Blues vs Crusaders
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@steven-harris He would probably be a bit better, but his decision making is off and his kicking isn't great either. Still lots and lots to learn. I hope we get to see more from Falcon before they decide on who the next specialist 10 would be from an ABs perspective (not counting Dmac as a specialist 10).
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@steven-harris Hall has been superb since coming to the Saders. This season his game has gone up a notch. I used to find him far too erratic, but now he plays with composure and quickness. Was great to see him take on the line a bit more tonight, given the poor fringe defence of the Blues.
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@damo said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@duluth said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@tim said in Blues vs Crusaders:
From 1.6M people they could probably manage to get one Auckland commentator for the Blues games. It would be good to have some one who actually knows the players.
Willie Lose is actually good as a play by play commentator. It’s when he has time to think that it goes wrong
Sorry but I cannot stand that guy. Simply find him horrendous.
Same! Only just slightly less horrendous than Ken Laban.
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@steven-harris Pretty much. You can do plenty with a world class forward pack infront of you.
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@african-monkey said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@steven-harris Pretty much. You can do plenty with a world class forward pack infront of you.
Didn’t the Blues have he same number of ABs in their starting pack as the Saders tonight?
I thought we sorely missed Whitelock in the back end of the game.
I reckon Tamanivalu is a smokey to get back in the AB squad.
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@tim said in Blues vs Crusaders:
From 1.6M people they could probably manage to get one Auckland commentator for the Blues games. It would be good to have some one who actually knows the players.
Get Rieko Ioane. He knows the players and how to play rugby.
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@act-crusader said in Blues vs Crusaders:
I reckon Tamanivalu is a smokey to get back in the AB squad.
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@stargazer said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@damo said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@duluth said in Blues vs Crusaders:
@tim said in Blues vs Crusaders:
From 1.6M people they could probably manage to get one Auckland commentator for the Blues games. It would be good to have some one who actually knows the players.
Willie Lose is actually good as a play by play commentator. It’s when he has time to think that it goes wrong
Sorry but I cannot stand that guy. Simply find him horrendous.
Same! Only just slightly less horrendous than Ken Laban.
Ken " I've got to give a full and boring club/school background on every player during the play" Laban - yaaaaaaaaaawn
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@act-crusader Yeah so? One pack is properly coached and the other one isn't.
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How good Reiko Ioane? Kept the Blues in the game by himself. Thought both Taufua and Akira were quiet by their standards. Papalii was good. I haven't seen him play much before now.
Thought Goodhue, Richie and Hall were good for the Saders.Pulu has got to be one of the dumbest players going around. I just can't fathom what he thinks he is achieving by delaying playing the ball at the ruck. He is just giving the defence that extra second or two to get back and set. It also kills any momentum his own side has because they are having to pause.
That kick after the parsons break was also a brain dead play.
Perofeta seems to be going backwards. Hopefully he can get some confidence back in itm cup.Hope Franks isn't banned for too long.
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@stargazer said in Blues vs Crusaders:
Rieko Ioane and Richie Mo'unga were awesome tonight. Both standouts for their team.
Taufua solid again, Scott Barrett best Crusaders forward, Akira invisible in the first half; better in the second. Papali'i mixed bag, but has potential.
Hall was the best halfback on the paddock and should be the third AB halfback but it's unlikely he'll be picked. Perofeta is over-rated.
Crusaders props need a brain transplant.Your Crusaders bias is obvious when Taufua is solid but Ioane is invisible.
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@stargazer mate you're so big on people being anti-crusaders. It's not actually happening. We just don't have a big blind love heart for them. I don't quite see how I could be anti-crusaders, that's just weird.
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@bones Mate, you're so keen on calling me pro-Crusaders, it's ridiculous. I think me making positive comments about some Crusaders players is only noticed because I'm one of the few doing so. Just read all the negative comments about "cantabs" in this thread, which is even ridiculous, considering all the non-cantab players in their squad.
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@stargazer you're the most pro-crusaders poster here and that takes some doing! I guess that's why everyone seems anti.
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RIghto, match report. Wet - not cold, but wet. Came and went through the night.
Blues did better than I expected. Cannot defend a maul, and our set piece was horrible, but despite that our game plan of 'chuck it to Rieko and pray'.
Seriously, we're clearly second best, but there are some embers that could grow here. Our entire bloody off season needs to be spent on set piece drills. We're shit, and won't win many.
The NZ conference is bloody tough. REally good teams, and if you're not good or confident, you'll struggle to win.
Also, Jacko is a shit ref. Inconsistent. Weird that they stopped the try to look at O Franks foul play, and then just went' ok, nothign to see here'. I suspect a visit to the judiciary is coming.
So, all in all, the game was better than I expected. SBW is some physical specimen, and I'd pay to see the Ioane brothers any time.
Crusaders look well coached and on the same page. Blues are trying hard, but individuals (still).
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@nzzp said in Blues vs Crusaders:
Also, Jacko is a shit ref. Inconsistent. Weird that they stopped the try to look at O Franks foul play, and then just went' ok, nothign to see here'. I suspect a visit to the judiciary is coming.
I think the reason why he was not carded was not because they thought he didn't deserve one, but because they spotted it too late (after the try was scored?). Under the rules, they couldn't do anything anymore. I expect a couple of weeks suspension.
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@stargazer Yeah one of those things really. Stupid and un-necessary from Franks really he'll get a decent holiday for that I feel maybe 4-6 weeks.
