How good was Kieran Read...?,actually thought he should have been the MOTM..!

Walked away from Eden Park on Saturday night asking myself one question..have the Blues got the right skipper..?
Being down 3-12 and with a man in the bin,I thought the Blues did extremely well to keep the Saders scoreless during that time.
However the decision not to take 3 points from a very kickable position on the stroke of halftime had many of us in the west stand shaking our heads..On 2 other occasions points on offer were turned down..
You often wonder why the Blues never quite get across the line in this local derby games..much of it you can put down to poor leadership and decision making on field.

Sure you can heap blame on individuals but despite that in many cases poor options when coming to terms of what’s required and understanding game situations is something they need to fix and in a hurry..
I was often told,when your playing a good team,stay in the fight and when it gets down to the wire anything can happen,for that to happen you have to keep accumulating points.

There was a lot to like,talking to a good friend in Christchurch who caught up with Matt Todd earlier today..Todd had told him the Blues were definitely a different beast from previous years ,very tough up front and more structure to their game.but they also knew whom to pressure in the last 15 minutes and get maximum value..interesting coms..

Just from my own point of view,I think the Blues would have Brocken their duck against any other franchise ,but after all we are playing a team that’s got everybody else’s number in NZ.

Just on a man of the match..if Ardie and Sam are considered the best 7s in the country ,Matt Todd must the unluckiest player running around..watched his running lines from the top of the west stand always in the right place at the right time..not far behind the young Ennor ,but I have always known how good this kid was gonna be from his St Kent’s and NZ 20s days.

For the Blues,if Akira can keep this form up,who knows I am sure Hansen will no choice but to have him involved with the Blacks.
Nonu surprised me,did most things right and more ,got gassed by Ennor,but at the end of the day just up against younger faster legs.

Like the look of Tom Robinson,would love to see him used more running off a short pass from a prop channel 1 or 2..

Disappointed with the loss,but will be back for the next home game..loved the banter from the supporters up on the West Stand,never laughed so much at a game.

Interesting listening to Murray Mexted this morning on Radio Sport,touched on both the Blues & Auckland and the issues both have had over the last decade.

I was delighted to hear Mexted speak both frankly about the failure to identify or scout talent,which has been a big bug bear I have had for a least 10 years..

Even the current Auckland Mitre 10 cup is classic,having watched quite a bit of Auckland club rugby,I have been highly impressed with the 3 argentine Costa brothers that play for Eden,I was told by someone on the AK coaching staff,that they were not up to mitre 10 level.

yet Nico comes on for Auckland v Canterbury at halfback and almost changes the game,a position Auckland have struggled at in the last few seasons,and I would imagine all 3 x Brothers would have a great understanding of each other's game..just saying..!

I also question the Blues ability to select a player required for their roster,I see the Blues signed the boy Ruru from Otago,with the greatest respect I reckon Jack Stratton from Canterbury looks a much better prospect,can think right back to the Lions first game against the NZ Babas,he was awesome against quality opposition.

Even the selection of Otere Black bothers me,he was targeted by the Blues a couple of seasons ago and declined,
Personally when the Blues were chasing Beauden Barrett,I would gave gone after Richie Mo'unga,at the time he was the 3rd choice 10 at the crusaders,but having seen him at NZ 20s level,one could see he had the goods.
Even in recent times,best young first five at the NZ under 19s tournament a couple seasons back was Brett Cameron from Canterbury,..will probably be the 3rd choice at the saders in 2018 behind Mo'unga and Hunt.

Another player I would be all over is Jackson Hemapo from Manawatu,the man is a beast,and from the time Stephen Luatua signed with Bristol,they should have been all over it.
I realise in the scheme of things there are agents and money to deal with,but man alive,open your eyes..!

For all the commotion that was made about releasing Matt Todd from his Japanese contract,he hardly played 20 minutes in the 2 most important tests of the tour..what was the point..?

Outplayed and out coached by the Irish on the day,no real complaints from me.
Not the end of the world, but I have seen plenty of evidence to suggest signs of staleness within this coaching group.

