Crusaders: What can I say, the Crusaders jaggarnaut keeps rolling and it's difficult to see when it will stop. Another title, but I haven't given them an A+ due to that one loss against the Hurricanes. With a player drain unlikely for next year the Crusaders will once again be the team to beat when 2021 rolls around.
Season rank: A
Forward of the year: Codie Taylor
Back of the year: Richie Mo'unga
Most improved player: Will Jordan

Blues: The Blues are back. Not the perfect season by any stretch but it's a massive improvement on years gone by so I have given the Aucklanders an A- . The foundation is there to kick on and become a team that will consistently contend for the title, especially if they keep enticing players into Auckland rather than out of it.
Season rank: A-
Forward of the year: Hoskins Sotutu
Back of the year: Caleb Clarke
Most improved player: Akira Ioane

Hurricanes: I have given the Canes a B for Super Rugby Aotearoa. They wouldn't have been happy with how they started and finished the tournament, however a sweet run of five victories including a Kiwi grand slam shows there is plenty of firepower in this side to be a force moving forward. A couple of good off-season signings and they should be there or there abouts once again next year.
Season rank: B
Forward of the year: Scott Scrafton
Back of the year: Jordie Barrett
Most improved player: Peter Umaga Jensen

Highlanders: I have also given the Highlanders a B grade considering how they've responded from that massive player drain in 2019. They have played some enterprising footy this year and are starting to grow crucial combinations in key areas. Like the Hurricanes and Blues they have a good core group of young players that will help set the standard for success moving forward.
Season rank: B
Forward of the year: Marino Mikaele Tu'u
Back of the year: Aaron Smith
Most improved player: Pari Pari Parkinson

Chiefs: The Chiefs have tried hard all year but their skill execution and inability to finish off chances cost them dearly in what was a brutal competition. I'm confident they will get back into the groove in 2021 but it may take a few hard truths within their environment before they get that chance.
Season rank: D
Forward of the year: Lachlan Boshier
Back of the year: Solomon Alaimalo (debate away)
Most improved player: Naitoa Ah Koui

@kiwi_expat we as fans observe players in the heat of the battle, the place where they are tested to their limits. If the Canes coaches are selecting players purely on good training habits and leadership ability alone then I’m afraid they’ve failed already. Player X still has to perform on game day.

I’m not sure if you’ve actually watched the Canes over the last two seasons because it’s blatantly obvious that James Blackwell falls well short on the paddock (excuse the pun). If you’re happy with a 1.90m lock, who gets man handled in almost every carry, who drops about half the passes that come his way, and just looks like an ordinary NPC player at best, then good on you.

Fans, including myself sometimes get it wrong but on this occasion (other Canes fans would agree) the best players aren’t starting for the Canes atm. Flanders is blatantly better than Prinsep, IWL is blatantly better than Blackwell and it was super obvious at the start of the season (until Holland finally woke up) that Rayasi should have been there earlier aswell. The coaches have to take some accountability as to why they are 1 and 3 because the players that are apparently superb at training, aren’t cutting it where it matters - that’s where the issue is.

Also if you don’t like fans having an opinion or questioning selections, I don’t think the Fern is the right place for you.

Classic Dagg pre game analysis talking about how Salesi Rayasi is going to be a massive danger on attack tonight - obviously Dagg didn’t do his research, Rayasi’s not even in the 23.

My two cents on the game and where do I start.

Well how can you not go past Laumape's try after gassing Beaudy and running over Otere at the line. Fair play to Beauden hitting right back with an impressive surge under the posts.

The Hurricanes were quite dominant in the early stages of the game but they struggled to finish their chances through line breaks from Laumape and Peter Umaga Jensen, who I might add had his best game in a Hurricanes jersey. The Hurricanes had the advantage at scrum time which allowed them to get well over the advantage line on attack, again though they will be a tad grumpy for not executing. A positive for the Canes is that they showed calmness under pressure in those final 10 minutes that will give them plenty of confidence heading down to Christchurch next week.

From a player perspective the three standouts for me were Ngani Laumape, Jordie Barrett and Peter Umaga Jensen. Ngani Laumape, well his performance speaks for itself and if you haven't seen his brilliant interview post game, check it out here - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2805567983004746. Jordie Barrett was exceptional and rose to the occasion against his older brother when it really mattered. He caught everything kicked his way aswell which would have pleased the All Black coaches. Lastly, Peter Umaga Jensen took his chance, he ran with purpose and intent all night, constantly looking dangerous. Broke through the heart of the Blues defence early with a hard and direct line, in what was a common sight all night.

From a Blues perspective they showed plenty of grit and determination to halt that Canes early onslaught which is promising for such a young group. A sign of a good team is one that stays in the fight without really firing too many shots and that's what the Blues did last night. They took all their chances when they came and nearly pulled off a win that looked highly unlikely after the first 20 minutes.

