Blues v Highlanders
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@Tim said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Bones Really? I thought that Gibson was maybe our best tonight.
Duffy is very good under the high ball and provides the second fullback role.
Unfortunately in this instance the version of fullback is Collins. They both offered fuck all.
Shit game really. So much kicking and so many poor skills. Don't know how the highlanders left it so close.
West was probably the worst player on the field. Surely Francis gets the next start.
Moala was probably the Blues best. Although i agree that his main option of run, means Ioane might as well not have been there.
Maybe 11 is the position Moala should concentrate on. Ranger certainly did nothing with the jersey. Wtf was that grubber from his own in goal?Just on the Moala almost try where the comm's were talking about offside. There was never an offside line. The ball came back off the highlander. So its open play.
Still don't rate Akira. Joggs around doing fuck all too much for my liking.
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@mimic said in Blues v Highlanders:
Would it have been a 22 if the blues had the advantage from the knock on?
Instead of a scrum from 5m outOld (old old) rule. Changed such that a knock on into the in goal is a scrum. Not a ruling I agree with.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Highlanders:
Im not gonna rip into Tana too hard cos it's a long season but cripes you have to question some things. Blues need SBW at 12 as soon as they can - Moala is a beast but his distribution aint much chop - Rieko barely sees the ball at all - let alone in space.
The game plan seems to be not to use our backs until we have won a bomb. We had the same issues last week with Francis at 12.
Collins has given us nothing on attack, Duffy only seems to be good at catching bombs and we leave a player like Nanai on the bench!
With so many players having poor games, it's hard to tell if it's a good game plan or not I suppose. But I don't think it suits the players we have.
So two strikes against Tana here, selection and game plan and what the hell is Jackson doing with the set piece? Two hookers that can't hit their target and the scrum is inconsistent as all hell.
Highlanders shouldn't get away without any criticism as well, they were equally as poor as the Blues and only scored a try because Ranger is a shadow of his former self.
I took my son to this game and he spent a good portion of the second half making a blindfold out of his flag. The guy behind me (in full Blues gear) commented that he wished he had one too.
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With no idea what tana is thinking or trying to achieve ,
My guess is , he is trying ( with emphasis on the word trying ) to introduce more structure into a team that has been criticised for years for not having any .
And now it looks like he is moving away from their strengths , which wasn't working anyway .
Tough gig
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What I am surprised about is the focus above on the glamour backline players and the lack of comments on the very average forward performance and continuing lack of direction at 1st five. The Blues were under pressure pressure at set piece and with a first five that sits in the pocket the backline were constantly playing behind the gameline.
Also as a a team the Blues still do not move the ball to space, relying on physically beating their opponents.They must take the ball into contact and lose it more than most teams and their players seldom recognise where the space is and choose an early passing option. It seems like they lack awareness. e.g early on when the new no8 didn't look outside him to Ranger on the line.
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@kev said in Blues v Highlanders:
What I am surprised about is the focus above on the glamour backline players and the lack of comments on the very average forward performance and continuing lack of direction at 1st five. The Blues were under pressure pressure at set piece and with a first five that sits in the pocket the backline were constantly playing behind the gameline.
Also as a a team the Blues still do not move the ball to space, relying on physically beating their opponents.They must take the ball into contact and lose it more than most teams and their players seldom recognise where the space is and choose an early passing option. It seems like they lack awareness. e.g early on when the new no8 didn't look outside him to Ranger on the line.
Oh agree completely. Dropping Ioane was just as dumb as Nanai, he made an impact when he came on. The overuse of one of the ruck hit ups made defence for the clan pretty simple.
Already mentioned the set pieces, by the way watched Moulds warming up his throwing - and he could even hit a stationary target with no opposition. Poor guy catching was jumping all over the place.
And West has had his chance an failed, time to give Francis a go. Ten, as usual, is a problem for us.
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Blues are struggling to get the ball to thier weapons out wide, well, normally they have weapons outwide, but the amount of times that Moala was involved and even Ranger (in woeful form) so often just standing out (looking disinterested) there on the wing rather than coming in looking for work, which is when he is at his best.