No question it was a points decision to Joe Schmidt after this mornings match and that what’s worrying me
We have the players,but is this coaching group getting the best of out of this group..?
I have often believed if you have several players at their best in a team of 15 there’s a good chance you go on an win.
That’s been a real concern not just in this mornings game,but also last weeks performance against England ,just the lack of our so called world class players standing up and when you consider the All Black coaches pulled out all the stops by taking away 51 players on this tour to protect many of our big guns..
Was it the right strategy..?,based on what we have seen you would have to say no..
Also our discipline when don’t have the ball has been terrible,some of our senior players the real culprits.
What’s that all about..?
Which leads me on to why all the penalties,when you give up ball with a poor kick game against a team like Ireland who can hold on to the ball no matter where they are on the paddock..you have got to ask questions abou strategy and dare I say it captaincy..

My apologies if I am sounding like Watto,but I would like to think I have outlined my argument with a degree of thought.

Read has been the standout ABs loose forward in the opening 20

What a game,I have aged 10 x years

My impression of last light nights test.
Was that the Hurricanes that played the springboks last night...?

2017 NZ under 20 & NZ Maori Prop Pouri Rakete Stones has signed a 2 year deal with the Hurricanes which he penned last Friday ..
Rakete Stones switched from Tighthead to loosehead and was selected for the NZ Maori in the 2nd test against against Fiji this year..
Rakete Stones is a former NZ Junior powerlifting champion..
He shocked many in the NZ Maori squad when training at the Blues facility in Auckland earlier this year when he squatted 300Kg, Ofa Tu’ungafasi has the record at the Blues of 265Kg..
Rakete Stones is 118Kg 1.82
At 22 ,has a massive future in front of him..

The biggest take away from this victory before everyone starts .is the poor field exits,I don’t care who the team your playing is but if you gift any team with this much field POSITION & TERRITORY because of poor tactics when exiting,of course it’s gonna bite..

Plenty of ticker shown tonite,but it does not have to be this hard.
Was great that we held onto the ball for 3 minutes at the end to run the game down.,
Ma Nonu outstanding,

@Bovidae , good question , I will message my contact ..

Just had this info passed on to me
Thoughts..?

NZ Rugby looking at modelling that would see Heartland & Mitre 10 abandoned but ALL club grades (kids through to Presidents) re-started mid / late Sept through to early Dec. Heartland unions have agreed in principle but much debate from Mitre 10 unions. Selected club games to be televised LIVE. ABs to play for clubs before northern hemisphere tour. Early days but there could still be a club season. All contingencies being considered by NZ Rugby.

The one upside we are seeing, if this season does restart, all these all blacks have been well and truly rested..

@Duluth hope we convince him to stay for another season, spoke to him at the Blues preseason game against Canes, impressed me as a player who makes good decisions..

@Mick-Gold-Coast-QLD word doing the rounds over this side of the ditch, now that AFL has decided to pull the plug is that the NRL will pull the plug at the conclusion of this weekend round..common sense prevails..!

@Bovidae can recall Kieran Reads tackle on Rocky Elsom in the 2011 RWC semi final was an absolute beauty ,surprised Elsom still got up.

@shark well said..The NRL as an organisation is just proving what a law into themselves they really are ,when every other major sports comp is looking at the bigger picture ..they have put their own survival as a sport before possible catastrophe especially if a case comes out this move not to suspend this years comp..

The NRL have had 66 scandals since 2015, the fact they have integrity unit to oversee their own sport is an indictment on the NRL as an organisation..if they had a strong constitutional ethic that outlines behaviour on and off the field ..that could could mean a contract gets torn up ,or is a sackable offence , like any company ethic , it means you send a clear message to the players ..if you screw up , guess what , go and find a real job..

I can’t say I am the biggest league watcher, that’s not a criticism, it’s just not the game that rocks my world..
Put it this way, It does not live rent free in my head in the same way some league heads get precious about Union..
I do however get pissed off with much of our media who hold the NRL up as the greatest thing since slice bread, but refrain from sticking to the NRL but quick to tear strips out of the NZRFU..

@Stargazer thanks for posting..boy any Rugby will do at the minute, having withdrawals symptoms..!

Back yard rugby with the Grandkids at my place will continue..