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    The Blues showed glaring defensive weakness in the centres and Loose forwards for me in the first game. So unless they improve markedly I expect them to struggle in this game.

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    @African-Monkey think he is 3 month contract should take him to the final

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    Roigard, Tucker, Walker-Leawere

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    @george33 Segner has been good but so has Lakai. Lakai's still firmly developing as a player but his ability to jump between 7 and 8 almost seamlessly against very strong opposition is something that will boost his international chances later in his career. Too early for him yet even though I think he's made for test rugby. I see him more as an 8 than a 7 though. Segner has been good but he won't have the size to be an International 6, would like to see him in the mix for that 7 role but I think someone like Harmon might get a shot before him.

  • Drua v Crusaders

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

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    @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.

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    @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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    @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.

  • Crusaders 2024

    Sports Talk
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    @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

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    @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.

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    @Crazy-Horse Completely agree.

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    @SBW1 said in Crusaders v Waratahs:

    He flew out just two days ago from France economy class.

    Played one game, already one of the great Crusaders.

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    @SBW1 That clip is geo-blocked in NZ.

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    @Duluth said in Crusaders v Blues:

    It didn’t affect the result but the TMO should be stood down for missing that huge knock on

    Other ferners have even gone to the press about it.

    'You shouldn't miss something as blatant as that': Why ex-All Black is unhappy with Papalii decision 'You shouldn't miss something as blatant as that': Why ex-All Black is unhappy with Papalii decision

    Blues flanker Dalton Papalii was red carded in the 15-3 defeat to the Crusaders early in the second half but the sequence of events after the high shot has left ex-All Black John Kirwan scratching his head.

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    @nostrildamus The game against the Blues will be interesting for sure. He is still playing his way back into form, would be really happy to see Macca Springer emerge to be of a similar caliber. When looking at a highlights reel of Will Jordan some of his tries are quite freakish.