Blues v Brumbies
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@nzzp said in Blues v Brumbies:
We lost that game up front. You know what the Brumbies are bringing: penalties, particularly scrum penalties and lineout drives. Our tight 5 were well off the pace, particularly in the scrum. Nepo looked slow and off the pace, like he normally does.
Tight 5 is where the ab weakness is at the moment. Oppositions are making meters at will, and it wrecks us.
That has got to be the understatement of the year. That was an embarrassing performance, the coaches were bloody arrogant to suggest that Blues Tight 5 could do the job. If this is Tito's influence he can fuck off back to the Naki.
They were weak, got bullied and were non-existant at the breakdown. Scrum time was ridiculous, and the amount of times the Brumbies held up our ball carriers???? I mean fark me !!!!! -
@nzzp said in Blues v Brumbies:
We lost that game up front. You know what the Brumbies are bringing: penalties, particularly scrum penalties and lineout drives. Our tight 5 were well off the pace, particularly in the scrum. Nepo looked slow and off the pace, like he normally does.
Tight 5 is where the ab weakness is at the moment. Oppositions are making meters at will, and it wrecks us.
Not entirely sure that is the case now with the right players in place.
The main reason it looks that was is because there are a couple of very good teams out there at targeting the inside shoulder. That gets that extra half metre and has us moving back. First we need more speed (which EDG, Lomax, ST provide) then a technique adjustment (probably feet positioning). Second line D is solid if they run straight but we are still searching for an agile dominant 6
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@nzzp I think at times they showed they still had it, but was a lack of consistency and I think for SW & BR it will be about load management to ensure they are both able to and actually firing on all cylinders, which means not resting them too much, but not overplaying them either.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues v Brumbies:
@nzzp I think at times they showed they still had it, but was a lack of consistency and I think for SW & BR it will be about load management to ensure they are both able to and actually firing on all cylinders, which means not resting them too much, but not overplaying them either.
Definitely think they will get load managed this year. Last year’s situation probably screwed up some depth plans but Vaa’i is improving all the time and will probably get more test match time. If we find a 6 then Barrett is the other lock.
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@Crucial said in Blues v Brumbies:
Could have passed earlier and stayed available IMO.
Reiko is a third floating winger more than a midfielder. Distributing and setting up others isn’t his strong point.
He may still be our best option at 13 though.
Would still be keen to see JB, ALB with RI on the wing
I really wanted to see Caleb get a good extended run in the 11 jersey because I thought he would be the answer with reiko at 13 , now I’m not so sure .
Maybe reiko is our best 11 after all
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@kiwiinmelb said in Blues v Brumbies:
Maybe reiko is our best 11 after all
He always has been hasn't he? Well aside from that time Hansen decided Bridge was ...
It's just that he's also our current best centre because our options are in flux at the moment.
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@KiwiMurph i reckon they invested to much time with Reiko at 13 both at Super and All Black level to change him around
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@Nepia said in Blues v Brumbies:
@kiwiinmelb said in Blues v Brumbies:
Maybe reiko is our best 11 after all
He always has been hasn't he? Well aside from that time Hansen decided Bridge was ...
It's just that he's also our current best centre because our options are in flux at the moment.
@Nepia said in Blues v Brumbies:
@kiwiinmelb said in Blues v Brumbies:
Maybe reiko is our best 11 after all
He always has been hasn't he? Well aside from that time Hansen decided Bridge was ...
It's just that he's also our current best centre because our options are in flux at the moment.
Rieko is our best centre based on what we have seen, but not a great centre.
The first 5 yards is in the head and Conrad had that.
Rieko uses his serious wheels to get himself out of bad reads.
To be fair he worked his bollox off in SA and on EOYT.
But in knockout rugby a bad read could be game over. Look how long Ringrose and Fickou have had in the saddle.
Heck Leicester Faiinganuku basically lost his spot in the AB squad after shooting out of the line in second Irish test.
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@kiwiinmelb said in Blues v Brumbies:
@Crucial said in Blues v Brumbies:
Could have passed earlier and stayed available IMO.
Reiko is a third floating winger more than a midfielder. Distributing and setting up others isn’t his strong point.
He may still be our best option at 13 though.
Would still be keen to see JB, ALB with RI on the wing
I really wanted to see Caleb get a good extended run in the 11 jersey because I thought he would be the answer with reiko at 13 , now I’m not so sure .
Maybe reiko is our best 11 after all
Rieko is the only AB winger who is "shut the gate" when he breaks the line.
Caleb keeps falling over or dying with the ball.
Sevu Reece is a smidgen on the slow side for me.
Telea seems to lack the top end gas too, but has his positives.
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@Steve I think we are a bit lacking in all-round skills on the wings. I see Jordan, Telea and Reece all as good enough for test level (and Clarke and Fainaganuku in next tier), but Rieko is better than each as a winger, so that is his 'best' position. So, if we have a good test centre, then put him on the wing. Perhaps ALB is our best test centre, so he gets first dibs. But, if he is not there, then Rieko is next best currently in my view. Maybe Shaun Stevenson, Bailyn Sullivan, Quinn Tupaea, RTS or Jack Goodhue can change the options and pecking list?
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@ARHS said in Blues v Brumbies:
@Steve I think we are a bit lacking in all-round skills on the wings. I see Jordan, Telea and Reece all as good enough for test level (and Clarke and Fainaganuku in next tier), but Rieko is better than each as a winger, so that is his 'best' position. So, if we have a good test centre, then put him on the wing. Perhaps ALB is our best test centre, so he gets first dibs. But, if he is not there, then Rieko is next best currently in my view. Maybe Shaun Stevenson, Bailyn Sullivan, Quinn Tupaea, RTS or Jack Goodhue can change the options and pecking list?
ALB doesn't seem the same player based on his recent brief AB showings IMHO.
