Brumbies vs Blues
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@SammyC said in Brumbies vs Blues:
Brumbies are very one dimensional... but I disagree it made for a boring game. It was tight and the result could have gone either way.
Enjoyed the contrast of styles and the contest.
Nock was good for the blues, has an awesome box kick. I love watching Tom Robinson play
Akira’s season starting to look a bit like last year, he was unstoppable for the first half of the comp and faded towards the end.
Karl T looks fatter than last year, i thought the opposite was supposed to happen.
I didn't see this match, but Akira has played big minutes and tends to carry his team a bit which takes its toll. I am worried the same will happen to Ardie who is carrying the Canes back on his lonesome at the moment - we need him firing later in the year.
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@SammyC said in Brumbies vs Blues:
Akira’s season starting to look a bit like last year, he was unstoppable for the first half of the comp and faded towards the end.
While I'm not sure that is 100% true, but as already been mentioned by @No-Quarter, he gets constantly worked at the Blues, while all his "competitors" in other squads have rests at various times of the competition.
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@Duluth said in Brumbies vs Blues:
@rotated said in Brumbies vs Blues:
20 isn't young
20 isn't too young, but it is young
I was just pointing out he is 2-3 years earlier in his development than any of the other new, young, emerging tens
It's a fair point Sopoaga and Mounga blossomed slighlty later and were both servicable and title winning 10s. Perhaps the game is moving more in that direction. But in general expecting first fives to develop after their very early 20's has been a fool's errand.
That said the Blues flushed Anscombe at 21 so perhaps give Plummer the remainder of the season and make a call on his future then?
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@rotated Sopoaga and Black made their SR debut at 20, just like Plummer. BB made his debut as a WTG member as an injury replacement at the age of 19. Mo'unga and Cruden made their SR debut at 21.
By the way, the age at which a player (first five or not) develops as a successful SR player doesn't only depend on whether a player is an early developer or a late blossomer, but also who is in the queue ahead of him. Plummer hasn't had star players blocking his way. Black, as a WTG member, was in the queue behind BB (and probably also behind James Marshall and Jason Woodward); BB in his WTG year was sitting behind Cruden (not a star yet at the time); Cruden in his first year was competing with Willy Ripia (never been a star); and Sopoaga's first year was behind Slade (who was already capped, but injured). Mo'unga was in the queue behind Carter, Slade, Taylor (during his year in the WTG).
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@No-Quarter Akira & Tom Robinson have played 776 and 775 mins respectively (Nanai on 800 only blues player ahead)
Next forward is Parsons at 596, then GCT and PT on 566 & 534 respectively...rest under 500.
If Nock gets the chance to start again, he needs to back it up, consistency been a big issue for him
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@taniwharugby said in Brumbies vs Blues:
@No-Quarter Akira & Tom Robinson have played 776 and 775 mins respectively (Nanai on 800 only blues player ahead)
Next forward is Parsons at 596, then GCT and PT on 566 & 534 respectively...rest under 500.
If Nock gets the chance to start again, he needs to back it up, consistency been a big issue for him
And both Robinson and Akira are starting to play like it. Being played into the ground a bit, which is doing neither the team or the players any favours.
Not sure why either, you could have Dalton spelling Robinson (or vice versa), and I really liked Sotutu for Auckland, surely it's worth trying him at some point as well?
Both Robinson and Akira are very busy players, and get through a mountain of work, I can't see how playing them so much will work over a full season.
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@No-Quarter said in Brumbies vs Blues:
@SammyC said in Brumbies vs Blues:
Brumbies are very one dimensional... but I disagree it made for a boring game. It was tight and the result could have gone either way.
Enjoyed the contrast of styles and the contest.
Nock was good for the blues, has an awesome box kick. I love watching Tom Robinson play
Akira’s season starting to look a bit like last year, he was unstoppable for the first half of the comp and faded towards the end.
Karl T looks fatter than last year, i thought the opposite was supposed to happen.
I didn't see this match, but Akira has played big minutes and tends to carry his team a bit which takes its toll. I am worried the same will happen to Ardie who is carrying the Canes back on his lonesome at the moment - we need him firing later in the year.
Difference being, for me at least, Ardie is a class above and him being in the ABs environment for a while now, he would’ve learned how to manage his game better.
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I am hearing TTT is on the Blues recruitment list..thoughts..?
I have long held the belief we have recruited very poorly in key positions..in what other NZ franchise team would either Otere Black,Jonathan Ruru or James Parsons be starters ..?.in the case of Ruru,he would struggle to make a match day 23 in any other squad as for Parsons, no more than a bench warmer.