With the vast improvement in the lineout in the 2nd spell you would have to think that there is an argument to start Cowley-Tuioti, although he aint gonna start over Tupou.
Akira is also another that needs to get himself involved more, he is a beast of a man, needs to be central to everything the Blues do, but if he isnt able to work hard on and off the ball, then he may be a bench man.
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@KiwiMurph That was probably the worse game West has ever played. If he gets dropped would understand but that was a basement performance. Francis will probably get the start but he is only a caretaker at best. The Blues had opportunities but choked whenever the needed to make a play. In fairness to Ranger that bounce was horrendous and it wasn't like he wasn't tracking back and why did Pulu past the ball to Ranger on the line anyway? That was stupid. No one is reading Pulu's game as when he makes the breaks from the base of the ruck as no one is with him in support. While an improvement on Hall he was smart to make the decision to play for Samoa. I have said enough about Collins. Both teams were horrible. Agree with what that other bloke said about Visinia.
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@broughie I agree whilst West had a shocker theyve got other problems. They need to find a way to get Rieko and Nanai the ball in space - that has happened about once in the past 2 weeks. I can see the thinking in Collins in regards to his organisational skills but he is just too slow of foot and mind for this level - I think SBW will help a lot to the backline in the second half of the season - but it might be too late by then.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Highlanders:
@broughie I agree whilst West had a shocker theyve got other problems. They need to find a way to get Rieko and Nanai the ball in space - that has happened about once in the past 2 weeks. I can see the thinking in Collins in regards to his organisational skills but he is just too slow of foot and mind for this level - I think SBW will help a lot to the backline in the second half of the season - but it might be too late by then.
Sopoaga fending Collins off like he was a boy sums up his effectiveness at this level.
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@broughie said in Blues v Highlanders:
No one is reading Pulu's game as when he makes the breaks from the base of the ruck as no one is with him in support. While an improvement on Hall he was smart to make the decision to play for Samoa.
Say what?
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@Bones said in Blues v Highlanders:
@broughie said in Blues v Highlanders:
No one is reading Pulu's game as when he makes the breaks from the base of the ruck as no one is with him in support. While an improvement on Hall he was smart to make the decision to play for Samoa.
Say what?
The Augustine Pulu that played for the All Blacks in 2014 and the 7s last year is a different Pulu that plays for the Blues.
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@antipodean said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Bones said in Blues v Highlanders:
@broughie said in Blues v Highlanders:
No one is reading Pulu's game as when he makes the breaks from the base of the ruck as no one is with him in support. While an improvement on Hall he was smart to make the decision to play for Samoa.
Say what?
The Augustine Pulu that played for the All Blacks in 2014 and the 7s last year is a different Pulu that plays for the Blues.
as in you mean he used to be good but since he moved to the Blues he's turned to shit?
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@WillieTheWaiter said in Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Bones said in Blues v Highlanders:
@broughie said in Blues v Highlanders:
No one is reading Pulu's game as when he makes the breaks from the base of the ruck as no one is with him in support. While an improvement on Hall he was smart to make the decision to play for Samoa.
Say what?
The Augustine Pulu that played for the All Blacks in 2014 and the 7s last year is a different Pulu that plays for the Blues.
as in you mean he used to be good but since he moved to the Blues he's turned to shit?
No, @broughie 's statement that Pulu decided to play for Samoa...
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@WillieTheWaiter are you talking about Pulu or West?
Edit: sorry just realised West was never any good
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West is so obviously a journeyman 10 - sure he can kick goals but he doesn't have that magic key to unlock the Blues backs on attack, does not have a rapport with Pulu.
Disappointed in Tupou's decision-making and performance for second week in a row , thought Cowley-Tuioti showed some steel and hunger when he came on. Should start next week with Nanai to FB. Akira added some go-forward, maybe he is best used in short bursts. Gibson and Moala are workhorses but need some bloody help. And someone lock Moala in a room and have him watch looped replays of Nonu's passing (Grantec this didn't happen overnight.)
Ranger too lazy like all those who return (do not hold out much hope for Lowe either)Think Tana should start looking at his recruitment for next season - PRIORITY needs to be a decent 10.
