is free IMO.
I was in Hamilton, seemed plenty of people still about but then it is pretty quiet up here, so anywhere is busy haha!
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According to the TicketDirect website children do have free admission. Only $10 for where we sit.