Crusaders vs Blues
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@hydro11 said in Crusaders vs Blues:
So Crusaders have a genuine chance at the playoffs. However, if there is a tie break it comes down to most wins. Crusaders have a lot of bonus points, but one less win than the teams they would be level with. So they need to hope other teams aren't picking up bonus points.
If Clan beat Drua, then Drua beat Rebels at home Chch is gone.
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@antipodean said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
Well played Crusaders. Good wake up call for the Blues.
Ta'avao is a bench scrummager despite his size. Eklund is too small to start when Riccitelli is available. Choat and Sotutu were poor. Perofeta stunk up the place.
Isn't Renata injured?
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@Canes4life said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@African-Monkey lol Lomax is better than Newell. I’d take the Canes front row of Numia, Aumua and Lomax over the Saders front row any day.
@Canes4life said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@African-Monkey lol Lomax is better than Newell. I’d take the Canes front row of Numia, Aumua and Lomax over the Saders front row any day.
I was waiting for you to come in and say that lol, very predictable.
I like your front row, I just think Newell's the best scrummager in the country. Big deal.
Newell is having a moment, as they say in US. Taylor probably best scrummaging hooker. Throw in Grumpy Joe, who's no slouch, and it's a very solid unit.
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Pat T was good as was Plummer. Warming to both of them. Maybe should put a Blues jersey under the AB one for Pat T to transfer this form to the international stage.
Will keep saying it but Blackadder, when fit...., is one of the most influential loose forwards in the comp. You have to be blind not to see it. -
@Old-Samurai-Jack Yeah Blackadder made a huge difference last night. He really pressures the breakdown and slowed our ball effectively. It's the difference between him and Christie, and in the first fixture, we were allowed to do what we wanted because he wasn't there.
Blackadder, Newell and Hotham dare I say carried you guys to victory.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@Old-Samurai-Jack Yeah Blackadder made a huge difference last night. He really pressures the breakdown and slowed our ball effectively. It's the difference between him and Christie, and in the first fixture, we were allowed to do what we wanted because he wasn't there.
Blackadder, Newell and Hotham dare I say carried you guys to victory.
I thought Fihaki and Taylor were very good as well.
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@Chris Yup they were, but I feel that without those 3, you don't win, I say that respectfully too. Guys like Taylor, Lio Willie and Fihaki played well too, but it was those 3 that set the tone.
I feel like we could be seeing a lot more of Hotham and Funaki in this fixture and at the next level together in the future.
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@SBW1 They need either the Landers to lose both games with no bonus points, or for the Drua to lose both games.
Problem is, is that the Drua face the Rebels at home next week, and the Rebels have qualified, so they probably won't want to risk their top players getting injured over there, and as we know, the Drua are poor traveller's, and will most likely lose today.
You're probably looking at a 5% chance of the Crusaders making the finals, subject to change of course.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@SBW1 They need either the Landers to lose both games with no bonus points, or for the Drua to lose both games.
Problem is, is that the Drua face the Rebels at home next week, and the Rebels have qualified, so they probably won't want to risk their top players getting injured over there, and as we know, the Drua are poor traveller's, and will most likely lose today.
You're probably looking at a 5% chance of the Crusaders making the finals, subject to change of course.
Yeah not much chance I reckon,The damage was done the last 3 weeks before the Blues game.
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@Chris It's still a headscratcher for me as to how you're in this position haha. I'd consider 6th to be a below par season with this squad.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@Chris It's still a headscratcher for me as to how you're in this position haha. I'd consider 6th to be a below par season with this squad.
Yeah me too crazy.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@Chris It's still a headscratcher for me as to how you're in this position haha. I'd consider 6th to be a below par season with this squad.
If they had the likes of Blackadder, Taylor, Burke, Tamaiti etc all season they'd likely be a lot further up the table.
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@KiwiMurph They should be anyway in honesty. There's still more than enough there for them to be in the playoffs. Look at the teams from 6-8 as a case in point.
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@African-Monkey said in Crusaders vs Blues:
@Chris It's still a headscratcher for me as to how you're in this position haha. I'd consider 6th to be a below par season with this squad.
The Crusaders' points difference is actually 6th best in the competition. Their biggest loss is by 22 points to the Force and they have picked up 6 losing bonus points. The Reds and 'Tahs are next best with 4. That shows the Crusaders weren't far away from being respectable this season. They just lacked the nous to get themselves over the line in close games.
I'm not trying to be revisionist and say the Crusaders were actually good this season, or weren't that bad. If anything it is worse for them because it shows they do have the talent to be competitive, but they blew it.
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