Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva)
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@Tim said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
One note in the Crusaders defence - playing two NZ derby games in a row is pretty tough.
I suspect conditions played into the Chiefs hands a bit with all those loose forwards in their pack and a bit more speed in the backs. A bit more mobility and endurance.
I think the Crusaders probably won the first 20 minutes of each half by something like 27-7 and lost the second 20 minutes 33-0.
The usual scrambling second line of defence largely went missing and they were opened up like a can of sardines.
Tactics were also crap though - as Steven Harris points out. Too much ball kicked to the Chiefs to run back at us, when the defence was out on its feet. And Funnel had a shocker with his lineout throwing.
All-in-all a bit concerning, but I expect most of these problems to be addressed when we play the Rebels in zero degrees ChCh compared with 25 degrees Suva.
Nonetheless, I'll be happy enough not to see The Effing Chiefs (feat. Brodie Retallick) in eighth place!
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@Chris-B Have the Crusaders already played with their first choice team this year? Can't remember seeing Moody, Taylor. Franks in one and the same game together? It seems we have to wait until the QF or SF to see that (if Moody can stay in one piece until then)? And Todd may be more important to the team than he is getting credit for?
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@Stargazer I don't think any Crusader fan would use rotation and/or unavailability as an excuse given the depth we have, BUT taking out the resting players, we are missing due to injury Franks, Perry, Taylor, Sanders and Strange in the forwards and Dagg, Mataele and Jordan in the backs. On any given night, that's an All Black front row, and the other guys being out hurts your ability to rotate guys and lowers the quality of your rotation which can't be helpful.
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@shark said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@Crucial said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@Nepia said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@mariner4life said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
Fucking beautiful. I missed this so much. Chiefs go good, shark gets on the troll. Nice to be relevant, even if just for a couple of days
Yep, it's the annual @shark complain about the Chiefs thread, glad I didn't miss it.
Let's also not forget that the starting team that started of the Crusaders dynasty in the 1998 final only had 1/3 players from the region in an era before direct contracting.
I just find it hilarious that a Cantab can talk about a lack of catchment players in the Chiefs when they have been mining Counties for decades.
What has that handful of players got to do with it? Maybe blame the Chiefs for not identifying and retaining the Laulalas and Read instead?
I'm not whinging about players lost from the Crusaders' catchment to other SR sides. And there's some quality there, too, in Alaimalo, McKay, ALB, Eliott Dixon, Lentjes, Prinsep, Retallick, DLB and Ash Dixon, off the top of my head.
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@shark said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@Stargazer I don't think any Crusader fan would use rotation and/or unavailability as an excuse given the depth we have, BUT taking out the resting players, we are missing due to injury Franks, Perry, Taylor, Sanders and Strange in the forwards and Dagg, Mataele and Jordan in the backs. On any given night, that's an All Black front row, and the other guys being out hurts your ability to rotate guys and lowers the quality of your rotation which can't be helpful.
Cry me a river. Dagg*, Mataele and Jordan? Yeah, they'd scare any side.
Hurt your ability to rotate? That's very weak sauce.
(*Dagg used to be excellent. That was quite some time ago now.)
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Don’t get to excited about the blip which was Suva
Watch what we do to the Rebels ,A kick in the Arse by the Chiefs is just what was needed to re-focus for the Finals.
It’s a shame the Chiefs are probably going to be 3 points away from a playoff spot would like to see them in the playoffs as I think they might shake things up a bit. -
@Canes4life no probs gotta beat the best to be the best if that happens they deserve it.
Don’t want a 10th title by default. -
@Canes4life It wasn't dangerous when they met in the semi-final in 2017 (which I traveled for might I add). The idea of playing the Crusaders at home during finals footy gives me the shits.
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@Steven-Harris I think they will try to hold on to both players. Of the 2 maybe Reece has an emotional attachment to the Waikato .
He maybe the one of the 2 who could possibly move. But I also know Sevu is very grateful to the Crusaders for picking him and changing his Rugby world so that pull might also be strong. -
@Steven-Harris Reece was brought in to replace Dagg, not Mataele. So they have room to keep both.
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@Chester-Draws said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@shark said in Chiefs v Crusaders (Suva):
@Stargazer I don't think any Crusader fan would use rotation and/or unavailability as an excuse given the depth we have, BUT taking out the resting players, we are missing due to injury Franks, Perry, Taylor, Sanders and Strange in the forwards and Dagg, Mataele and Jordan in the backs. On any given night, that's an All Black front row, and the other guys being out hurts your ability to rotate guys and lowers the quality of your rotation which can't be helpful.
Cry me a river. Dagg*, Mataele and Jordan? Yeah, they'd scare any side.
Hurt your ability to rotate? That's very weak sauce.
(*Dagg used to be excellent. That was quite some time ago now.)
Not having those guys available and competing for spots means Havili'i, Bridge, Reece and Ennor know they're playing every week. That inhibits competition for spots and peformance in rotation. That's not that hard to understand is it?
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Got some oil passed on to me that Colin Cooper is trying to get out of his super rugby contract with the chiefs.if anyone can add or has heard any similar murmurs would been keen to hear..this from a senior rugby journalist..!,
Would definitely open up some coaching possibilities now that Steve Tew has decided to move on.