@Stargazer

Lomax (an excellent signing) and Fidow. Very promising. It might turn a weakness into a strength

We just need another good LH (maybe Numia) and then (maybe) the Canes will end up with a VG front row. Then find another 1 or 2 good locks to partner Walker Leaware and the forwards without injuries will compete with any team.

The backs look as strong as any team as long as they can hold onto Barrett and Perenara. But we need to find better backups. Garden Bachop has a VG game against the Blues and could develop into a good backup but Fletcher Smith looks ordinary at best and a decent replacement needs to be found for him (hopefully he's only signed for 1 year).

Christie looks a bit up and down. I was a lot more impressed with Judd. So Judd and another good HB with Perenara

The Canes now have the makings of a very strong team. Right up there with the Crusaders.

The issue though that super rugby has is unequal teams. Its something NZ rugby need to address. So if all NZ teams are more even then overseas teams will have a better hope of winning. Otherwise super rugby will slowly die.

Just seen the game

Impressed with Toala and Rayasi. Both look the goods. Very impressed esp for their first start.

Lam and Prinsep are not the best defenders. Not good enough really. And I'm not sure regarding defense of Umaga-Jensen as well. He had a good enough game though but ...

And Lowe not on for long but not impressed at all. He looks slow and lacks size.

@Stargazer said in Hurricanes v Blues:

@Canes4life Goosen and Aso have had plenty of opportunities before they started playing well. Particularly Goosen has taken years to become a good player, but at least he got plenty of opportunities. Lowe gets a short run after 4 months on the sideline; only his 2nd cap for the Canes in 3 years. Demanding he's better than guys who've had plenty of game time is hugely unfair and ridiculous. What he needs is stringing games together. Hopefully next year.

I don't know where you (and others) get the idea from that Goosen has taken years to become a good player (its not from carefully watching super rugby). He has always been good. Esp on defense but has always been a good finisher. But he only really got game time from 2017 onwards (hes still only 23). And once he did then became a fairly regular starter. But suffered from injuries during 2018

Here's the details from the Canes website

The former New Zealand Schools and Under-20 rep made his Hurricanes debut against the Reds and scored a try with his first touch after just 14 minutes.

He continue to push for a starting spot and his form near the end of 2017 proved too good for the coaching team to ignore.

His second year with the Hurricanes proved to be a frustrating one as he suffered an ankle injury in the first compeition match against the Bulls. He then fractured his jaw during his comeback match against the Chiefs.

@Canes4life said in Lions vs Canes:

Beaudy needs to play every remaining game for us, including next week. I feel he's had too much time off this year and it's probably prevented him from getting any real momentum in his game.

On the other hand our backup (Marshall) needs game time. And the risk of injury in a sort of meaningless game

@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2019 Discussion:

Some injury updates:

• Fidow isn't playing atm due to fitness related issues from his shoulder injury.
• Ben May had minor surgery on his knee but should be okay for the playoffs.
• Fraser Armstrong has a minor back complaint.
• Coles is still having trouble with the calf, so much so the Canes made him get a scan on his back.
• Chase Tiatia has a hamstring injury.

Shame about Fidow. Potentially the dynamic prop that the Canes need. Like The Tongan Bear - a big part of the Canes winning squad - but also injury prone. Coles. It looks like time has caught up with him. Hope not though

@Stargazer

OK thanks. My interest in rugby is not what it once was

@Crucial said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

I like the single table structure but NOT the prospect of an uneven draw where everyone doesn't play everyone. That is the worst aspect of Super Rugby when it went to the conference system and why people turned off it.
The 'less strong' provinces in particular have ebbs and flows in their strength through the years and some will get a hard draw in the very year they peak. Vice versa an average team could get into finals due to a favourable draw in comparison to rivals.

I thought the 2 divisions was a great set up. Unsure why it has been changed. Although it is the NZRU so am not surprised

@cgrant

Jordie had a good game at 13. Based on his performance there I though this might become his best position longer term. Maybe he will alternate with the younger Proctor next year. So Proctor at 2nd and centre and Jordie centre and FB

@Dice said in Highlanders v Hurricanes:

@Winger He was actually pretty good for the Lions last season except for maybe the last couple of games where he seemed to have run out of steam.

I honestly wasn't surprised that he won Wellington Player of the Year. I was surprised that he was playing well though, because I'd never seen much from him in previous seasons, even at U20s level.

He's ordinary. A plodder who has a good attitude it seems. But still a plodder. I watched him closely at 6 as I felt this would be his position if he is to make it (obviously at 1.90 he's not a lock). what a disappointment. So not a lock yet not good enough at 6. Even at NPC level.

One difference between winning teams and those that aren't is coaches who can see this.

@Nepia

Blackwell is also fairly ordinary at NPC level. Even at 6. I watched him closely at 6 in one game and he was only adequate.

Its a mystery why Plumtree has such a hard on for him. It's destroying Plumtree's reputation as a competent coach. Its almost as if Plumtree has totally lost the plot. I don't mean this in a nasty way but as an area of concern. Blackwell is a player that should only ever start when their is no-one else due to injuries

But Plumtree has always had a soft spot for plodders who have a good attitude. Like Princep. But 1.90 Blackwell is really taking it to another level