Crusaders v Blues

African Monkey

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="562435" data-time="1457082740">
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You should get a season ticket bro, much better value :)
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If I was a Crusaders fan I definitely would. It's bloody expensive otherwise haha.

Dan54

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="562427" data-time="1457081283">
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 That was a bad miss by him on Nadolo allowing him to get up a huge head of steam like that resulted in the try which decided the game
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Think you being pretty harsh on Blake there, if you watch that again I would not think too many players could of got to Nadolo from that position, he was almost past him before he got ball, great run by Nadolo and well timed pass I thought, though I thought Duffie's attempt at an almost tackle was pretty weak. Actually thought Duffie was worst of a not very flash Blues team, and wonder what the hell he brings to the team.

ACT Crusader

We've still got big issues from 10 out, although Richie looked a little more composed than last week and Nadolo and Havili got into the game a bit. 
Neither teams midfields did anything of note. 
Pack looked good and we got a bit of impact off the bench from our reserve fatties. 
Good to get a win, but I'm not expecting too much different until we get one of our midfield players back.

Canerbry

Smell ya later Auckland.
 
My prediction that the Blues with a new coach and a bit of luck could finish as high as 11th, now seems way off the mark.
 
We were SHITHOUSE and that was a reasonably close thing. We really coulda shoulda woulda have put a thousand on them. Megacoach Tits-For-Hands' inspired changes will only add to Kirwans' self-loathing.
 
Crotty, Dagg, McNicholl and Freuan (if he has the ticker) change the state of this backline immensely, nice to get an early season winza win when we normally drop these games.

Canerbry

<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://gfycat.com/KindlyGleamingHorsemouse'>https://gfycat.com/KindlyGleamingHorsemouse</a>
 
Trying to link to a gif.

cgrant

Are the Chiefs and Blues scrums (and by extension the Highlanders' scrum which could not dominate the Blues in this phase) that crap or is the Crusaders scrum incredibly strong ?

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canerbry" data-cid="562448" data-time="1457086200">
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Smell ya later Auckland.
 
My prediction that the Blues with a new coach and a bit of luck could finish as high as 11th, now seems way off the mark.
 
We were SHITHOUSE and that was a reasonably close thing. We really coulda shoulda woulda have put a thousand on them. Megacoach Tits-For-Hands' inspired changes will only add to Kirwans' self-loathing.
 
Crotty, Dagg, McNicholl and Freuan (if he has the ticker) change the state of this backline immensely, nice to get an early season winza win when we normally drop these games.
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Who are you trying to kid? The absolute cluelessness amongst the Saders back line tonight was the exact same shit we've seen from the Saders for Toddy's entire run as coach. Those four aren't going to change much, just like going through three backs coaches didn't change much.

pukunui

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canerbry" data-cid="562448" data-time="1457086200">
Smell ya later Auckland. 
My prediction that the Blues with a new coach and a bit of luck could finish as high as 11th, now seems way off the mark. 
We were SHITHOUSE and that was a reasonably close thing. We really coulda shoulda woulda have put a thousand on them. Megacoach Tits-For-Hands' inspired changes will only add to Kirwans' self-loathing. 
Crotty, Dagg, McNicholl and Freuan (if he has the ticker) change the state of this backline immensely, nice to get an early season winza win when we normally drop these games.
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 McNicholl? You are kidding yourself. 
This is what i want to see if they are ever all fit. 
9. Ellis 
10. Mounga 
11. Nadolo 
12. Crotty 
13. Fruen/Havili (Fruen to go hard until he runs out of steam or on the bench for impact) 
14. Macilai 
15. Dagg

African Monkey

Lol McNicholl . Canerbry's forgotten to take his medication as usual.

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="562470" data-time="1457110427">
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Lol McNicholl . Canerbry's forgotten to take his medication as usual.
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Not sure Blues supporters can laugh at anyone really

African Monkey

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="562471" data-time="1457110544">
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Not sure Blues supporters can laugh at anyone really
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We can when people make stupid calls like that.
 
I love it how people are saying that we're back and that it'll be a great season after one game, and then say it's gonna be a long season after one loss where we put a half strength team out. As I said earlier, we never win in Chch so it was a perfect time to experiment as the target is to win the next two games before the bye (at least it should be anyway).

