Final: Canterbury vs Wellington
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I’m fully confident based on recent form that our boys can go down there next weekend and get the job done. In saying that Canterbury know how to win finals so it’s going to be a pretty good watch I’d say.
Wellington have all the form but Canterbury have that structured game-plan that suits finals footy. I just hope Wellington don’t go into their shells and instead back themselves and the game-plan that has seen them win 9 games in a row.
Bring on next weekend.
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I said earlier in the season that any team that can match, or hold their own, against the Canterbury forward pack will be in with a chance Canterbury are just not that good in the backs. Wellington have the forward pack to hold their own at the very least, and the backline to do some damage. It would not surprise me if Wellington get the win.
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@Crazy-Horse I'm already picking out our black and gold bridesmaid dress.
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@Bones said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Crazy-Horse I'm already picking out our black and gold bridesmaid dress.
Yeah it’s hard to get excited with our history but hope the lads can get over the line.
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Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
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Hmm... gee ... wonder who won the Semi Final I'm yet to finish watching ...
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@booboo said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Hmm... gee ... wonder who won the Semi Final I'm yet to finish watching ...
Watch it for yourself, because you can’t believe everything you read on the internet….
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@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
Lions are DEFINITE underdogs
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@canefan said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
Lions are DEFINITE underdogs
Canterbury have the 2023 eoyt ABs sitting right there on the bench.
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Wellington had their best 15 starting in the semi except for PUJ. And his replacement (Higgins) had a great game so nothing was lost
We really need Cowan back and fit enough to last until half time. The Cowan starting with Sheck around HT coming on works very well. If not our scrum could struggle a bit especially if Sheck can't last the whole match. Likewise Numia. Unsure how Cowan looked when he left just before HT.
If both PUJ are both fit it will be a tough decision for the coaches. Both have been going well but I would like another look at Higgins in a finals match
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What an awful conclusion to the NPC - this is the first time in about 5 years I don't have a team to cheer for. Hopefully it's at least a good game.
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@Winger said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington had their best 15 starting in the semi except for PUJ. And his replacement (Higgins) had a great game so nothing was lost
We really need Cowan back and fit enough to last until half time. The Cowan starting with Sheck around HT coming on works very well. If not our scrum could struggle a bit especially if Sheck can't last the whole match. Likewise Numia. Unsure how Cowan looked when he left just before HT.
If both PUJ are both fit it will be a tough decision for the coaches. Both have been going well but I would like another look at Higgins in a finals match
At this point I would rather Higgins starts over PUJ. No point bringing someone in who’s not 100% just for the sake of it. Higgins looks like a big match player already aswell so would be good to see him get another crack.
Pek Cowan is massive for us, he needs to atleast be in that 23 because we know where Canterbury’s strength lies. Get parity in that part of the game and we are more than a good chance.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
Hey hey hey, don’t try and take the underdog status here. Canterbury at home in a final is almost a shore thing. 😁
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@Canes4life said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
Hey hey hey, don’t try and take the underdog status here. Canterbury at home in a final is almost a shore thing. 😁
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Man that was a fun team to watch. Umaga, Cullen and Lomu ripping it up, just awesome.
Great memories welcoming that team back in at Wellington airport the next day.
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@Machpants said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Canes4life said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Wellington’s game to lose. They have far too much firepower across the park. Plus they are full of confidence.
Hey hey hey, don’t try and take the underdog status here. Canterbury at home in a final is almost a shore thing. 😁
thingHaha I don’t even know how I wrote shore instead of sure. It’s been a week.
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@Canes4life said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Man that was a fun team to watch. Umaga, Cullen and Lomu ripping it up, just awesome.
Great memories welcoming that team back in at Wellington airport the next day.
Fuck those vuvuzelas tho
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@kiwi_expat said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
See @Canes4life Welly are full of confidence, invoking the wairua of 2000. What could possibly go wrong for them?
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@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@kiwi_expat said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
See @Canes4life Welly are full of confidence, invoking the wairua of 2000. What could possibly go wrong for them?
I'll expect the fog to roll in 30 minutes before kickoff
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@canefan said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@ACT-Crusader said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@kiwi_expat said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
See @Canes4life Welly are full of confidence, invoking the wairua of 2000. What could possibly go wrong for them?
I'll expect the fog to roll in 30 minutes before kickoff
NZR to announce Taylor, Whitelock, etc are released to their provincial side, the return of Moody and ALB to return to his roots.
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@Nepia said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
What an awful conclusion to the NPC - this is the first time in about 5 years I don't have a team to cheer for. Hopefully it's at least a good game.
So...2019....Tasman v Wellington...
Nepia - "Go you Mako Good Things"!!!
Made the rest of the evening much more bearable!
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@Chris-B said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Nepia said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
What an awful conclusion to the NPC - this is the first time in about 5 years I don't have a team to cheer for. Hopefully it's at least a good game.
So...2019....Tasman v Wellington...
Nepia - "Go you Mako Good Things"!!!
Made the rest of the evening much more bearable!
It was probably highly likely that Tasman were going to throw good cash at any kiwi within a few thousand kms of New Zealand, so you can't blame him.
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@Chris-B said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Nepia said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
What an awful conclusion to the NPC - this is the first time in about 5 years I don't have a team to cheer for. Hopefully it's at least a good game.
So...2019....Tasman v Wellington...
Nepia - "Go you Mako Good Things"!!!
Made the rest of the evening much more bearable!
