Blues 2020
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Well, the TAB reckons we're second favourites to win this thing.
I think we're in the mix with Chiefs, and should finish ahead of Landers and Canes. Crusaders are favourites, but not sure the price is right.
We haven't really done much yet, there's lots of water under the bridge. Looking good to start though, which is great for a change!
OUTRIGHT WINNER-SUPER RUGBY AOTEAROA 2020
Crusaders 1.83
Blues 4.00
Chiefs 5.50
Highlanders 10.00
Hurricanes 12.00 -
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@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
We don't get ahead our ourselves, don't worry. What we have seen is the team building all over the paddock - defence, cohesion, attack, strategy, skills all improved from last year and the year before. The resilience and grit keeps showing as well, they are not losing their cool and just working hard.
I'm proud. Hopefully the boys keep this up, but if they keep playing committed rugby, I'll keep coming back week after week.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2020:
@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
We don't get ahead our ourselves, don't worry. What we have seen is the team building all over the paddock - defence, cohesion, attack, strategy, skills all improved from last year and the year before. The resilience and grit keeps showing as well, they are not losing their cool and just working hard.
I'm proud. Hopefully the boys keep this up, but if they keep playing committed rugby, I'll keep coming back week after week.
It is nice to see a Blues fan being proud of their team.
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@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
A question for Highlanders fans as well regarding the Chiefs.
All we can judge our team on is organisation, not repeating past mistakes, and effort. The players also seem to be enjoying themselves, don't panic when pressure is applied and scramble well when mistakes are made in defence.
All you can ask really. It's not all about results, but that awful word "culture". The Blues have turned a corner this year, how successful the season will be is unknown, but at least we are giving ourselves a chance now.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
A question for Highlanders fans as well regarding the Chiefs.
All we can judge our team on is organisation, not repeating past mistakes, and effort. The players also seem to be enjoying themselves, don't panic when pressure is applied and scramble well when mistakes are made in defence.
All you can ask really. It's not all about results, but that awful word "culture". The Blues have turned a corner this year, how successful the season will be is unknown, but at least we are giving ourselves a chance now.
You likely lose that game ten times out of ten over the past 5 years. All players would have been amped and reinvigorated for that game so no chance of blaming tiredness etc.
I don't think there is much point at the wonder of the opposition. You won't learn anything from the Crusaders fondling them either.
You travel this weekend to play us I think, if you do the same job to us as you did to Canes, then it is a one-off fist fight between your lot and Canterbury for the five team championship!
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Chiefs historically really step up to play the Blues so i'd be expecting a far different Chiefs outfit this weekend.
Chiefs will have an extra day's rest and are at home and will be desperate.
This weekend will tell a lot as to where this Blues team is at.
Should be a cracker.
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@Chris said in Blues 2020:
@nzzp said in Blues 2020:
@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
We don't get ahead our ourselves, don't worry. What we have seen is the team building all over the paddock - defence, cohesion, attack, strategy, skills all improved from last year and the year before. The resilience and grit keeps showing as well, they are not losing their cool and just working hard.
I'm proud. Hopefully the boys keep this up, but if they keep playing committed rugby, I'll keep coming back week after week.
It is nice to see a Blues fan being proud of their team.
it's been a long time since we've been disorganised rabble. The last couple of years have seen big steps forward, but we're still learning.
As @Kirwan said below, it's about the dreaded culture - but the composure in the red zone was noticeably better in the weekend game. They trust their D, trust each other, and aren't forcing things too much.
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my issue with the dreaded "culture" is the way it is massively overblown as a reason for success or failure. Good teams win because of their culture. Bad teams lose because of their culture.
In all reality, good teams win because they have well coached talent. Bad teams lose because they lack talent or good coaching.
The Blues won yesterday because they had across the park talent, and MacDonald had them all pointing in the same direction. The Canes had less talent, and didn't have a plan to exploit what they had.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Chris said in Blues 2020:
The Question for you Blues Fans is How poor were the Canes compared to how good the Blues were.
RD 2 may answer some questions
A question for Highlanders fans as well regarding the Chiefs.
All we can judge our team on is organisation, not repeating past mistakes, and effort. The players also seem to be enjoying themselves, don't panic when pressure is applied and scramble well when mistakes are made in defence.
All you can ask really. It's not all about results, but that awful word "culture". The Blues have turned a corner this year, how successful the season will be is unknown, but at least we are giving ourselves a chance now.
Absolutely maybe for the Crusaders after Sunday too if they don't dispatch the Canes who will be desperate to win at home like the Chiefs.
The two games this weekend should both be massive.
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
my issue with the dreaded "culture" is the way it is massively overblown as a reason for success or failure. Good teams win because of their culture. Bad teams lose because of their culture.
In all reality, good teams win because they have well coached talent. Bad teams lose because they lack talent or good coaching.
The Blues won yesterday because they had across the park talent, and MacDonald had them all pointing in the same direction. The Canes had less talent, and didn't have a plan to exploit what they had.
Summed up well.
It's a lazy short hand, kind of like x-factor. It doesn't really mean anything.
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
my issue with the dreaded "culture" is the way it is massively overblown as a reason for success or failure. Good teams win because of their culture. Bad teams lose because of their culture.
In all reality, good teams win because they have well coached talent. Bad teams lose because they lack talent or good coaching.
The Blues won yesterday because they had across the park talent, and MacDonald had them all pointing in the same direction. The Canes had less talent, and didn't have a plan to exploit what they had.
You just described good and bad culture.
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2020:
my issue with the dreaded "culture" is the way it is massively overblown as a reason for success or failure. Good teams win because of their culture. Bad teams lose because of their culture.
In all reality, good teams win because they have well coached talent. Bad teams lose because they lack talent or good coaching.
The Blues won yesterday because they had across the park talent, and MacDonald had them all pointing in the same direction. The Canes had less talent, and didn't have a plan to exploit what they had.
To me, that's culture. The Blues also had plenty of talent in previous years, but the team didn't gel. Players played like individuals instead of a single unit. That, to me, is part of culture. Being willing to work for each other instead of going for own glory all the time.
Obviously, coaches have a great impact on culture, but also the leadership group being able to connect with all players, no matter how different they all are.
I think the Canes' biggest problem is a lack of good coaching and player selection. They should make Evans the captain instead of those two hotheads.
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@nzzp said in Blues 2020:
Well, the TAB reckons we're second favourites to win this thing.
I think we're in the mix with Chiefs, and should finish ahead of Landers and Canes. Crusaders are favourites, but not sure the price is right.
We haven't really done much yet, there's lots of water under the bridge. Looking good to start though, which is great for a change!
OUTRIGHT WINNER-SUPER RUGBY AOTEAROA 2020
Crusaders 1.83
Blues 4.00
Chiefs 5.50
Highlanders 10.00
Hurricanes 12.00After the weekend's results, those odds probably aren't far away.
To win the whole thing, I reckon you'll need to win six games - your four home games and two away.
Before the weekend's games, I'd have said the Highlanders are one of the away games you'd heavily target, because the Highlanders probably don't have the quality to be genuine contenders. So Bryn's drop-goal has caused a significant slip-up for the Chiefs.
I'd probably still have the Canes ahead of the Highlanders, but they're going to need to improve significantly next weekend. Can't afford to start with two losses - and especially can't afford to lose at home.
