QF Blues v Highlanders
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Any injuries for the Blues? Someone mentioned another head knock for Robinson?
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Gutted I won't be there; a long standing trip away with family planned. I suppose with the new Blues I should check playoff dates before agreeing to events, but it feels ... presumptuous?
Hopefully we'll see the top team except Clarke out there. We should have enough to handle the Highlanders easily, but rugby ain't played on paper. Beating 3 kiwi sides to win will be a massive, massive test.
Of all the finalists I think we've got the highest chance of winning the comp, but I don't think it's quite 50/50 frankly.
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@Duluth Lay?
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Rest your front liners and send out your dirt trackers. Still win by 30.
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Blues by a THOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWSAND
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@NTA come on man...we all know it....no need to say it
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will be happy if we can at least make the work for it
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Highlanders have nothing to lose so can throw the kitchen sink at it.
Really interested to see TUJ vs RTS at 12.
@nzzp said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Beating 3 kiwi sides to win will be a massive, massive test.
If all the top seeds win this weekend Blues will play Brumbies in the semi finals.
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@Kiwiwomble said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@NTA come on man...we all know it....no need to say it
Makes more sense than:
WEEK 1
Reds win in ChCh v Saders
Clan win in Auckland v Blues
Canes win in Canberra v Ponies
Tahs win in the 'tron v ChiefsWEEK 2
Reds win in Brisbane v Clan
Tahs win in Welly v CanesWEEK 3
Tahs win at Leichardt v Reds -
@Duluth was @Steven-Harris that mentioned it.
I think he had a knock pre-Brumbies game, that I thought i read if it was a final, he'd have been fine to play, but they were beign overly cautious with finals coming up, so hopefully that is what is being referred to as opposed to a new knock.
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Yes, the Blues are (rightly) favourites, but sport isn't played on paper. We still have to turn up and as All Black fans know only too well, good teams can get knocked out by underdogs.
Coaches seem to have prepared the team (no matter who is rested/injured) really well. So I'm hoping for a complete performance. We've had games with good defence, and games with good attack. Rarely both.
Home advantage is also a huge benefit.
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@KiwiMurph said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Highlanders have nothing to lose so can throw the kitchen sink at it.
Really interested to see TUJ vs RTS at 12.
@nzzp said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Beating 3 kiwi sides to win will be a massive, massive test.
If all the top seeds win this weekend Blues will play Brumbies in the semi finals.
ah right you are! Sorry, that slipped past - I thought they had locked up 3rd
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@NTA THIS IS YOUR YEAR
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Highlanders heroically managed to get one of the last spots in the top 66.66666% of round robin teams…where they should get pulverised by the blues.
Barring the blues shipping red cards, I can’t see how the southerners can win.
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@Billy-Tell said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Highlanders heroically managed to get one of the last spots in the top 66.66666% of round robin teams…where they should get pulverised by the blues.
Barring the blues shipping red cards, I can’t see how the southerners can win.
Umm perhaps by scoring more points than Blues???
Christ even talking about the Clan to win..... what's next thinking Moana Pasifika could beat someone like Brumbies???Just taking the p*** mate.
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@nzzp said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Gutted I won't be there; a long standing trip away with family planned.
Yeah me too, I'll be lucky to find a bar even open, let alone with UK sky in Rethymnon...
It's our year!
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Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
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@NTA said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Tahs win at Leichardt v Reds
And Matt Burke scoring over the top of Ben Tune to seal the game. The glory days aye Nick…
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So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
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@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
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@African-Monkey Could definitely be an upset. Per M4L above, they will copy the Brumbies game plan from two weeks ago.
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@mariner4life said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
they're massively outmatched on talent, so you do what all teams down on talent do
Make your tackles, make the rucks a shitfight, stay out of your end, and take every opportunity for points.
Then let scoreboard pressure take care of the rest.
If Blues don’t give away penalties they should win. Landers have struggled to get out of their own half during large portions of games.
So Blues by only 999?
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@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance?
Not really. It would be a massive boil over. I don't think the Blues wanted to go 13 games straight in order to fail at the first hurdle against a team that wouldn't be playing finals football in a competently run competition.
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@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
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@Machpants said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@Tim said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Akira Ioane logged 68 key minutes after coming on early when Anton Segner limped off with a suspected ankle fracture.
MacDonald’s key selection decisions this week will be around who takes the injured Caleb Clarke’s left wing spot, who gets the nod at lock and whether he squeezes Tom Robinson into his starting XV, or brings him off the bench.
Saucer of milk, table two....
The 4-10 Highlanders, who lost to three of the five Australian sides over the run home, may be one of the poorest teams to have played post-season professional sport...
buuuuurn
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Wait, Southland won 1 game in last year's NPC and got a semi final
Must be a deep South thing
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@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
Huge difference between what Blues fans are saying and what other teams fans are saying.
No guarantees in knockout rugby. Only takes one good performance from a struggling team to ruin someone’s day.
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@African-Monkey said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
So does anyone give the Highlanders a chance? I think the could certainly give us a bit of trouble and are being written off here a bit. They have no pressure on them and all the expectation is on the Blues to perform.
I still expect the Blues to win but I think it'll be a lot tougher than people are making it out to be.
If Leon gets covid and has to stay at home it will be all on for young and old!
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All in all, freshness and backups with minutes under their belts, the Blues are travelling well, with Caleb Clarke (hamstring) their only significant absence. Don’t be surprised if human band-aid Bryce Heem slots in on the right wing, and Mark Telea shifts across in a replication of last year’s adjustment.
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Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James Leckie -
@Daffy-Jaffy said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2:Stu Curran
TMO :James LeckieHow the hell does Pickerill and Williams get a gig and O'Keefe doesn't? WTF is going on with SANZAAR?
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@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
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@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
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@antipodean said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
More like giving all the refs a final I would guess.
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@Dan54 said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@ACT-Crusader said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@antipodean could be saving O’Keefe for semis and final
Can't run around for 80 mins three weeks in a row? That sort of thinking is how we get Wayne Barnes in 2007.
More like giving all the refs a final I would guess.
Again: This should be a meritocracy, not an opportunity for the work experience kid
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@NTA said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@Kiwiwomble said in QF Blues v Highlanders:
@NTA come on man...we all know it....no need to say it
Makes more sense than:
WEEK 1
Reds win in ChCh v Saders
Clan win in Auckland v Blues
Canes win in Canberra v Ponies
Tahs win in the 'tron v ChiefsWEEK 2
Reds win in Brisbane v Clan
Tahs win in Welly v CanesWEEK 3
Tahs win at Leichardt v RedsIs there somewhere you can bet on that scenario, think it would pay out well
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Read that Leni Apisai, Frizell will be on the highlanders bench but there's no first five cover so if Banks curls over idk what happens😟Bryce Heem is on the wing for the 13 in a row Blues
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Apisai must have the record for playing for the most SR teams in a season - 3 if you count pre-season games.
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Seems all teams are available in here. https://www.flipsnack.com/tahs2015/srp-qf1/full-view.html