I must have blocked that one out of my head.
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@Nepia You must have been secretly cheering for your old Div II compadres!
On reflection, that was the year that I Queen-themed every Mako game, which apparently I was the only person who thought was amusing.
A high stakes game though, which I note no-one else has been bold enough to replicate!
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@Bones said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Crazy-Horse I'm already picking out our black and gold bridesmaid dress.
Those poor Auckland bastards never had a chance in the semi!
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Since the dawn of the new millennium, Canterbury (199 from 265) and Wellington (165 from 238) have won more games in the NPC than any other provinces.
However, since 2000, Canterbury have won the NPC Premiership 11 times, Wellington have lost nine finals (7 Premiership, 2 Championship) in the same period.I am surprised that Wellington have won more NPC games than Auckland since 2000.
Was the 2000 final the greatest NPC game ever played?
Since the dawn of the new millennium, Canterbury (199 from 265) and Wellington (165 from 238) have won more games in the NPC than any other provinces.
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Numbers slightly different than the TSF result page too (as usual, if anyone can spot mistakes please let me know)
Cant 198/265
Well 164/259As for Auckland I have them at 159/249 so about even with Wellington if 2021 wasn't covid interrupted
(Waikato 136/247) -
It's not how many games you win, but which games you win.
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@Canes4life agree! Cowen is a MUST have!!. otherwise if hes out, would mean Sheck, with Lauaki on the bench which is not good esp against Cantabs who have Trex Williams and DLB so fingers crossed there. PUJ been off lately, so quite confortable with Future AB Higgins!
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@BerhamporeNinja said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
@Canes4life agree! Cowen is a MUST have!!. otherwise if hes out, would mean Sheck, with Lauaki on the bench which is not good esp against Cantabs who have Trex Williams and DLB so fingers crossed there. PUJ been off lately, so quite confortable with Future AB Higgins!
Agreed, even if Cowen can last a half that would be brilliant. I would also bring in Lauaki for our other prop (I can't even remember his name) because he's a glearing weakness every time he comes on. Last week he got demolished in the scrum and missed an easy tackle that lead to the Auckland try.
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@Canes4life TieTie Tuimaunga? yeah hes out of shape,unfit and careless! gave away a stupid penalty last week and week before. atleast be scrum well for us, i think he maybe LH replacement. i remember when he went to Manawatu and played for Samoa as a Tight head 2020? MP signed him, but he gapped it to Europe smh he was actually pretty good then
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Cowan starting. O'Reilly is back. Higgins at 2nd 5.
It about our strongest team possible. Look forward to this game with some optimism. Whereas if Cowan (and O'Reilly to a lesser extent but great to have him back) was out I would have had (major) concerns about our scrum
Wellington: 1-Xavier Numia, 2-Asafo Aumua, 3-Pekahou Cowan, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Dominic Bird, 6-Caleb Delany, 7-Du'Plessis Kirifi (c), 8-Peter Lakai, 9-TJ Perenara, 10-Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11-Pepesana Patafilo, 12-Riley Higgins, 13-Billy Proctor, 14-Julian Savea, 15-Ruben Love
Reserves: 16-James O'Reilly, 17-PJ Sheck, 18-Tietie Tuimauga, 19-Taine Plumtree, 20-Keelan Whitman, 21-Richard Judd, 22-Aidan Morgan, 23-Connor Garden-Bachop
National Provincial Championship: Final team announcements | Newshub
After 14 seasons, Saturday's match will likely be Romano's last in a red-and-black jersey.
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@Winger said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Cowan starting. O'Reilly is back. Higgins at 2nd 5.
It about our strongest team possible. Look forward to this game with some optimism. Whereas if Cowan (and O'Reilly to a lesser extent but great to have him back) was out I would have had (major) concerns about our scrum
Wellington: 1-Xavier Numia, 2-Asafo Aumua, 3-Pekahou Cowan, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Dominic Bird, 6-Caleb Delany, 7-Du'Plessis Kirifi (c), 8-Peter Lakai, 9-TJ Perenara, 10-Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11-Pepesana Patafilo, 12-Riley Higgins, 13-Billy Proctor, 14-Julian Savea, 15-Ruben Love
Reserves: 16-James O'Reilly, 17-PJ Sheck, 18-Tietie Tuimauga, 19-Taine Plumtree, 20-Keelan Whitman, 21-Richard Judd, 22-Aidan Morgan, 23-Connor Garden-Bachop
National Provincial Championship: Final team announcements | Newshub
After 14 seasons, Saturday's match will likely be Romano's last in a red-and-black jersey.
Only really big weakness is no 18. Sheck can cover both sides anyway so he will come on first no matter what I’d say.
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@Canes4life said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
Only really big weakness is no 18. Sheck can cover both sides anyway so he will come on first no matter what I’d say.
Good to know. But unlikely Cowan will last the full match. But Numia might. So expect to see Sheck on early in the 2nd half at TH. And pray Numia can last the full 80.
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I think we're all old enough that losing finals to Canterbury has been a consistent part of the life of a Lions fan. Let's hope these boys can flip that around and replicate the 2000 team.
Go well boys.
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@foobaNZ said in Final: Canterbury vs Wellington:
I think we're all old enough that losing finals to Canterbury has been a consistent part of the life of a Lions fan. Let's hope these boys can flip that around and replicate the 2000 team.
Go well boys.
100%, let’s finally turn the tide in our favour. It’s 22 years too long.
