The Silver Fern

@Duluth a couple of months or so ago that bench would've made people double take and remark on how strong the starting side must be and praise the crusaders depth.

Fucking Reds. Losing to Moana means we're 9th instead of 8th.

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Nepia said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Nepia said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Chris said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

@chchfanatic said in Crusaders v Chiefs:

Hamilton just can’t beat us when it counts. I hope Hamilton plays us in the Quarterfinals.

Yeah I thought Hamilton were poor due to the Crusaders pressure and defence or they just are not the team they were last year.
Hamilton just got outplayed.

I think the early try New Plymouth got meant they mentally switched off a bit, and by the time they refocused they'd let the game slip through their fingers and they couldn't run Blenheim down.

In the ënd Hamilton and New Plymouth lost and Chch united won

I think my post highlighted the fact that Ashburton won and Cambridge lost, didn't need the obvious stated. 😉

Hard pressed to believe Ashtray could win anything to be honest.

To be fair they did win the Heartland championship in 2013 and 2014.

@number9 said in Blues v Crusaders:

Not impressed with my Blues, we should of killed thr Crusaders with all the possession we had.

Blues forwards were impressive

Blues backs are where the issue lies

Christie is a poor 9 whose spot should be under pressure - Perofeta played better than vs Tahs but still blew a number of good opportunities - they pick a midfield that isn't built to ball play but just big and run straight (whoever they pick it's the same M.O.) Forbes actually offered a bit of difference

Roigard, Tucker, Walker-Leawere

@Canes4life but where was Chris

Well it's good to see the refs have dropped the favouritism. Hard.

@barbarian said in Crusaders v Waratahs:

Oh come on, the Tahs were paying $8.50 with the bookies here.

You can spin it any way you like, but a team who has consistently underperformed for the last six or seven years was up against the multiple time defending champions. I wouldn't call it David and Goliath, but maybe David and Goliath's younger brother, Hefty.

We were 13 up with three minutes left and my heart was pounding. I was sure they would somehow come back and dust us. That's the power of the Crusaders. Because that's just they type of shit they do.

That's ignoring the difference between the Crusaders of this year and those previous. Which was the point, I believe.

That also doesn't take anything away from a very good Waratahs performance.

@cgrant said in Chiefs v Crusaders:

I wonder why Parker warmed the bench for such a long time. He came in at the 75th minute. It's very odd since the Chiefs forwards needed more fresh legs in the second spell.

Yeah, he should be come on with 20 to go. I thought that McMillan was very conservative with his subs.

I am visiting Mum's so the game was 20 minutes up the road. Went along, never seen so may cars in Methven.
Hard to get anything from the game but Billy Harmon is a brick shithouse and he influences the game whenever he is involved. He has looked AB material to me for a few seasons now.

I was at the game, first time at Ashton Gate. Really nice 27k seat stadium. Nice steep stands so really good views, good facilities and really clean.

It had been raining most of the morning but there was heavy drizzle from 10mins before kick off until about 5mins into the first half. First half handling reflected this (sometimes quite comically).

Scrums very solid although bristols scrum isnt particularly strong without Genge (although Sinkler played). First half was just played slow. Virtually no one ran onto the ball not helped by slow arrival to rucks by Heinz with a matching slow pass. Heinz decision making was good and experience on D was also good but the ball would go to a standing still Rehana who would pass to any of 5 players around him who would remain stationary until they got the ball.
Rush defence was rescued by some good wide scramble (Rova and Fihaki did well there) so a bit of work to do there.
Fihaki remains a bit of a 'not sure' player for me. Good kicker, good athlete but hands and decision making still let him down too often for a guy whose been there or there-abouts for a few years now, would have liked to see more improvement in those areas by now.
For conditions that would be ideal for someone with the size +speed of Manassa out wide I think he only got the ball once.
I had no idea someone got a yellow card.
Bristol used a lot of short chip kicks in the first half which was good to get go forward for them in the slippery conditions.
Big screen and announcements of who was replacing who was poor (and not helped that I didnt recognise so many of the players names) but the second half was a different game.
Pace really picked up. Hothams passing was lightyears away from Heinz, really quick and long and a really nice dummy and blind side run from a scrum but not tested as much defensively. So still inexperienced but with game changing skills. It got some movement forward so some momentum.
Overall it was a game where there was a lot of dropped ball that meant a score for either side was on the cards at any point.
Cant say I felt that we 'dominated the second half' as the stuff writer said but for a second pre-season game with new coach and systems they will be better for the experience.