From a player point of view I was really impressed with Kurt Eklund, he continues to grow his game and will push for the top Blues hooking spot moving forward, and deservedly so. Dalton Papali'i was my next pick of the Blues bunch, he was everywhere on defence, making something like 18 tackles which was massive on a night like this. Mark Telea's stocks also continue to rise, every time he got the ball it took about two or three guys to put him down. With a bit more coaching on his defence and technique under the high ball he could very well push for higher honours soon.

Game Highlights:

Post match presser:

Let’s keep Jordie at Fullback now please. He’s been superb tonight.

Just spent the last week out on the course watching these boats up close and personal. The higher wind pressure on the first day of sailing made for great viewing, just a shame the lighter winds over the last few days have prevented these boats from hitting their straps.

Just being out on the course with the masses was an experience in itself. Everyone having a great time partying, drinking, swimming - a real festival atmosphere.

Only downside was the couple of arrogant dicks who decided that it would be a great idea to turn up last minute and park up in front of everyone else. Most of them were heckled until they moved which was rather hilarious.

All in all, I would highly recommend the A Cup to anyone that hasn’t been out yet. Let’s just hope we get stronger winds so we can wrap this thing up.

Ardie’s been the best on the park. Maybe he’s not suited to captain but he’s fronted big time around the park.

Umaga-Jensen will be hating on Holland right now.

My two cents from being at the game live last night.

Firstly, big congrats to Ireland. Worthy winners and completely outplayed us in all facets.

From an All Blacks perspective, two players really stood out for me and they were Ardie and Jordan.

Jason Pine summed Ardie up perfectly this morning, he’s herculean in the way he goes about his work, he just never fucking stops and was the only forward that consistently tried to get us moving last night. Everyone else, apart from one A Ioane bust and the odd Rettalick surge, were largely ineffective from where I was sitting. Is it time to give him the captaincy and move him to his best position of 7? I certainly think so. Cane looks cooked.

The other player that looked class every time he went near the ball was Will Jordan. Get him to fullback so he can get his hands on the ball more. That finish in the second half was a thing of absolute beauty, Christian Cullen mark 2.

Big black marks for me were Codie Taylor, he’s completely ineffective at this level. Whitelock tried hard but he’s really showing his age and just doesn’t have the grunt that he used to. Sam Cane was just disappointing, and being pulled really sums up his game atm, is it time to move on? Smith and Beauden looked like they had just begun their careers, absolutely no innovation from that pair last night, bloody disappointing. Is it time for Mo’unga to take the reigns? I think so.

And the irony, oh the irony of there being no one in NZ to get us over the bloody gain line. Havili definitely wasn’t the answer last night. Is it Jordie Barrett, I don’t know because he was very average aswell.

To sum things up, apart from Ardie and Jordan we were shite. Where do we go from here? F knows, but doing the same shit and expecting different results isn’t really working for us right now.

Anyway, enjoy the win Ireland. Well bloody deserved.

Where do we start with the Hurricanes in 2022? A topsy turvy season ultimately ended with a rather large thud on a cold brisk night in Canberra over the weekend and it was a game that summed up their season perfectly.

The story of the year for the Canes has been their inconsistency in performance. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance, but they’ve also shown major frailties in their game that continue to cost them when it matters most.

There are three areas the Hurricanes must improve on if they are going to threaten for the title in 2023.

1. Set piece and maul defence: once again the Hurricanes really struggled to gain any sort of parity upfront and at line-out time against the stronger sides in 2022, especially when the game was on the line. They weren’t the worst team in the league by any stretch but when it came down to big moments in big games, they failed to deliver. Narrow losses to the Crusaders, Chiefs and most recently the Brumbies on Saturday highlighted a real need to improve in this area for 2023.

2. Inconsistency in selection: to the bemusement of most fans on social media and plenty of Canes fans on here, I don’t think Holland selected the same XV for more than one game this year, instead choosing to rotate his squad in the hope of keeping them fresh, while navigating a COVID interrupted schedule. Inconsistency in selection ultimately meant inconsistency in performance for this team and it will be something they should be looking to improve on strategically for 2023.

3. Relying too heavily on the Canes big four: The Hurricanes revolve their game around four players - Jordie Barrett, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea and Dane Coles and this season was no different. Take two or more of them out of the side and the Canes will usually drop a level or two in performance. Again, this was no more evident than their most recent performance against the Brumbies on Saturday. Going forward they need to figure out how to compete at the highest level without those four players. If they can do that next year, they will be in with a shout.

Stocks on the rise:
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Hurricanes in 2022. Besides the big four, Justin Sangster, Aiden Morgan, Josh Moorby, TK Howden, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Brayden Iose and Bailyn Sullivan all made statement performances throughout the year and they will all be looking to take that form into 2023.

