v Manawatu
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I know its still fairly early, but 4 games in and we are already starting to look at must win games.
Historically, 19 is bare minimum to make the top 4, although last year had the highest with us sneaking in on 25 points; ave since 2011 would see 21 points as the requirement.
We currently sit on 6 points, 5th on the table, meaning to be safe I think we need to be looking at >23 points (+17)
Which means we win our remaining home games (Manawatu, Southland >both below us< and Waikato) with BPs and pick up 2 other BP away (HB, CM, BOP) should be enough.
But as the old cliche goes, one game at a time, so we need to get past Manawatu, a team that we seem to find ways to lose to, home and away!
We have a pretty good set piece this year, scrum and lineout, although as always both seem to have the odd lapse, our defence is sound, we are creating plenty of chances but lacking the execution.
We need to play with a bit more discipline, patience and accuracy and the tries will come, as someone mentioned in the Otago thread, it's like we want to score off every play. I'd like to see us mix it up a bit and play some territory now and again, we might surprise the opposition!
We should beat Manawatu, probably comfortably, but with the discipline and inaccuracies we have shown so far, we will need some luck to fall our way as well.
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@taniwharugby we’re definitely in danger of getting left behind if we drop this one.
I hope we make good decisions this week, play percentage footy for once. Keep turning Manawatu around and playing the corners. We can target them up front as we should have the wood on them there.
Will be pissed if we push those crappy unnecessary offloads this week.. And shit, if we have three on one overlaps, use them!
I’ve backed us in tipping for the first time this week, better not let me down dudes!
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Some interesting changes
Moulds back, but on the bench, Pryor to 6, Robinson back to lock.
Douglas obviously not broken face, as he is on the bench.
Kitto & Gregory get thier first starts, Noah Cooper on the bench, so assume Tua injured (after his best game of the season so far)
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@taniwharugby good to see Jono getting a start. Would like to see Myles get some game time. But most of all want to see us win 😀
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15 Junior Laloifi, 14 James Tofa, 13 Rob Thompson, 12 Lifeimi Mafi, 11 Michael Tagicakibau, 10 Sam Malcolm, 9 Kayne Hammington, 8 Brice Henderson, 7 Antonio Kiri Kiri (c), 6 Liam Mitchell, 5 Brad Tucker, 4 Nick Crosswell, 3 Michael Alaalatoa, 2 Tim Cadwallader, 1 Fraser Armstrong
Reserve: 16 Sam Stewart, 17 Faalelai Sione, 18 Sione Asi, 19 Sam Slade, 20 Adrian Wyrill, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Otere Black, 23 Hamish Northcott
Otere Black is on the bench
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What happened to Robinson?
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Great half of footy by the good guys.
Our usual flair but with a shit load more rugby smarts with what we’re doing.
Our 2 starting locks off injured already, FUCK! They were both playing great too. Hope they’re not serious injuries.
They’re all playing well, especially the locks when they were on, Ranger, Hyland. Kitto has provided a real spark. Love Gregory’s left boot, and he’s had some nice touches and finished a great try before the break.
Now please play the 80 boys!!!
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Great win!
Thought we were lucky to get the runaway try at the start of the second half. Although the TMO made the right call as it wasn’t clear and obvious, I certainly thought Wright got a hand on it right from the get go.
Wasn’t entirely happy with some of the refereeing. Manawatu seemed to get a few not releasing penalties from guys who were off their feet, where as we had guys on our feet latched on to the ball and he’d let those go.
Great to have the complete performance we’ve been after all season.
Lots of guys put their hands up tonight, which was great to see. Matich and Kitto the pick of the bunch for me. Shout out to Jake the Muss Matiu for filling in at lock for 50-60 minutes, did a great job, we had the odd wobble in the scrum but so did they. Also good to see Atkins get a run, great reward for plugging away in club footy for Wellsford for the last decade or so.
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that looked like a clear and obvious knock from where I was sitting, and the team kinda gave it away by going back ready for a scrum.
BUt hey, we will take it, plenty of other times we have had those calls go against us, so you take em.
Bit of a flat final 20, but gotta give it to them.
Did they say much about RObinson or Goodhue, be gutted for both if they have sustained a season ending injury.
I like that Kitto is a threat around the fringes, is something Nock is capable of but doesnt seem to do much, Matich huge as usual, as was Douglas, Ranger constant menace. I like the work that Jacobsen gets through too. HYland had a stormer!
Much better performance, still a few decisions we make you have to question, and letting in a couple of soft tries (particularly the opening one) but it's the W with a BP that counts.
Thought the ref was a bit inconsistent, but think we got away with a bit of stuff, as did Manawatu.
Good to get one over them for the first time in years, gets the season back on track!
Yea boi!
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@taniwharugby said in v Manawatu:
Did they say much about RObinson or Goodhue, be gutted for both if they have sustained a season ending injury.
Couldn’t tell you sorry, had the tv on mute due to trying to get a grumpy baby to sleep.
Agree about Jacobson, not flashy but a great work rate and consistently being a menace at the breakdown.
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oh, was looking at the draw, our 'storm week' aint that bad either...Southland this Thursday, HB following Wednesday, CM Sunday then BOP Saturday.=, we gotta make the most of it.
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@taniwharugby said in v Manawatu:
@gunner he and Moulds are very similar players I think.