@Bovidae said in Preseason - Munster v Crusaders (Feb 4th):

Is Coombes a regular starter for Munster? He was part of the Irish squad that toured NZ. They have both Synman and Kleyn in their squad but both were unavailable due to injury.

Sky NZ is obviously doing in-studio commentary for these pre-season games.

Coombes usually starts at 8. He's a try scoring machine but not in Andy Farrells plans for whatever reason.

This is Snymans 3rd season with Munster and he's played about 11 games. Been injured all the time. Just happened to be injury free for the world cup. Lucky Rassie! Then got injured again.

@ruggabee said in Crusaders 2024:

@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:

@ruggabee said in Crusaders 2024:

@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:

@ruggabee said in Crusaders 2024:

@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:

@Duluth said in Crusaders 2024:

@Chris said in Crusaders vs Hurricanes:

Difference of how they should play go wide at high tempo or a more restrained game reliant on set piece and drive up the middle before going wide.
Coaches on different wave lengths.
Some coaches saying they don't have the players for one sort of game other coaches saying the same about the other alternative.
Players a bit confused.

Is this argument still happening? Based on Penney's comments just after halftime I guess he was in the high tempo camp?

It worked against the Chiefs but the squad really does seem better suited to playing a tighter game. There's no quality issues in the pack

I think they could adjust the back three for a more of a kick chase game too. McLeod for whatever reason struggle on defence in the midfield.. however he got into the AB squad basically as a tidy winger who chased kicks hard. McLeod & Reece on the wings with McNicholl at fullback

Yeah I could see that working Hopeha at First five is a handbrake as well,No threat to the defence at all.

@Chris said in Crusaders 2024:

@ruggabee said in Crusaders 2024:

@Chris why did Goodman not stay given he would've got the HC job last year, was it about more about money or does he see himself as an assistant coach and wanted to further his development and try to become a world-class backs coach overseas?

More about development than money I would think he is not really money orientated.

Did Razor make any effort to convince him to join the All Black coaching ticket last year? I can't get my head around why Razor rates a guy like Jason Holland over other coaches like Goodman or Tony Brown?

No idea about convincing Goodman.
Razor has a long relationship with Holland same with McDonald I guess he trusts them and see something others do not,Holland may turn out to be a great assistant coach but like many don't step up well to HC.

He did try to get Brown on board but as well all know he decided to stay loyal to Joseph and Japan .

@Chris That was 2019, what about last year when Brown was a free agent?

Razor had given his word to Holland etc when the change was going to be made in SA.
Razor would not go back on his word.

final question for you mate, who do you think will replace Ellison as an All Black assistant coach when Taimati inevitably takes the Crusaders top job ahead of the 2026 season?

It will be a role running the defence.
I don’t really know to be honest.
That job is there to be earned by someone over the next 18 months.

@nostrildamus said in Final: Chiefs v Crusaders:

pakman is supposed to be a Blues fan? Should be all out of tears!

He’s getting in practice for next year

@His-Bobness said in SF: Crusaders (Good) v Blues (Evil):

Now that I think about the Blues’ shellacking this morning, I was struck by the Sky interview with Beauden Barrett ahead of the game. Asked about the game day ritual he sounded exceedingly chilled - talking about a nice lie-in and the extra space granted by being away from home and the kids. There was time for a leisurely breakfast and catchup with the US Open on TV before a team chat around lunch. Maybe this was their way of not being overawed by the occasion. But from what we saw on the field the result was they came on so ‘underawed’ and mentally unprepared they had no answer for the Crusaders’ intensity.

That sounds like BB's intensity for the last 3 years regardless of who he's playing for tbh.

"Clown's in a minefield" was headline put out by one journo which gave me a good laugh.

The Blues were just beaten soundly at every contact area in the game, lacked physical intensity to match or mental fortitude to dig in and fight in the trench's and instead went for the miracle off-loads just gifting the ball back to the Crusaders.

@Crazy-Horse Completely agree.

https://fb.watch/kZiX81ZcRk/