Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm
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Crusaders 21 - 14 Chiefs
Crusaders: Grace, Reece, McAlister; Mo'unga (3) con; McAlister and Grace got yellow (but were replaced)
Chiefs: Tupaea, Stevenson tries ; Gatland (2) conHavili leaving the field in the 3rd minute after a head clash; Jordan going off with a rib injury in the 11th minute.
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Some really impressive individual performances..Ruru had a very good game in the first hit out , but I thought Sam Nock was superb in the 2nd 40 against the chiefs he is starting to eye opportunities, which holds the defence and gives times for support players to get themselves in the right positions, Thought he had the best pass of any of the halfbacks on show ,Both Eklund amd Tolai showed that Parsons will not be missed ..much more physical with ball in hand ..Akira i thought was very good ,has added some nice offloads to his game ,plenty of depth in the loose forwards to keep him honest..Josh Goodhue after a superb season with the Taniwha last year now showing the sort of consistency at lineout and kickoff time , and carry into contact with aggression..Tom Robinson just another energy charged performance as per normal ..
And Caleb Clark looked in good nick ..I have seen him training at Waitakere stadium with Danny Tusitala consistently throughout the summer ..
Special mention to Xavier Rowe ,looked really good in a team that look at bit lost in terms of attack in the backline .. -
@steven-harris said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
Xavier Rowe
Yeah, really looking forward to watching him this year.
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@stargazer Yup agree with that. Think his only real standout performance was in our last game against the Highlanders.
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@stargazer said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
Crusaders 21 - 14 Chiefs
Crusaders: Grace, Reece, McAlister; Mo'unga (3) con; McAlister and Grace got yellow (but were replaced)
Chiefs: Tupaea, Stevenson tries ; Gatland (2) conHavili leaving the field in the 3rd minute after a head clash; Jordan going off with a rib injury in the 11th minute.
thanks, not good on the Injury front
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@chris I had the impression that Havili wanted to play on. There was quite a bit of discussion going on at the touch line. I think it was mainly a precaution. They can't do proper HIA's in preseason games, so the right decision. Jordan was in pain. He tried to continue playing, but was taken off a few minutes later.
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Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said Havili would go through the concussion protocols and is hoping All Blacks outside back Jordan will be fit for the first round. “Dave getting a head knock was disappointing and so was the hit on Will [Jordan] with his ribs,” Robertson said. “Outside that we’re fine. It’s important to get through with a clean casualty ward. Will is pretty sore, but we’re hopeful.”Neither the Blues nor the Chiefs reported any major injury concerns. -
@kiwimurph said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said Havili would go through the concussion protocols and is hoping All Blacks outside back Jordan will be fit for the first round. “Dave getting a head knock was disappointing and so was the hit on Will [Jordan] with his ribs,” Robertson said. “Outside that we’re fine. It’s important to get through with a clean casualty ward. Will is pretty sore, but we’re hopeful.”Neither the Blues nor the Chiefs reported any major injury concerns.It’s us against the world Codie...
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@steven-harris Blues SRA title to lose I reckon.
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@tim said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
@steven-harris said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
Xavier Rowe
Yeah, really looking forward to watching him this year.
Give the kid a chance to work things out at this level ffs.
I remember the Blues fans getting all excited about both Ruru and Nock when they first came through. They were going to be the answer to all the problems. Good players both who are only now hitting their straps after a few seasons of being called useless.
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@crucial said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
I remember the Blues fans getting all excited about both Ruru and Nock when they first came through. They were going to be the answer to all the problems. Good players both who are only now hitting their straps after a few seasons of being called useless.
A couple of seasons of decent coaching really helps too, some structure, and a pattern to play to.
We have looked for halves to come in and be saviours, without providing any support. It's why it's been a graveyard of talent historically. the contrast with other franchises in that area has been massive... so good to see things moving in the right direction
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@nzzp said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
@crucial said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
I remember the Blues fans getting all excited about both Ruru and Nock when they first came through. They were going to be the answer to all the problems. Good players both who are only now hitting their straps after a few seasons of being called useless.
A couple of seasons of decent coaching really helps too, some structure, and a pattern to play to.
We have looked for halves to come in and be saviours, without providing any support. It's why it's been a graveyard of talent historically. the contrast with other franchises in that area has been massive... so good to see things moving in the right direction
It was the fans that expected the miracles not the coaches and The fans that were partly to blame for not giving coaches room to develop players or climbing all over them when players didn’t take the opportunities offered.
Other franchises had the luxury of developing young players slowly.
Even Rangi took a while and even now the 9s are only just starting to look comfortable. I think that with him the fans finally realised that small gains would eventually add up. -
@crucial said in Game of three halves - Blues/Crusaders/Chiefs - 20/02, 12pm:
It was the fans that expected the miracles not the coaches
cough cough Benji Marshall.
In the halves, but damn. I rate JK as a human being, but as an analyst/coach he doesn't seem particularly strong at all.