Billy Tell

Mo'unga looks good. I feel a bit more relaxed about the FH situation. Can't wait to have Dagg and Crotty back - Dagg can go to 15, and we can pair Havili and Crotty in the centres. Fonatia can start reading about the delights of Wales.
 
I reckon Romano will never play for NZ again - Beauden's bro and Tupou already look (much) better. Also, surely Moody has leapfrogged Crockett.
 
Tana really farked up his starting XV there - should have stuck with the same halves from last week.

kiwiinmelb

Yeah will be interesting to see how Moody goes this year , 
 
Went under the radar , but he probably was the Beaver of the 2015 WC

Gunner

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="562479" data-time="1457121414">
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 but he probably was the Beaver of the 2015 WC 
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Saw a few did you? Lucky bastard.
 
I would have been lucky if I saw just the one during the WC, considering my wife was pregnant and vomiting every 5 minutes.

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="562442" data-time="1457084545">
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We've still got big issues from 10 out, although Richie looked a little more composed than last week and Nadolo and Havili got into the game a bit. 
Neither teams midfields did anything of note. 
Pack looked good and we got a bit of impact off the bench from our reserve fatties. 
Good to get a win, but I'm not expecting too much different until we get one of our midfield players back.
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Probably didn't help losing Wainui after about 5 minutes. We ended up with the Mako$ midfield of Havili and Fonotia - and Volavola at fullback.
 
Things should improve when Crotty, Dagg and Freuan return - though I'd like to see a Crotty-Wainui midfield, with Freuan off the bench against tiring defences. And this assumes that Dagg's knees aren't shot.
 
The lack of penetration still a worry. The Crusaders just seem to have to work so much harder to score tries than other teams.
 
On the plus side, there won't be many teams with a better set piece than us - and Mo'unga looks pretty viable.

taniwharugby

When the Crusaders had sets of phases I though Ellis took the ball the wrong way a number of times, it seemed he was creating space on one side, only to take it back to the other, think it was particularly noticable in the 20 phase section just before half time I think it was, that ended with a dumb grubber, a couple of times when the camera zoomed out, you saw Macilai in space, you'd of thought getting him the ball in space rather than throwing it back to Nadolo to try to bust through in traffic might be a better tactic.

Mister G

The Blues with all their talent should have won by 15 against a terrible Crusaders team,but once again a terrible coach holds them back. Is it that hard for the Blues to find someone not on an ego trip.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mister G" data-cid="562765" data-time="1457197934">
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The Blues with all their talent should have won by 15 against a terrible Crusaders team,but once again a terrible coach holds them back. Is it that hard for the Blues to find someone not on an ego trip.
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Terrible Crusaders team? They weren't terrible. They need injured players like Dagg, Fruean and Crotty back, but apart from that they're okay (halves) or good (forward pack).

Immenso Rapido

Only watched the highlights, and it was bloody awful. Imagine watching the full 80.

Stargazer

So what do you Blues supporters think?
 
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
Blues rotation policy unlikely to change Monday 7 Mar 2016 3:31 p.m. 
 The Blues rotation tactics are unlikely to change despite their 28-13 loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch. The decision to drop backs Ihaia West and Bryn Hall for Friday's game after they starred in an upset first round win over the Highlanders left many puzzled. Coach Tana Umaga said history showed an entire squad wins the competition and he believes everyone deserves an opportunity. "Obviously the first game was great but you've got to be able to back that up and we need to have players right across, we've got a big squad and we've got to keep those guys interested and we believe that guys deserve opportunity and we want to keep doing that," Umaga said. "We made a lot of decisions and changes in our backs but we couldn't get front foot ball. Umaga said the Crusaders deserved credit as the Blues failed to get into gear. "You have to take your hat off to the Crusaders. They're a good side and they didn't allow us to get our game going and they show the amount of pressure we're going to come up against in this competition. "In a cauldron you get when you head down to Christchurch and when you come up against a team that's pretty determined, obviously they weren't too happy with their performance the week before so they came out pretty motivated and we weren't able to withstand that. "We were trying to pressure ourselves into doing things and maybe we got a bit frustrated." All Blacks Charlie Faumuina isn't expected to return from his hamstring injury yet with Umaga saying they were still managing the situation. The Blues host the Hurricanes at Eden Park on Friday. Newshub.
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The Silver Fern

Crusaders v Blues