Yes can definitely see similarities. I think Olsen is a bit stronger and explosive in the close quarters contact where as Moulds is more effective a little wider.
We’re lucky to have two good hookers, three if you include Ross Wright.
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what was with the ref and his arm signals for a scrum? From where we were it looked like he was signalling a shot...
Gregory loves hitting those rucks, many times he came in off his wing to smash into them.
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Great win for your boys, here's hoping you, us, plus 2 others pull clear so I can relax. Suspect it will be perm 4 from 5 though and it could get tight. Hope we're both qualified before the final game so we can all relax and concentrate on drinking very strong ale ....
Not a clear and obvious knockdown? In which parallel universe? I only watched Sky Sports highlights on my phone but it was clear and obvious in real time, even more so in slow mo. What was the TMO watching it on? One of those super mini TVs from the 1980s? Incredible!
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great win by Northland, I am glad they put Manawatu away like that as apart from 40mins against Canterbury they have been very poor this year, was happy for Hyland, he looks like a player who is starting to benefit from hard work of the field, seems very sharp in attack, defence and haircut.
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@nath-had haha plenty of this team could do with a visit the the barbers! 😜
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Good victory last night over Manawatu, however I can see why the Turbos have been conceding on an average 36 points a game..
Their first up tackling was woeful,18 in the first compared to the Taniwha who missed only 6..
However I do believe we have been threatening to come up with a quality performance and one area where we were impressive was the breakdown, thought we dominated that area which gave Kitto plenty of opportunity to either snipe or keep runners in motion.There were plenty of good performances ,I do like the look of Scott Gregory, has a very useful left boot and does not mind mixing it up with in physical exchanges
Only real concerns are the injuries to Tom Robinson (Shoulder) and Josh Goodhue (head knock) ,can’t afford to lose these guys..
Ross Wright is also having a scan early next week,has a groin issue. -
@steven-harris shit it was a head knock, I saw him limping about so was hoping it was something else.
GUy is coming into his own this season, doesnt need this.
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@taniwharugby i will be chatting to the development coach latter this morning, if he’s been told to give his locks limited game time then we have a problem..The Dev squad are playing Auckland Colts (under 23 )this afternoon at Horahora I think..?
It’s a real worry,we could probably get away resting them both against Southland ,but it would be a concern with bigger games to come.
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did they catch that muppet that ran across the field? WTF was he up to? Run across the field up over the fence and out of the stadium!
@J77 expected a nude run!
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@taniwharugby friendly fire between Goodhue and Jacobsen. A cut and massive bruise around the eye. So hoping it was one of those stingers that dazed him rather than concussion.
Really enjoying the physicality of this team on the carry. The Poo weren’t great on defence so that our guys were constantly bending the line but I can see the effort and intent. That’s all you ever want is that effort and enthusiasm. Fantastic.
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@kev yeah I think our loosies, all the combinations we have are working very well together.
Jacobsen is the surprise for me, he only stood out in 1 of the games I watched him play for Kamo, but he has a high work rate and plays a bit tighter allowing Kara to roam...then you have Matich, huge motor on this guy, week in week out just keeps going and with high accuracy too.
They are working well as a forward unit, still a few 50/50 off loads we probably dont need to throw, cut out a few more errors and we will press HB, Waikato & BOP for a top spot
Granted Manawatu werent really upto much bar the opening 10 and then when Booth came on, but as above, were being niggly feckers so we did well to mostly ignore that (assume that was what they went upstairs for late in the game, also what was the YC, musta been pretty cynical?)
Hopefully we can hold onto Douglas for at least another season even though he is going to the Brumbies.
You never like seeing players injured, but when someone keeps having head knocks you do worry more!!
Need another big one v Southland to set us up for our run at the finals!
By the end of the weekend we will be in 5th, at most, 3 points out of the top 4 and 7 off the top, will be a tight run in, with us playing 3 teams that will be above us in the final 2 weekends (HB - A, Wai - H, BOP - A)
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Just spoke to the Dev coach and he has no Mitre 10 Cup players involved in this afternoons fixture against Auckland Colts which by the way is being played in Daragiville at Western Sharks home ground
Temo Mayanavanua the Fijian lock who could have played has been put on ice ..
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@steven-harris hopefully cant read too much into that given we are playing on Thursday, potentially just being cautious with Goodhue & Robinson under injury clouds (who looked like he wont be back soon...)
If that is it for Robinson, I wonder if he had done enough in those early rounds to catch the eye of some super teams with spaces left, he is a pretty talented fella and I think is easily good enough.
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@taniwharugby agree with your comments. Jacobsen has been good for us. Matich is superb. Kara has always been an athlete and if the tight work is being done he comes into his own with his running game.
They were really niggley. That time on our line, Kara had been dragged off his feet into the ruck and was held in by Manawatu player. Another guy came on for clean out on Kara when ball was on other side of ruck. Then proceeded to carry on with it by pressing his forearm into Kara’s face after whistle. Douglas quite rightly pushes the guy off and scuffle ensued.
Also after Highland scored, their lock ( who was the main issue, on the roids? ) races in and starts pushing people in the face. Really random action because try was clean and nothing was happening.
The yellow card was nothing much but given penalties and slowing the ball down then maybe warranted.
When Hohaia scored, Matt Wright was taken out by fullback moving his line, and Ranger was held back closer to the line.
Black is back for Turbos