I would still have,Coles,Taylor,Coltman,Harris,Amua and Rikitelli ahead of Parsons..I would even have former Grammar Tech hooker Andrew Makalio now with the Saders ahead of Parsons just simply because of his physicality .(nice one AK rugby, got told he was too fat)Just on Sam Nock, having tried to have a conversation with the guy, he’s very much an introvert..
Answers questions yes or no without adding to much detail..I can only assume not being a yapper does not help when you are trying to direct forwards especially mauls are either being driven or defended.
I thought he did play well the other night, with Pulu looking like he is on the move next year, do we persist with Nock & Ruru or do we clear the decks..?
Personally I would have a crack at another youngster say like Folau Fakatava or Jamie Booth from the Sunwolves who impresses me no end with his high energy ,running game and continuous chat.. -
@Steven-Harris surely a no brainer for the Blues to target him?
I dont expect he is overly happy sitting on the bench at the Chiefs, and the blues need a 9...
For me, Nock is on a precipice right now, if he wants to continue his career in NZ, he needs to step it up and find some consistency, as I have always said, has the skills (pass and kicking game) but seems to struggle with decision making which makes him hesitant resulting in errors.
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It has to be a two way buy in. You can go after a player but the player also has to want to play for you. Whilst there have been signs of an improvement at the Blues will it be enoough to entice bench warmers from other Super XV teams to sign up with the Blues?
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Wasn't Leon MacDonald involved in the NZ U20s coaching group with Razor the year that TTT was halfback? (same year as Akira, Jack Goodhue etc).
Blues absolutely should be chasing TTT. It's no good for NZ Rugby that he is wallowing away on the Chiefs bench with barely any game time.
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@Steven-Harris a good move if it comes to fruition. Poor and inconsistent halfback play has been a problem for the Blues for some time.
I think a combo of TTT and Plummer could be a bright one for years to come.
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Well, didn't that just suck!
Hadn't watched a Blues game live for a while, for obvious reasons, but given this year they are looking better, I decided to catch up with a mate who lives just outside of Canberra and go and watch the game.
Cold and windy, so whichever commentator said it wasn't windy must have been sitting in a booth or studio somewhere.
Had dinner and a few warm up beverages at Bentspoke brewery first then off to the game so we were about 5 minutes late but oh well.
Observations from watching from the ground:
Ref was clearly being influenced by the crowd who I have to say, begrudgingly, are a little more knowledgeable than the Warratah fans.
Of the loose trio, Gibson went well, but the other two, not so much.
I watched Akira as much as I could and boy, was I disappointed. As some have pointed out, he's played a lot of rugby this year and he did look tired. He was walking behind the play a lot and seemed disinterested at times. In the scrums, he looks more like he is leaning rather than pushing and lifts his head quickly when it's the oppositions feed. Based on this performance, he wouldn't make my RWC squad.
Based on my first time watching Robinson live, anyone saying he could be an AB bolter this year better think again. Headless chook is what I saw. He constantly moves but seemed frequently out of position for a blindside. Then would go hang on the wing a bit with Duffie or Clarke. Oh and his scrum work didn't look good either. Looked more interested in getting out of the scrum as quick as he could rather than pushing.
Black, OMG, Black. Looks like a kid playing men. He's small, like very small compared to the other players. Not necessarily his height but rather his frame just looks very slight and not particularly robust. He plays quite deep and looks to shovel the ball on. Doesn't seem to have that ability to look and play what's in front of him and see what the next play or two should be.
Ma'a, well damn, that man is a beast and was the best back on the day. You can see that old head just reads the game so well. And his speed wasn't all that bad but he looks slow to accelerate but not slow once he get's going. My mate at one point said, wow, he's fast.
Duffie, looked shit. Positionally, got caught out a few times. Also rarely looked for extra work and instead waited for the ball to come his way.
Clarke looks much better on the wing.A very disappointing result and always looked that way once the refereeing favoured the Brumbies and they just couldn't adjust but rather, kept making some stupid decisions and mistakes.
Game management overall looked absolutely shite to be honest.
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@RoninWC having a loosie stationed wide is pretty commonplace nowadays.
@Duluth disappointed Kitto went back to the UK, reckon he could have stepped up (was in Dev side but dropped out) I believe Northland has just signed Harrison Levien (currently playing for OBM up here, has a good pass and looks quick) who has played for Waikato, be interesting to see if he can press Nock.
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@RoninWC to be fair to Robinson he’s only been playing in the 6 jersey for not even a year, he played a hand full of games for the Taniwha last before being injured and what we have seen in this years super rugby..the Blues from what I understand have been asking him to range wide because of his pace and offloading skills..on Saturday night the Blues could not even string any phases together little alone packing a half decent scrum..rest of your points a very fair.
