Play-in is going to be lit - Lakers/Warriors and Celtics/Wizards. Neat.

I hope that my Mavs stuff the Clips; any team that tanks two games to get the match up they want deserves to lose. Fucking pussies trying to avoid the lakers who they would have avoided anyway.

I doubt we'll get there, but KP is back and we might just could. Come on Luka, bring us home.

@stargazer
Imagine this even being a question.

St Andrew’s College would like to welcome Robbie Fruean as a new coach in the College’s Rugby Programme for the 2021 season!

Robbie comes with a wealth of experience and an impressive playing career representing two Mitre 10 Cup teams (Wellington Lions and Hawke's Bay Magpies) and playing for three Super Rugby franchises (Hurricanes, Crusaders and Chiefs) before heading overseas to play for Bath.

Robbie’s goal is to pass on his knowledge to the next generation and help deliver a positive rugby experience to all players he works with in representing the Thistle!

3f715942-70e7-4066-8379-3c2c15235545-image.png

https://www.facebook.com/StACRugby/posts/2574411122860800

For me, watling is the best all around of the 6 I have watched a fair bit of: Wadsworth, Lees, Smith, Parore, BMac and BJ. (Forget germon, Jock Edwards or young, all break glass situation or in Germon's case, regional parochialism run riot - the reuben thorne of NZ cricket

Of the 6, I actually rate Parore as the most technically proficient and smoothest of them all.

Wadsworth, Lees and Smith are pretty much all in a group - they had different strengths depending on the attack and conditions.

But in terms of all around contribution and glue, I'll take Watling everytime.

Lees, Parore and Smithy to some extent with his decision making while batting were loud personalities and could be a distraction. Wadsworth could be untidy although that may be more a case that he looked like he was perpetually just arisen from a 5 day bender. Bmac, a very good keeper but once he gave up the gloves he became a much much better player.

@steven-harris said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

@number-10 I think he was nicknamed the Kaikoura express , was very quick ..should have played far more than 4 tests , in fact I still can’t work out why he never toured South Africa in 1976…the All Black wingers were Bryan Williams ,Grant Batty ,Terry Mitchell and Neil Purvis ..none with what you would say had top end pace ..Ford was quicker than any of these 4 , would have been superb on the hard grounds

I think Ford wouldn’t tour SA in 76 due to his stand against Apartheid if my memory serves me well.

Good news.

Hurricanes first five-eighth Ruben Love will miss Friday’s match against the Rebels in Wellington, but has avoided serious injury after frightening scenes at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Coach Jason Holland said the 20-year-old rising star would be sidelined for a week after suffering concussion when taking a heavy knock in the second minute of Friday’s remarkable 64-48 victory over the Waratahs in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.

Fears of a spinal injury were allayed, after the match was held up for 10 minutes while Love was attended to on the turf.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/125146755/super-rugby-hurricanes-playmaker-ruben-love-out-of-rebels-match-avoids-serious-injury

@bovidae defenders on the posts seem to have gone out of style. I don't really understand why.

@bones said in Super Rugby Trans Tasman:

@booboo I'll take back my like now, the previous edition was a thing of beauty.

I'm sober... promise

@bovidae Yeah, I know. Our third choice Magpies hooker is playing no. 8 these days.

@stargazer what else is a forum for? We discuss everything else. But sure, I'll leave it.

@machpants said in Silver Lake buying a stake in the ABs?:

@kev said in Silver Lake buying a stake in the ABs?:

They have always presented this as the only option, done deal.

They have had their financial guys explore all the other options, and have mentioned them often. One would imagine the stakeholders got far more info about those discarded options than we have. Which sucks really, they need to engage the public as well as those that vote.

I haven’t seen any mention of the other options? Please provide.

I still remember Northland and Tasman being nominated to be permanently kicked out of top flight rugby by the management of NZRU. Same words used then. Forgive me if I doubt they have looked at all the options - just not possible. There are always more options - just depends on your mindset. Once we have sold 15% of our revenue to an overseas company who don’t care about Rugby we will never get it back.