Stocks that plummeted in 2023:

Asafo Aumua, Peter Umaga-Jensen and Tyrel Lomax probably had campaigns to forget for different reasons. They’ve all spent time in the All Black’s environment but probably didn't enhance their credentials in 2022. Hopefully they can find their form again in the NPC so they can hit the ground running for the Canes in 2023.

Where do we need to recruit for 2023?

Tight five: this was a seriously weak area for the Canes in 2022 so getting both a world-class prop and a world-class lock will be high on the agenda for them during the off-season.

Wings: with the reliable Wes Goosen moving on, the Canes need to find a couple of wingers to add to their arsenal. Whether that’s targeting players from other franchises or looking to the NPC for a couple gold nuggets, they will be on the hunt for a couple classy finishers to add depth to an area that has historically been a strength.

Season grade: 5/10

Hurricanes awards, highlights and lowlights for 2022:

MVP: Ardie Savea
Rookie of the year: Josh Moorby (honourable mentions - Justin Sangster, Aiden Morgan)
Most improved: Bailyn Sullivan
Magic moment: Ardie Savea’s match winner against the Blues in Dunedin.
Best performance: vs Blues
Worst performance: vs Moana Pasifika

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2023:

Read a disappointing rumour, that we signed Leni Apasai as our third hooker prior to the NPC. Seems very stupid to sign a depth player without giving others an opportunity to impress

Lol that is highly disappointing. I think he’s trying to play for every Kiwi Super franchise.

@Winger said in Hurricanes 2023:

@foobaNZ said in Hurricanes 2023:

@Canes4life like both those 15s. Good back up in a lot of positions.

Now can you do the team Holland will pick? Haha.

if fit 5 starters not in the first team will be almost certain

Perenara, Proctor, Blackwell, Savea and Prinsep.

You forgot Kirifi

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks XV:

@Winger said in All Blacks XV:

@nostrildamus he's playing 2nd 5 for Wellington. And has also for the canes

ta. Just recall PUJ was 13 for ABs (?) and someone said he was better there than 12. I don't recall who said that though.

I said it. He’s better in the 13 jersey and he’s played a lot more rugby there than at 12. He’s playing 12 for Wellington because he suits it more than Proctor. Now that Higgins played well at 12 on Saturday hopefully we get to see PUJ shift back out to his more favoured 13 jersey.

The positive with PUJ is that he can slot into both positions quite comfortably. Not every player can do that.

@mikey07 said in Hurricanes 2023:

@Canes4life what about Iose and Booth there’s not exactly crap players

Both very good aswell, there’s also Tyler Laubscher and Kirifi so plenty of depth. I’m not including Prinsep. 😂

@foobaNZ said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):

Higgins was great. You'd have to hope him and Lakai are around for years to come in Canes jerseys.

Really happy we keep the Shield over the summer.

After that Northland performance I thought we'd be struggling to make the 4, but been a real turnaround since.

Congrats on the little one canes4life. Nothing better than watching them grow

Cheers bro, she’s grown a little already in two weeks haha.

The fact we are unbeaten with Aiden Morgan running the cutter shows how important he is to our run for a title. He definitely has a few work ons as he’s still developing but the way he conducts the team has been brilliant. We look like a different team when he’s playing.

@Winger said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):

@Crazy-Horse said in Wellington v Waikato (RS):

Just finished watching the first half. A few talking up Higgins and I admit I haven't watched him too closely this year, but a couple of times I have noticed him looking a bit slow, or not exactly quick. Do I have the wrong impression?

Yes. I was a bit concerned about this but his speed is good. I've seen him following a kick through and was surprised how good he was speed wise. He will never be a fast winger but more than good enough for 2nd 5. And center too. But not wing

I would see him as faster than Conrad Smith. He was a bit slow at first but even with Smith they worked with him and his speed improved.

@Canes4life would know more about Higgins though

I would say he’s definitely faster than Conrad but probably slower than Nonu and they both turned out fine. 😁

@Winger he’s been at the forefront in everything that BOP have done well this year. Mafileo has been playing well for them aswell.

@Winger

If I had to pick a 23 on form right now it would probably look something like this:

Update: I’ve decided to split this into a First XV and Second XV to show our depth.

1st 15:

1. Numia
2. Aumua
3. Lomax
4. Sangster
5. Walker-Leawere
6. Delany
7. Savea (c)
8. Lakai
9. Roigard
10. Morgan
11. Rayasi
12. Barrett
13. Umaga-Jensen
14. Sullivan
15. Moorby

2nd 15:

1. Rakete-Stones
2. Coles
3. Mafileo
4. Blackwell
5. Bird
6. Howden
7. Gibson
8. Flanders
9. Perenara
10. Cameron
11. Patafilo
12. Higgins
13. Proctor
14. Savea
15. Love

@Winger I think we’ll have the squad to go far next year, it’s whether or not Holland decides to play the right players that will determine how far we actually go.