Highlanders v Blues
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@sparky said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim said in Highlanders v Blues:
Ioane is the best number 8 in NZ with Sotutu out. Big game today. A bit more confidence on attack would be great.
Akira Ioane is a beast. Hope Foz manages him better than Hansen did.
That wasn't Hansen's fault.
Akira just wasn't up to standard, but now he looks as if he is getting there. -
@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
Sio did very little other than a cheap shot, Walden next week? Saving him for the crusaders...smart
Walden is Jesus.
In that it seems he never actually existed.
Maybe it’s the Mandela effect 🤔
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
Sio did very little other than a cheap shot, Walden next week? Saving him for the crusaders...smart
Walden is Jesus.
In that it seems he never actually existed.
Maybe it’s the Mandela effect 🤔
Just ask the coaches.
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@Bones I don’t remember ever seeing him run the water...
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Bones I don’t remember ever seeing him run the water...
Has he? I never noticed him. It's just so strange that he doesn't even get any mention at all. There's got to be something going on, it seems it's too private to reveal though.
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@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Bones Yeah, he was good early last year on it. Part of maturing as a player (and getting fitter overall) is balancing the roles. He's doing more cleanouts, so is getting to rucks early.
He's just so fucken scary strong and solid. Starting trio of him, Cane and Frizzel could really hurt some oppo.
That's almost Springbok-like for backrow physicality
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@Frank said in Highlanders v Blues:
@sparky said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Tim said in Highlanders v Blues:
Ioane is the best number 8 in NZ with Sotutu out. Big game today. A bit more confidence on attack would be great.
Akira Ioane is a beast. Hope Foz manages him better than Hansen did.
That wasn't Hansen's fault.
Akira just wasn't up to standard, but now he looks as if he is getting there.Yes he was, he wasn't last year but he easily was in 2018 when he was by far the best NZ 8 in Super rugby and the ABs selected Gareth Evans (always happy to have a Magpies make the ABs but there's no way he was better than Akira).
@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders v Blues:
Sio did very little other than a cheap shot, Walden next week? Saving him for the crusaders...smart
Walden is Jesus.
In that it seems he never actually existed.
Shit, can we have two Maori Jesus'? He can be Light Skinned Maori Jesus to differentiate.
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I would like to relate a small side story to the Blues winning the Gordon Hunter Trophy this afternoon.
When Tom Coventry was studying Physical Education at Otago University he was made captain of the University A club team.
The coach of this team was a local Dunedin detective Gordon Hunter. As with all players who were coached by this wonderful man,Tom recalled all the quirky and funny methods Gordie employed.
He said to Tom”You are my Captain and anything you want just ask me” Gordie looked after his boys on and off the field!
Tom went on to captain the Sth.Island v Nth Island Universities and scored four tries,but were credited to Dallas Seymour his co flanker because of them wearing wrong number jerseys.
We would like to think the Blues team did credit to Tom and his former mentor.Marvellous forwards game this afternoon. -
@Kirwan said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Bones said in Highlanders v Blues:
@Kirwan said in Highlanders v Blues:
@number9 said in Highlanders v Blues:
Bloody good game, the refs are useless.
Yeah, unhappy to watch an AB milk a penalty with a Hollywood. Poor.
I know, thought Ofa was better than that.
Very droll. We don’t want rugby to end up like soccer, so should have been play on when Smith pretended to trip.
If you watch the end on replay you can see that he does genuinely trip on KT’s foot before his knee contacts KT’s back which looked like a milk from the main angle they replayed.
IMO it would have been a shit call to let it go and award the try. KT was lying in an offside position cutting down smith’s options and Smith tripped on his foot. It’s either offside or accidental offside. -
I knew Gordon, he was a top bloke and a real presence around Dunedin, one of the few of these side trophies that really means something to me and around dunners
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it probably helped having Sotutu take his spot too, and then the talk of Sotutu being a bolter for the ABs...that would likely light a fire too
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Must say it was well worth the trip going down for the game. There were plenty of Blues supporters down there which I was surprised by as there was nex to no one when we played the Crusaders. The stadium was fantastic, easily the best in the country and credit to the Highlanders fans who were very gracious in defeat. I'll definitely head down again for a game that's for sure.
On the game, we completely out muscled them where they couldn't deal with our size and couldn't slow our ball down. Our big names Akira, Pat and Ofa really did smash them around and Karl T monstered their scrum along with Ofa. I notice Christie copped a bit of flak but he was very good I feel both in cover defence and by getting our attack going from the base. Caleb Clarke surely has to be in the next ABs squad as well. He looked like he was running around against little kids every time he touched the ball. Credit to the Highlanders as well, the never give up and always punch above their weight. Couldn't stand that penalty Smith got for diving which I hate in general but never mind.
Special mention to Alex Hodgman as well who came and spoke to me after the game. Absolutely top bloke who's enjoying running around injury free. He's certainly playing very well and continues to get better.
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also, Aaron Smith is the heart and soul of that Highlanders team. He is directly responsible for getting competition points year on year, it's absolutely remarkable.
The only other player I see who comes close to that level of impact is TJP. No surprises they're the 1 and 2 nines in the country.
Love watching him play, and to be at that level for that long astounds me. 8 years for the ABs, and we let him go from the Blues WTG (possibly able to be renamed WTF).
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