I wonder if we have too many Businessmen on the board and we are just being told to drink the cool-aid. Most businesses are run on short term profitability objectives with high growth models, where selling assets to fund growth or for short term profit is part of business. I want a sustainable long term plan with NZ ownership all the way - non negotiable. Don’t care if the money is less in the short term.

@rapido where did you get your numbers from? Is that from the PI unions? I see an improved picture for PI's that Moana and Drua will make even better. By my count the 10 super teams include these capped PI players: J Lay R Niuia Z Kapeli K Leaupepe M Alaalatoa F Paea H Stowers S Ili F Lomani H Taefu T Pulu S Funaki N Fomai. Surely more than 3 grew up in the Islands? There are other capped players around like Motuga Alosio and the other Lay. Beyond that are the likes of Macilai Bower Taulani Vunivalu Sorovi Tokolahi Finau Taukeiaho Kaituu Faamausili Tomkinson Kata Mataele Vahaakolo V Aso Cowley-Tuioti etc Perhaps some of them may commit to the Islands this winter to be in line for World Cup. Hopefully the two new super teams will give them confidence to do so knowing their country of origin is lifting out of the doldrums. I do hope my optimism is not entirely misplaced. And maybe the prospect of playing the All Blacks might influence some as an alternative to the remote prospect of playing for them...

@canefan It's good that the Breakers are taking the show on the road so hopefully the locals turn up in numbers.

@mn5 said in Rugby Commentators:

Maybe it just seems that way compared to Nisbo

Maybe. Or I was comparing him to the Oz commentators. My gold standard is the BBC's Andrew Cotter and I think Rikki Swannell gets the closest to that level.

The emblem looks very similar to the one used by the Waratahs one but from memory of my time in Samoa fifteen or so years back it bears a very strong resemblance to the beautiful Teuila (pronounced tay o wheeler if my memory can be relied upon) flower. I really wanted to bring one back to NZ with me but obviously couldn't due to MAF restrictions.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Samoan-national-flower-What-is-its-significance

@snowy don't worry Fozzie is untouchable for rugby vision and coaching skill
secure as coach

@chainsaw said in 2021 Hawke's Bay club rugby:

@stargazer said in 2021 Hawke's Bay club rugby:

@higgins Found it. Rakete-Stones is on the Norths team list for their game against Petone.

Pirate could have used him. They've been terrible, this year.

Yes sorry, he's playing for my club!
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Story goes that he insisted he would play for Norths, even though he was told he would play for some other club!

Let me guess. The other clubs he was told he had to play for would have been (in descending order) OBU, MSP, Petone followed by everyone else a huge distance behind those three..........................................

@mariner4life yeah, was another promising sign, our early win this season were all out in front, good to see that can shake off a bad start

George got in the break last night - and showed a bit more form than previously, though still not looking hugely impressive.

A group of 17 including George and Bouwman from TJV. Quite a few other strong riders - Mollema, LL Sanchez, Storer, Bouchard and a few others.

Seemed to me that George actually did more work on the front than Bouwman, which might explain what unfolded.

George made the first selection - four of them got away and then were joined by several others. That was his best bit and he looked pretty competitive - maybe 25kms from home.

Carr and Bouchard then got away late on that penultimate hill and they had 7-8 other guys chasing them across a big flat with a tail wind. That group split - with Mollema, Storer and Bouwman getting away and that was the end of George.

In the end Bouchard got clear for a long solo ride on the final hill. Bouwman broke away from his group and caught him on the final gravel section - but, it all came to a heart-breaking nothing - because Bernal led a withering burst from the GC riders who swamped them 500 metres from home.

Horrendous crash for Mohoric - don't watch if you're squeamish. It's a good thing he was wearing a helmet and not one of those little caps they wore in the 1970s.

https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/giro-d-italia/2021/matej-mohoric-taken-to-hospital-after-bike-snaps-in-two-in-awful-crash-at-giro-ditalia-on-stage-9_vid1475871/video.shtml

@stargazer Imagine the crowd down at Central Park if he turns out for CHB. They would have a pretty decent locking combination with BBBR and Tom Parsons.

@gunner said in NRL 2021:

Penrith 30-0 up at halftime against the Titans.

To rub salt into the Titans wounds, they had a man sent off 2 minutes before half time.

It’s unreal seeing high shots actually being dealt with in the NRL, how long will it last? Until a star player does it perhaps?

