Blues v Crusaders
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Crusaders clearly better despite the early discipline issues they've shown the last two games - resulting in precisely zero warnings even when they ship 4-5 penalties in a row. It is a study in how to infringe without looking like you infringe.
Get down the right end, accumulate points, make the other side chase.
Blues looked like they could break it open at any moment when they used those second man in passes to hold the Crusaders defence - one on one they were doing well with that right through the game, so why not chance your arm from the start? That Heem guy was doing his best to fuck it up, mind.
Sevu Reece decision: I agree with the outcome, but he should get booked for bringing the game into disrepute. Go play soccer.
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@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
And then lying there like he'd been hit by a truck. It looked like a massive flop.
HE looked like a massive flog.
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@african-monkey said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nzzp Not saying you're wrong, but I saw it differently. I thought we were miles off the pace today. I'm confident we can improve, but yeah, there was a massive difference in quality between the sides today imo.
we were not miles off at all. Plenty to be happy about, and the bits that aren't there are mental/tactical and I think eminently fixable.
Not whinging, as in Rugby all teams cheat, but the Crusaders do it better than damn near everyone else. It's all the little things, that put together add the 1 percenters that add up to a margin. Changing lines to block runners, slowing down the ball, just lots of little things. Well played - it's a well drilled, well coached smart rugby team.
You saw when they are fresh how hard it is to break them down - half breaks won't do, you have to keep at them.
That said, when teh Blues got into their stride it looked bloody good. Two key moments for me were conceding a scrum penalty after winning 3-4 in a row ... different outcome there and it's a possible YC and a different game. Then the Sevu Reece flop - stupid from Ekland.
That said, despite the comments here, I thought htere was about 10-15 minutes early in the 2nd half where we just kept giving away penalties and letting the Crusaders ride away with points. It's that discipline that's the differnece between winning and losing.
So, all in all, set piece was fine (or dominant), defence was generally pretty strong, and the mauls were a work on (as they are for everyone playing the crusaders).
As I said above - you only have to win one game against them, and it better be the final. Would be nice to take one down south, but it's unlikely. Crusaders are better, but the gap has certainly closed
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
I'm astonished ... he went down and stayed down like he'd been shot. Very soccer-like
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@nta is he the first player ever to do anything like that though? Unfortunately it's not unusual.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta is he the first player ever to do anything like that though? Unfortunately it's not unusual.
No, he's not. The fact that others have gone the Hollywood doesn't make any of it right.
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@nzzp said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
I'm astonished ... he went down and stayed down like he'd been shot. Very soccer-like
Must have been too busy reading this place. I've always wondered how people can watch the game and post at the same time. It seems I can't.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nzzp said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
I'm astonished ... he went down and stayed down like he'd been shot. Very soccer-like
Must have been too busy reading this place. I've always wondered how people can watch the game and post at the same time. It seems I can't.
I was at the ground, and even from a long way away there were arms up to the ref and an elite athlete turning to jelly.
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I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nzzp said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta I see I am going to have to watch what Reece did again. Didn't notice any theatrics apart from him putting his hand out to 'appeal' for a penalty.
I'm astonished ... he went down and stayed down like he'd been shot. Very soccer-like
Must have been too busy reading this place. I've always wondered how people can watch the game and post at the same time. It seems I can't.
That's why I try to keep the phone down when I'm watching these days. Otherwise I miss too much
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@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
with blue tinted glasses on, I think the game was closer than some folk suggest, and you saw him responding to pressure.
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@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
Seriously? Happens every game I would have thought.
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@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
All part of the smarts by the Crusaders makes the Blues line out a bit tentative and they don't close the gap and squeeze the Crusaders Lineout.
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@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
I thought Taylor had an Awesome day wouldn't say he was off.
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@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
Seriously? Happens every game I would have thought.
I was talking Taylor in particular - he is usually just getting around the park doing great things, and he still did that . I'm not saying he had a bad game.
But something had him acting up a little today. If a lineout isn't precisely where he wanted it, usually he'll just step left or right and get the ball in. Like most hookers.
@chris said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
I thought Taylor had an Awesome day wouldn't say he was off.
And I didn't
Just wondering if something was giving him the shits. -
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
Seriously? Happens every game I would have thought.
I was talking Taylor in particular - he is usually just getting around the park doing great things, and he still did that . I'm not saying he had a bad game.
But something had him acting up a little today. If a lineout isn't precisely where he wanted it, usually he'll just step left or right and get the ball in. Like most hookers.
@chris said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
I thought Taylor had an Awesome day wouldn't say he was off.
And I didn't
Just wondering if something was giving him the shits.Ok yeah well maybe its just cause he was super fired up big game.
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@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
@crazy-horse said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
Seriously? Happens every game I would have thought.
I was talking Taylor in particular - he is usually just getting around the park doing great things, and he still did that . I'm not saying he had a bad game.
But something had him acting up a little today. If a lineout isn't precisely where he wanted it, usually he'll just step left or right and get the ball in. Like most hookers.
@chris said in Blues v Crusaders:
@nta said in Blues v Crusaders:
I also don't remember Codie Taylor being so big on the whinge. Usually he just gets on with the job, but he was having a crack at the officials about lineout gaps and not being exactly where he wanted etc.
Was it a targeted ploy to get into the head of Williams? Or was he just having a bad day? The push in the face at scrum time etc.
I thought Taylor had an Awesome day wouldn't say he was off.
And I didn't
Just wondering if something was giving him the shits.He tried stepping sideways and the ref got up him
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Great game of rugby.
Great to see John Smit back too, with two nicely taken tries off the bench for the Blues. Pity about the silly penalty.
Speaking of which, Jonny Sexton would be proud of Sevu Reece's acting skills there
AB selectors spoiled for choice at 6 and 8 - will they make the right choices? Sotutu, Ioane, Grace, Blackadder, Robinson, without looking outside the Crusaders and Blues franchises
Surely Will Jordan should start AB matches not be in the wider squad?
Is Whitelock NZ's greatest ever lock? I know Rettalick is probably a tad better at his peak, but Whitelock is like the energiser bunny, just keeps on going going
Ofa is going to cost the ABs a match with a red card with his flying missile cleanouts. Give it up son.
Great game of rugby