Hard to imagine Origin being reffed the same way

Oliveira v Chandler was fun. So many twists in a quick fight

Co-main was hard to watch as a Ferguson fan. Not a huge beating, but he was never in it

No need to compare him to anyone or talk about his decline. Just remember him for how awesome he was. A legend on and off the field.

Thanks for everything Kieran 👊

@crazy-horse said in Rugby on Stan:

I hope these fuckers don't get the AB games. My head will explode if the feed is as bad.

This is one fuck up - they've got some distance to make up to catch up with how shit Kayo was when I was a subscriber.

Fark! 10 years ago today.

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@bovidae said in Auckland Rugby 2021:

Bates was also part of the NH coaching setup in the past wasn't he? U19 coach?

I think so

@bovidae said in Auckland Rugby 2021:

I don't think either he or Ieremia are very articulate or polished in front of the camera.

I agree but don't really care.

My comment about that was keeping an eye on who is in charge of the team. Talking at half time was a reference to who is addressing the players. Ieremia apparently doesn't offer much technically and people like Bowden had to pick up the slack.

I'm interested to see if Ieremia is head coach in name only this year. The player feedback was awful and he shouldv'e been sacked. But I guess that was too expensive

@tewaio said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Anyone else have success in the ballot? Got 6 gold tickets for Day 1, so Southampton bound with @Small-Flightless-Bird and others.

Hope for better luck than the last final...

A mate of mine in London didn't have any luck in the final ballot and nor did anyone he knows. Plus he got the boot from one of the England tests.

@bones Meanwhile two more of the coaching staff move on...

Though Ryles leaving is quite understandable and expected really.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57113646

What an exciting schedule of ghost town stadiums

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/14/british-and-irish-lions-eight-match-tour-of-south-africa-restricted-to-gauteng-and-cape-town-rugby-union

@tim Blues are saying all the right things and the selections look better. Proof will be in the pudding tomorrow night.

@bobily2 said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:

I've seen two lineups (one schoolboy, one club) that show Peters as playing blindside.

Peters was in the original Chiefs U20 squad so must have been injured before Taupo. He was also part of the Taranaki squad for the Chiefs Country Centurion Cup in March.

It taps into a different crowd , the non boxing crowd ,

It’s like when they have those old retired footballers( that’s what Floyd is ) play in those fun games ,

But that’s where it’s interesting, those that don’t follow much boxing, will lap this up like it’s the real deal, and those that do will roll their eyes,

I wouldn’t be paying for it , but lots will , and they will make plenty

@stargazer said in Highlanders 2021:

@kiwiwomble

All good NPC players.

Fomai has represented Samoa in sevens, has been very good the last few seasons for the Magpies (at 13 and on the wing) and was in the Blues environment since preseason until about a month or so, ago. He has been with the Highlanders since.

Funaki played openside for Hawke's Bay, not at no. 8, but he probably can play all backrow positions. Really stepped up at the end of the 2020 NPC season with some great tries, esp. against Taranaki. Very physical, but green at SR level, of course. Has played sevens for Tonga. I saw him in a photo on instagram with Fomai and thought Fomai was back in the Bay haha; turns out Funaki was in Dunedin instead.

I can only remember seeing Timoci play for the Crusaders during preseason and he looked very promising. Strong winger.

Tim O'Malley has been a solid NPC players over the years. Always a bit on the fringes of SR selection.

The Stuff article @Bovidae is referring to, is this one:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300304242/super-rugby-highlanders-have-plan-to-deal-to-reds-prop-taniela-tupou

Good summation. And you've generally made them sound like good pick-ups. But really, this is another illustration of our eroded depth. O'Malley as an example has been around for several seasons and is no better now than he has been every other season when he's been deemed not to be up to it.

@stargazer Really looking forward to it, esp as it comes up here to NLD!

@bones said in Exodus:

@machpants I feel like you're struggling to get the right vibe with your giffing there fella.

He’s no chance of winning a fernie with that effort

Warning: 40 minutes long

@bovidae said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

I laughed at ENS's comments about having to buy a new set of lungs and legs when he transitions to sevens.

He'd be right. Bastard of a game.